Matua Retirement Village

5 ways to extend the life of your clothes

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f2eef619e0acf870af03e66089294f2cNew clothes are expensive and only continuing to rise in price. While we can save money by purchasing clothing on sale, it makes financial sense to extend the life of your clothes rather than purchasing new.

Sometimes it’s not the cost we’re concerned about, but that the item of clothing we love so much is irreplaceable. So, we’ve put together a collection of five ways you can help extend the life of your clothes.

 

5 simple tips to help you extend the life of your clothes

Keeping our clothing in great condition is something most of us strive to achieve. We do this by washing, ironing, folding and hanging our clothing carefully. But have you ever stopped to think about what you can do to make your clothing last longer? Here are five ways you can do just that:

  1. Use lingerie or delicate bags – occasionally a washing machine will damage a piece of clothing. Putting delicate clothing into a bag before putting it in the washing machine helps protect it.
  2. Treat stains immediately – stains which are left for any period untreated can ruin clothing. Treat stains right away to avoid them setting.
  3. Avoid using bleach – bleach may be good at removing dirt, but it is also hard on fabric. Make sure you choose detergents or washing powders without bleach.
  4. Skip the dryer – as handy as they are, using a dryer can shorten the lifespan of your clothing. Instead hang your clothing in the sunshine, which not only dries clothing, but also has bacteria killing properties.
  5. Wash your clothing less often – we’re not talking about only washing any item once a month, but rather wearing some clothes more than once. Jeans, trousers and jerseys may be worn more than once if they are still clean and smell free. Turning an item inside out and hanging it in fresh air helps to remove odours and ‘irons’ out any wrinkles.

If an item of clothing is unsuitable due to wear and tear, consider upcycling it into something else. An old pair of jeans can make an attractive handbag, or a set of ties sewn together can form part of a quilt top. For more information about fashion trends and news, check out our Fashion & Beauty section right here at GrownUps!