Knowing how to make clothes last longer is an important factor when trying to create a more sustainable wardrobe. Prolonging the lifespan of our clothing will allow us to master slow fashion and save money by reducing the amount of clothing we need to buy in our lives.
We’ve all had certain garments that we carelessly threw into the washing machine and dryer, only to find out that it got ruined because we didn’t consider the proper way to wash it. By not taking care of our clothing, we end up throwing it away, only to wind up in a landfill or incinerated somewhere on the planet.
It’s horrible for the environment considering the pollution clothing creates to get produced, shipped and maintained, only to land somewhere that will cause more pollution. Not to mention it’s a waste of money that was spent purchasing the clothing. Because of this, it’s crucial for ourselves as well as the environment to ensure our clothes have a long lifespan.
Here are 13 ways to make your clothes last longer.
1. Buy High-Quality Clothing
Purchasing better quality clothing is an important factor when considering the lifespan of your clothing. Cheap garments won’t last long after repeated washes in the laundry machine and dryer, and may be more prone to shrinkage and fading.
2. Protect Your Clothing
Try and prevent dirtying your clothing by wearing protection when doing certain activities. If you’re cooking, wear an apron to prevent dirt or possible stains on your clothing. You should also protect expensive pieces of clothing that you don’t wear often like suits or fancy dresses in a garment bag when storing in the closet.
3. Carry a Stain Remover Pen
A stain is usually a determining factor for when a piece of clothing has reached the end of its lifecycle. To avoid this, carry a stain remover pen with you to tackle a stain when it’s fresh. Alternatively, if you’re at home, wash it as soon as possible so the stain doesn’t set in.
4. Don’t Over-wash Clothes
Clothes last longer when they aren’t being over-washed. Sweaters you’re wearing over a t-shirt don’t need to be washed after every single wear. The same goes with jeans, skirts, camisoles, and dresses. Unless the garment is actually soiled with something, they can generally be worn about three times before needing to be cleaned. Just make sure that you’re hanging these clothes that you’ve worn in order to help freshen it up, avoid wrinkles, and not collect dirt or dust if just sitting on the floor.
5. Use a Laundry Bag
Mesh bags for certain types of clothing like lingerie and delicate fabrics are important for ensuring that they last longer. Underwear can easily get caught in other pieces of clothing or on zippers which may cause them to become damaged. It’s also great to put all your small items in like your underwear as well as socks to make it easier to sort afterwards. Use a mesh laundry bag to make sure your clothes don’t get ruined.
6. Zip & Button Up
Speaking of zippers, in order to reduce the possibility of damaged clothing when washing them, zip up your sweaters and jeans before tossing them in the laundry machine. The same goes with buttons. By doing this, you’re reducing the chance that your clothes will get caught or tangled and damaging your clothing.
7. Follow Washing Instructions
Clothing doesn’t come with laundry instruction on their tags for nothing. It’s extremely important to read these tags to learn how to wash each piece of clothing to ensure the garment’s longevity. Certain pieces of clothing need to be hanged to dry, or tossed in the dryer on a gentle setting. Maybe something can only be hand-washed. You don’t want to take out piece of clothing that you washed just to realize that it shrunk, faded or lost its softness.
8. Sort Laundry Accordingly
Once you’ve read your laundry tags, you need to sort your laundry according to those tags. It will make it easier when transferring to the dryer, knowing that the batch you just washed can all go in the dryer, and not have to sort afterwards when the clothes are wet.
9. Don’t Stuff The Laundry
You definitely don’t want to wash with a small amount of clothes because it’s a waste of energy and water, but you also don’t want to put too much clothes in your laundry machine. If it’s stuffed too tight, they won’t wash properly, and they’ll rub up against each other which may damage and fade your garments. You should also be washing your clothes in cold water to prevent fading, shrinking and stains from setting in.
10. Wash Clothing Inside Out
To reducing fading and preserve prints from cracking, turn your clothing inside out prior to throwing them in the laundry. Although it may seem tedious having to turn them back out after they’re dried, it will help make your clothes last longer.
11. Hang Clothes to Dry
Hanging your clothes to dry on a clothesline or clothes rack is a great way to preserve its quality and therefore extend its lifespan. It will also help reduce wrinkles and shrinking that could possibly happen from the dryer. It’s also a better alternative because you’re saving energy by not using the clothes dryer.
When you are using the dryer, use eco-friendly wool dryer balls to shorten the drying time and reduce wrinkles in clothing.
12. Store Clothes Properly
Closets usually have doors for a reason, and that’s to keep clothes in a cool and dark area to preserve them. If clothes are exposed to direct sunlight over a long period of time, the garment becomes faded. You also want to make sure that you’re storing your clothes in a cool and dry environment as to not risk mold.
13. Learn to repair your clothes
A little sewing knowledge can go a long way. You don’t need to throw away clothes because a button fell off or there’s a small tear. Be more sustainable with your clothing and learn to fix your clothes so that they last longer.
These tips are important for creating a more sustainable wardrobe when starting slow fashion. Check out my post to learn all the ways to build a sustainable wardrobe.
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