How To Make Your Clothing Last Longer

We all have our favorite outfit and it feels awful when I gets stretched out, ripped, faded, stained, or worn out. Over the past few years I have done my best to ensure that I invest in higher quality clothing that will be enduring, not just style wise, but also long lasting. I want my favorite clothes to last as long as they possibly can and I imagine you do too. Investing in higher quality clothing is one way to ensure that your clothing will last several seasons (and hopefully several years and more), but there are numerous other ways to make sure your clothes really last. These are some of the things I do to take care of my clothing and to increase their longevity. 

Washing and Drying

Wash, but don’t use the dryer. For clothing that is truly special, I like to give it the special treatment. Throwing clothing in a dryer can stretch, shrink, fade, or even break down the materials in your favorite clothes. It also creates pilling. All the tossing and the heat wears down clothing quickly, especially materials that are stretchy. If you have temperature and tumble setting that you can select for delicate clothing, that can help immensely, however, air drying is your best method for making clothing last. I make this my first rule because it really has the largest effect on clothes. 

As a general rule, I never put jeans, bras, lace, chiffon, silk, linen, blouses, sweaters, yoga pants, wool, cashmere, or any other delicate fabrics in the dryer. That sounds like just about everything and it kind of is! Cotton t-shirts, sweat pants, pajamas, and socks are usually the only clothing that makes it into my dryer. That may sound crazy, but it truly works! Dryers break down stretchy fabrics, which make up a large portion of our closets, especially our denim. Have you ever worn an old pair of jeans that used to fit nice and snug but now sags in the butt or crotch? That is 100% from the dryer. Dryers make our beloved clothes frumpy. 

To ensure that your clothing stands the test of time, hang or lay items flat to air dry. Do your best to avoid direct sunlight for clothing with colors. The sun will fade clothing, however, it is the perfect natural bleach for whites.

When using the washing machine, I always make sure the temperature of the water is put on cold so that colors aren’t leeched from the materials. I also use only natural detergents to keep chemicals off of my clothes.

Use a delicates mesh bag when washing delicate items such as bathing suits, bras, and clothing made of finer materials. This will prevent your clothing from getting stretched out in the machine. To help dark clothing prevent fading in the wash, wash it inside out. 

When it comes to choosing a detergent, I always use all natural detergent without dyes or perfumes. If I want a little bit of a fresh scent, I will use a detergent with an all natural lavender. I also skip the dryer sheets. I do not find them necessary. They put chemicals all over your clothes (chemicals that are not only bad for your safety and the environment, but also bad for your clothes) and the sheets themselves are just another item to add to our waste baskets. 

This one may sound gross, but I promise it’s really not a bad idea. The fact is, you do not have to wash your clothes after every wear. Most jackets, sweaters, jeans, pajamas, and shirts can be worn more than once or even several times between washes if they don’t get dirty or sweaty. Over washing your clothing breaks it down. Of course, wash undershirts, socks, and underwear after every use, but everything else should only be washed when it is actually dirty. This is quite common in many countries and the norm across the globe. This goes for dry cleaning as well. Most dry cleaning processes use very harsh chemicals that can break down clothing materials over time. Do your best not to over dry clean delicate items. 

A little about Stains

Always spot check before you wash. I like to look for stains, particularly on the sleeves and neck lining on clothing. This way I can treat stains before washing to ensure they don’t get set in. Also remember the first rule you learned when you started to wash your own clothes: separate whites, lights, and darks. Colors can stain other clothes in the wash so wash new garments separately or with like colors to prevent stains on your favorite clothes. 

For stains, I always treat them immediately by first blotting away the remains of the stain and then soaking the item in cold water to break it down. After the spot has been soaked for about a half hour to an hour, I will scrub at the fabric and use natural detergent if it needs a lending hand. This method has worked wonders with the most difficult of blood and wine stains too. Putting clothing in the dryer if there is still a stain will only set the stain more permanately, so it is best to make sure the entire stain is gone before drying your clothes. 

Another method to improve the longevity of your clothing is to change your deodorant to a natural brand that will not stain your clothes. Some solid brands leave a sticky residue behind that is difficult to wash off and can stain or weaken clothing. 

On Wrinkles

Ironing clothing can be difficult on most fabrics and as I mentioned, dryers will break down the elasticity of materials. One of my favorite ways unwrinkled clothing in a safer way is to use a steamer. They work like a charm too and also kill bacteria. Irons can damage fabric, even if you use the correct setting. If you need to iron, make sure the setting is slightly cooler than the fabric setting suggestion. 

The way you store your wardrobe can also impact how long it lasts. Store your clothing in dark spaces out of sunlight to prevent fading and do not hang heavy items that can get stretched on a hanger; instead, fold these clothes or fold them over the inside of a hanger to hang them instead of using the sleeves. 

On Fixing Damaged Clothing

And of course, mend your favorite clothes. Fixing items yourself or going to a tailor can truly work wonders. I reapply my own buttons when they fall off and fix plenty of straps. Last year I had a two jackets with ripped sleeves so I took them to a tailor and now they’re good as new. I was also able to get an old leather jacket of my mother’s repaired. If something rips, don’t give up on it right away; If the item is worth it, perhaps it can be mended or even patched up in a cute way. One of my best little investments has actually been my sweater shaver. Do your favorite sweaters get too much pilling after you wear them? A sweater shaver is a handy little took that shaves off pilling to make your clothing look good as new. This took has been a lifesaver all winter long and has also rejuvenated my favorite spring jackets. 

What methods do you implement to make your clothes last? Please share this post on Pinterest or Facebook.