How to take care of our clothes and enjoy them for longer
- 6 tips from me to you -
I read in an interior design magazine that when you don't know how to choose your colour palette, just take a look at your wardrobe and you’ll instantly figure it out. :) Well, my wardrobe is really colourful, with shades of mint-green, lila, pink and yellow. And yes, I want to keep my favourite clothes - and the others too, of course - as colourful and happy as I can for as long as possible and to enjoy my colour palette at its best.
I know that when we treat our clothes with care, they keep their shape, colour and texture for a longer time, so we can extend their life and prevent them from ending up in landfills.
We can then wear them for more years or give them further, in a good shape, to someone who appreciates them; our kids' dresses to a smaller child and then to another one and so on.
I made this dress in 2017. Now, after 5 years, it is feeling better than ever. :)
I’m so glad when I get messages from delighted moms about their daughters having received one of the ARMONICA dresses from a friend or cousin, with a photo of the happy girl proudly wearing the dress. It’s important to know that the dresses last and that they are also cherished as pre-owned.
So, what to do. Here are some ideas to start with.
Wash inside-out with similar colours, using a cold cycle
A 30 degree cycle can do well, but you can go even lower. This way you help colours last longer, reduce wrinkling and, very important, you save energy (all that energy the washing machine would use for heating up the water). Also, keep in mind that some detergents work better against stains in cold water.
Air-dry your clothes
After washing, let your dresses air-dry instead of using a dryer. When using a dryer, your clothes wear out because of the tumble-drying process, and they also shrink (more than during washing).
Let them breathe on a hanger, smooth wrinkles by hand and wait for them to regain their shape.
Iron cotton clothes inside-out
Ironing helps your dress get its best shape back. Dresses made of woven cotton usually shrink when washed. There is no way to reverse this, but you can enhance their posture and stretch them a bit by ironing. It is recommended to iron inside-out to avoid wear-out.
You can also protect the fabric, when ironing on the “right” side - outside-out :) - by placing a cotton cloth on the dress, something like a thin sheet that would not transfer colour.
Be careful to adjust the temperature to the fabric. For cotton, best would be to iron while still a bit damp, so don't wait until they are completely dry.
Wash less - it prevents clothes from wearing out
Each time after my daughter wears a dress, she sends it on a washing journey. But hey, if it’s not really dirty, she can wear it again and we can avoid washing so often. Clothes wear out after every wash.
Just leave them on a hanger to breathe, and if they catch any “restaurant odour" (disgraceful, I know! Haha) place them for a little while on a radiator, it does magic. :))
Store your clothes away from the sun
Keep your clothes in a cool dry place and away from direct sun.
It’s true, the UV light helps the fabric stay safe from bacteria; but direct sun can damage the fibre of the dress and also cause the fabric colours to fade.
So, you know what to do. Let the sun shine only outside of your closet.
Repair and reuse
When the damage is smaller, it’s easier to repair. Fix it while it’s still possible.
Also, if you grew out of your dress, repurpose it. Add a ruffle. Or two.
And if you've changed your style, give your dress to someone else. Organise a get-together with clothes exchange with your friends. Or keep your clothes and do a get-together anyway.
That's it. Easy peasy. Now you'll have long-living-clothes.
You're welcome. And tell me if you have more suggestions, I’d love to hear them.
Take care and see you soon :)
Monica.