Cost Of Living Crisis Series - How To Make Your Clothes Last Longer ( Part 2 )

 Following on from last week's post,  here are another 7 tips to get the most wear out of your clothes and help them stay fresh for longer -

*  To prevent your clothes from fading in the Summer heat,  dry them on a clothes horse in the shade,  or if you have room,  in the garage.

*  Not everything can be thrown into the dryer.  If you are struggling to get your washing dry,  use your dryer for socks,  underwears and pjs.  Hang large,  heavy items like jeans and jumpers on coathangers and hang them on the shower rail or door frames.  Everything else can be hung on clothes horses.

*  To prevent heavy clothes drying out of shape,  hang them on padded coat hangers.  This is great for jumpers,  dresses and delicate items.

*  Most of us don't have time to hand wash delicate clothes.  In our home,  if it looks fancy or delicate,  it gets put into a linen / delicates bag and put in the washing machine with the appropriate colors.  

*  Don't leave wet washing in the washing machine,  dryer or the laundry basket for too long.  Damp clothes will start to smell terrible and that smell can be hard to get rid of.  It's also a great way for mould to grow.  I had a cleaning client who left wet washing in her dryer all day and let me tell you,  it smelt bad.  They did the same thing with their sheets.  When I'd change the sheets on their bed,  the ' clean ' ones did not smell clean at all.

*  Save your older clothes for gardening,  cleaning and slopping around the house.  How many of you have ruined a good piece of clothing by accidently getting a little bit of bleach on it ?  Or got a grass stain on a good pair of jeans when the weeds outside were calling you ?

*  Mend a small hole or rip as soon as possible.  Remember the saying '  A stitch in time saves nine '.

How To Make Your Clothes Last Longer - Part 1

The cheap way to dry clothes.

Have you used delicates bags in your washing machine ?

Cost Of Living Crisis Series - How To Make Your Clothes Last Longer

 Clothing is something we all need to spend money on.  Whether we buy our clothes from an op shop,  chain department store or a high end boutique,  it is an investment of our time to find the perfect piece.  It's also an investment of our hard earned money and should be treated with loving care.

There are some pieces in my wardrobe that I've been wearing on a regular basis year in,  year out for well over 10 years.  There are a few tricks and tips I've learnt along the way to help keep my clothes looking fresh,  clean and tidy without extra work and for very little money.

*  Separate your clothes from the towels when you put a load of washing on.  Towels release lots of fluff and lint during the wash cycle and attach themselves to your clothes.  By separating your towels,  you'll help prevent pilling on your clothes.

*  Speaking of pilling,  if those pesky little balls start to form on your clothes,  use a hand held,  battery operated fabric shaver.  These little devices are fantastic for removing those little balls and it's quite addictive to use.    I purchased a Philips branded one for just under $20 about 4 years ago and it's paid for itself many times over.  Clothes that I thought were beyond saving have been given a new lease on life.

*  Separate your whites from your darks / colors when filling the washing machine.  Even if your clothes are old,  there is always some die or dark lint released in the washing machine that will discolor your whites.

*  When you sort your clothes for washing,  keep a look out for stains.  If you find any,  pre treat with a stain removing spray as you go,  allowing time for the spray to work before you wash them.

*  When possible,  treat stains as soon as they occur.  Delaying can make it harder or even impossible to remove all of the discoloration.

*  Underarm odours can be removed by spraying the offending area with white vinegar.  I keep a spray bottle of vinegar in the laundry cupboard to spray on smelly clothes as I'm sorting them to wash.  Giving the vinegar 5 - 10 minutes to work also really helps.  For stubborn underarm odours,  repeated applications and a longer soaking time might be needed.

Next week I'll have more tips for keeping your clothes looking fresh.

Hanging jeans and jumpers in the shower

Jeans over a ducted heating vent

For getting rid of pilling.

Do you use any of these tips ?