In this consumer society where everything is bought and thrown away so quickly than a kleenex, our clothes are no exception.
Victims of what is called fast fashion, our clothes wear out very quickly for 2 main reasons.
Firstly because they are often of poor quality...
...but above all because of our bad daily habits (unsuitable washing, careless use, etc ...).
All of this has the effect of gradually damaging our clothes.
Fortunately, our grandmothers knew exactly how to keep beautiful clothes longer.
So you want to know the secrets to increasing the life of your clothes?
I reveal to you today 15 tips to keep them longer, much longer . Watch:
Handy for hanging clothes, hangers are actually the enemies of your clothes, especially if they are of poor quality!
They widen the shoulders and sleeves if they are too big, and create pleats if they are too small.
And these defects are all the more obvious when it comes to natural materials such as cotton, wool or cashmere.
Let's not even talk about metal hangers that leave marks and make clothes slip.
To keep the shape of your clothes, prefer to put them on top of each other by being well folded on shelves.
Or use the Marie Kondo method to store them and save space at the same time.
Alternatively, roll them up and place them side by side in your drawers.
And if you really can't do without hangers, invest in quality!
A few tips on the subject:for thin, fragile or knitted clothes, buy round hangers or better yet, velvet.
Their larger size allows them to better support the garment without deforming it.
Finally, for delicate skirts and pants held by clips, put a small piece of silk or paper towel between the fabric and the clip.
This avoids creating marks that remain for life on your garment.
A beautiful spring sun and hop, we take out the dryer on the terrace to dry the clothes faster.
Don't do that at all! Otherwise the ultraviolet rays will get the better of the colors of your clothes.
Indeed, the sun alters the pigments of the fabric and dulls the colors . Red is less sparkling and black turns gray...
On the other hand, no problem for white linen. You can put them outside in the sun without any problem.
Another exposure you should not attempt:drying clothes under the stars!
I'm sure you've never heard of hydrogen peroxide?
This compound is deposited during the morning dew and discolors the laundry, leaving whitish traces.
To be avoided just as much as the sun.
Do not wash your clothes too often , it allows them to be kept longer while being respectful of the environment.
Don't forget that your clothes degrade the more you machine wash them.
Too much washing alters the colors and decreases the density of the textile!
So think before putting your clothes in the machine.
For example, do we really need to wash sweaters every day, especially when we stay almost always at home?
Same for T-shirts, shirts and sweatshirts? Am I really the only one who sometimes wears them twice?
To avoid having to wash your clothes and underwear every day, you can air them outside and put them back on the next day.
Read our guide here to find out how many times you can wear a garment before putting it in the washing machine.
In case of a big stain, apply one of our homemade tricks to make it disappear so you don't need to wash your clothes in the washing machine.
Finally, as much as possible, wash your clothes at 30° maximum (apart from sheets or household linen) and spin them at 800 rpm.
Your laundry is less damaged by washing and therefore keeps longer.
Here's something you probably don't know about the different forms of detergents (powder and liquid).
Liquid detergents, unlike powder detergents, do not contain bleaching agents which dull the colors of the fabric.
They are also more efficient at low temperatures.
They therefore allow you to avoid washing at more than 40° which breaks the fibers and makes your sweaters completely shrunk.
The other side of the coin, liquid detergents are less effective against encrusted stains.
A homemade stain remover to apply to the stain before washing does the trick, however.
Another point to take into account, liquid detergents slightly reduce the brightness of the white.
Finally, it is not because you use 2 times more detergent that your laundry will be 2 times cleaner.
So gently on the quantities used.
When you wash your laundry, always respect 2 basic principles.
Sort your laundry color with color and white with white and wash delicates together.
It avoids ending up with an all-pink size XS sweater!
Second, do not fill the drum more than 2/3 of its capacity otherwise your laundry will be poorly washed.
Even if you think you save by filling the machine, in the end it makes you use more water and detergent so that the linens are washed well.
In addition, your clothes wear out more quickly, because they will rub against each other.
A little advice too:place your delicate clothes (bras, knitted sweaters, shirts with buttons that can get caught, etc.) in protective nets.
They are thus protected from the abrasive effect of the drum.
Finally, close the Zippers so that they don't get caught in the stitches of other linens.
It goes without saying, but it gets better by saying it.
A low-cost garment =a low-quality garment .
The materials used will not last over time...
As a result, these garments will shrink on the 1st wash, become stretched due to a fabric that is too thin, or even have pilling or seams that come undone.
By the way, to appreciate the quality of the fabric, do this little test.
Hold your garment at eye level and stretch it.
If you see through the fabric and it stays all stretched, it's because the quality leaves something to be desired!
Also pay attention to the length of the hems.
If they are less than 2 cm in length, you are likely to see them unravel easily.
Finally, choose natural materials and avoid polyester for example.
Not only are natural materials such as cotton and linen biodegradable, but above all they are more resistant.
When winter arrives, you plan to store your little summer jackets and other light clothes in the closet.
Remember to wash them before storing, because they are certainly full of dirt or impurities of all kinds even if you cannot see them.
By doing this, you prevent bad odors and other bacteria from developing throughout the winter in your closets by contaminating other clothes.
Do the same with gloves, scarves and hats when summer arrives.
Finally, before storing your shoes for a few months in the closet, sprinkle the inside with baking soda.
You will find them fresh on their next outing.
We all tend to stuff our cupboards and dressing rooms with a lot of laundry...
It's normal, considering all that we buy!
As a result, when you take out a piece of clothing, it is all faded and no longer has any hold.
To avoid encountering this kind of problem, do something as simple as it is obvious at close frequency.
For the piles of clothes piled up in your drawers, take them out, unfold them, shake them out, and then fold them back.
For other clothes stored in your dressing rooms or closets, take them out from time to time to give them a breath of fresh air.
And to fix the problem permanently and save space, sort it out using this trick here.
A golden rule to observe regarding jeans, especially those in dark colors.
Never wash them right side up!
If you don't want to see their color fade or see white streaks, always wash them inside out.
This is less of a problem for jeans in light colors.
You can wash them more frequently and right side up (not too often though!).
Also apply this advice for all your delicate laundry.
Washing them right side up weakens the fabric. So turn them inside out like jeans before putting them in the washing machine.
You may not know it, but using the iron too often damages the fiber of your clothes.
So take it easy on its use!
To do without it as much as possible, here are some simple tips to apply.
To easily de-wrinkle your clothes, it is better to steam them rather than iron.
No need for a super high-end device. A good steam generator is enough or even better a steamer.
Place your garment on a hanger, put your device at its maximum propulsion capacity and pass the steam from top to bottom all over the linen.
Another tip:to prevent the clothes from getting creased, take them out of the machine immediately after the wash cycle is finished.
Then shake them vigorously before laying them out.
All this avoids creating bad folds that are difficult to recover.
Contrary to popular belief, dry cleaning is not the best way to make your clothes last.
Your linens wear out more quickly, because the laundry uses chlorinated chemicals which deteriorate the fiber of the fabrics over time.
Alternatively, prefer a hand wash for your most delicate clothes.
Also remember to look carefully at the care label inside the garment.
It gives the necessary instructions for proper washing.
Follow the indicated washing program carefully.
"Delicate" program for fragile fabrics, "colours" program for washing colours, etc.
Finally, when you have bought a new garment, wash it the first time on its own with a short program of 30 min for example.
By doing so, you eliminate on the one hand the possible residues of solvents still present on the new linens and on the other hand, make disgorge the unfixed colors.
According to the advertisements, you would have to buy lots of different detergents to make your laundry clean.
One for colors, one for white, the other for black. Everything is good for us to spend!
And as if that weren't enough, there's also fabric softener to buy...
Be aware that this product is not at all good for your laundry!
Not only does it relax the elastics of underwear, but it also damages the fibers of the fabrics and leaves a very strong smell on the laundry.
In addition, it can be the cause of certain allergies and skin irritations!
And anyway, I who live in an area with very hard water, whether I put on fabric softener or not, I noticed that there was no difference.
Aside from the smell, my normal, biodegradable detergent does the job just as well.
A little tip:if your clothes come out of the wash very hard due to limescale in particular, add white vinegar to the wash cycle.
This product, 100% natural, easily replaces all chemical softeners without damaging the fibers of the fabrics. Check out the trick here.
We have completely lost the habit, but I remind you that there are shoemakers who repair your shoes and return them to new condition.
It costs around twenty euros and presto, you leave with your pair for several months or even several years.
So it's sure that if you buy pairs of shoes at 30 euros, going to the shoemaker is not very interesting.
So now is also the time to think about your mode of consumption.
I made the choice to buy my more expensive, but more qualitative shoes.
I put maybe 100€ on the purchase, but they last me much longer.
Halfway through life, I go to the shoemaker and give them a second youth.
Do a little math:is it better to buy a $30 pair every 6 months or one every 3 years?
In the first case, it is 180 euros spent; in the second 125€ (100€ for the purchase and 25€ for cobblers' fees).
For my part, the choice is quickly seen! I opt for quality and durability.
In addition, by keeping my pair of shoes, I avoid torturing my foot with new shoes to redo.
The idea is so obvious and so simple, that no one even thinks about it anymore!
Stop throwing away your pairs of socks as soon as a small hole forms. In 2 minutes, you can darn them.
Sit down in front of the TV, start a series and sew up your sock.
Not only do you save money, but also know that sewing has health benefits!
And as seen throughout this article, prefer to buy quality socks.
They last longer and are easier to pick up.
Finally, remember that there are seamstresses who work miracles in case of very torn clothes.
So before you say goodbye to your favorite item of clothing, head to the alterations.
You don't necessarily think about it and yet re-dyeing your clothes is easy as pie and super effective.
So if your black jeans or your red dress have faded, consider this solution instead of buying a new item of clothing.
All you have to do is put some dye in the washing machine and presto, the laundry comes out like new at the end of the cycle.
And it also works with white laundry.
Use hydrogen peroxide for linen or cotton cloths.
You thus find the dazzling whiteness of your clothes by making yellow spots and dull effects disappear. Check out the trick here.
