Clothes are a major financial investment. It is important to care for your clothing so that it will be ready to wear when you want and need it. Proper care is important to extend the life of your garments and especially with inexpensive clothing which often can't take being abused. By using these clothing care tips you can save money and protect your investment.
Storing
Having good hangers is more important than most people realize. Cheap hangers allow your sweaters to lose their shape or make marks on the shoulders of delicate fabrics. Investing in padded or wooden hangers can save a lot of money over the lifetime of your clothing. Never put hand washing on a metal hanger to dry, they can rust. This is where to use your old inexpensive plastic tube hangers.
Treat stains
When you know that you have spilled something on your clothing you need to treat the stain as soon as possible to avoid it becoming permanent. If your stain is on something washable, the new Tide Stick can be a life saver. Even if it doesn't remove the stain immediately it is pre-treating it so that it is more likely to come out in the laundry. If the item needs to be dry cleaned then once the stain has dried brush off anything that might still be on the fabric and mark the spot with a straight pin and if you need to make a note of exactly what the stain is, this will help the dry cleaner to remove the stain. If you do your dry cleaning at home with Dryel follow the directions on the package for treating the stain.
Coddle your shoes
Your shoes don't have to be Manolo Blahnik to deserve to be treated well. Never just throw your shoes into the bottom of your closet, nothing is guaranteed to shorten their life more. If your shoes came in a box, save the box and store them that way, If not, they should be placed on a shoe rack. You should also have on hand some shoe shapers just in case your shoes get wet or for some reason misshapen. These days, shoes are a major expenditure in most people's fashion budget and if you want to get years of good service from your shoes, you need to care for them.
Small repairs
Before you place your clothing into the closet or the drawer, check for any repairs that need to be made. If you have loose buttons or small tears, you can do an immediate fix. Check your hems for threads that have come off. If you are not into sewing there are some repairs that you can do with things like stitch witchery.
Lint removal
Always have a lint brush nearby. Life is linty. You can pick up little pieces of dirt, lint, hair and dust on your clothes and have a sticky lint brush will mean that your clothes will always look their pristine best.
Give your clothes some air
If you have an outdoor clothesline, placing some of your heavy coats and woolen jackets out for a short airing can give them a fresh smell. If this isn't possible at least open your closet door one day a week to allow air in. Placing a box of baking soda in your closet can also help absorb some of the odors that can cling to our clothes.
One thing for sure, if you take good care of your clothing, it will give you years of loyal and devoted service and in the present economy, that is a bargain that is hard to pass up.
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