How to Care For Your Clothes

Many of us have a long term love-hate relationship with our wardrobes. We love getting dressed up to the nines and going out feeling truly special, and then we want that feeling to last forever. Unfortunately, we quite frequently hate them too, especially where caring for them is concerned – ironing is just such a bore, isn’t it!  Luckily, taking care of your apparel doesn’t have to take up hours of your time, and there are several steps you can take in order to keep your things looking their best. Here are some easy tips for taking care of your clothes and ensuring they stay looking amazing for longer.

De-Cluttering

First things first: the de-cluttering phase. It’s so easy to become an accidental hoarder when it comes to our wardrobes: our tastes change regularly, yet we frequently hold onto things we haven’t worn for years on the off-chance they’ll come back into fashion, or in the hope we’ll lose that extra half stone. A complete closet sort-out can be extremely satisfying,  as it makes room to store the things you love in a more organised way, and is also a fantastic way of making a few extra bucks if you choose to sell the pieces you no longer want. Remember to be ruthless – or invite a friend over who will be ruthless for you!

Restore Some Order

Once you have made some room, it’s time to start the organisation process. Organising your wardrobe not only makes finding things a much less laborious task, but will also enable you to take better care of them, too. Make sure there’s plenty of space for everything: overstuffing your wardrobe does not allow your clothes to breathe, which can make them go musty or even mouldy over time. Investing in a larger, high quality wardrobe such as the ones from Fortunewoods.co.uk will give you the space to store your clothing with care.

Spend some time folding your garments properly; it’s easier than it looks and it means your clothes will fare much better in storage. If you have delicate items that crumple easily, it’s worth folding them with a sheet of two of tissue in the middle as this will reduce creasing and mean much less time spent ironing too. Ensure when you hang clothes (on wooden hangers, of course) that they are draped naturally and there is enough space in between each piece to allow them to breathe. When it comes to folded apparel, keep the things you wear most at eye level and the things you wear less, or simply cannot bear to part with, higher up in your closet.

Wash With Care

It may seem like an obvious suggestion, but perhaps the best advice when it comes to washing clothing is to pre-sort them before you wash them. Using hampers to separate them as they need washing is an easy way to do this, and means you spend less time rummaging through dirty laundry to sort through it later. Categorise your washing as follows:

• Darks

• Whites

• Silk/Satin/Chiffon (delicates)

• Colours – separate these too

When washing your clothes, turn garments inside out: this prevents both fading and pilling so your clothing will look better for longer. Where possible let items dry naturally and try to avoid using the dryer at all costs; ironing when clothing is still slightly damp will help to eradicate creases more easily, too.