Three littles tips for taking good care of clothes
My grandmother, with whom I grew up, had great respect for textiles. She found fabrics precious and introduced me early to this passion that still inspires me today. Her clothes were very beautiful and she kept them for a long time. Taking good care of my clothes is one of the things she patiently taught me.
How to care for our clothes is not always easy to figure out. In a world of overconsumption, products often deteriorate fast and it may seem cheaper to throw them out in favour of something new.
However, if we invest a little more in good quality items we will want them to last over time.
Here are 3 little tips very easy to put into practice without overly disrupting our habits.
1.Wash clothes that are not directly next to the body less often.
Jackets, wool sweaters, skirts and some pants do not need washing after just one use. You will save on soap and water and wear out the fabrics less quickly.
2.Use less laundry soap in your loads.
The amount suggested on detergent bottles is often more than you really need. Unsurprisingly, they want you to consume more.
While of course taking into account how dirty your clothes are, you can go so far as to cut the recommended quantity in half. It's better for the environment, your wallet and your machine which will clog less quickly. Home appliance repairers will tell you all about it …
3.Try to eliminate the dryer from your life!
I know, it's a hard habit to break, especially when you're in a hurry or when you don't have room for a clothes drying rack or better yet, a clothesline. But I can assure you that this is THE thing that wears out clothes the most. Today numerous fabrics include elastane in their composition. These small plastic threads burn in the heat and deform your clothes. Stretch jeans, leggings, a number of fitted shirts, underwear… in fact almost anything that stretches. You have surely noticed that certain clothes fit better when they leave the dryer but they flag as the day goes by? That's why.
Obviously anything that is wool is also the sworn enemy of the dryer.
The solution is simple: no question about it, air-dry everything.
- Save energy,
- No more need for fabric softener sheets (very harmful for the environment) or liquid softener (which break the fibres of the fabric),
-And frankly, what could be better than the smell of clean laundry freshly brought in from outdoors?