Introduction:By adhering to the following list of laundry tips you'll be able to keep your clothes looking newer longer and extend the life of your wardrobe. You can't stop the kids from outgrowing things, but you can prevent clothing items from being destroyed in the wash.
Sorting by color is rather obvious but you should also sort by fabric type and weight. In other words, wash jeans with jeans, t-shirts with t-shirts, sweaters with sweaters, etc. You don't want to mix harder, rougher fabrics with more delicate lighter weight fabrics since this may cause abrasions and fuzzing which will give your clothes that wash-worn look way too soon.
Even if the care label says warm or hot water is okay, always use cold. Unless you have severe soiling and very smelly clothes cold water should be sufficient. You will avoid fading and shrinkage by not using warm/hot water.
Button up those polos and cardigans and zip up jeans, slacks, skirts, etc. This will help the clothing keep its shape in the wash and you won't have the sharp teeth of zippers or other fasteners scraping against your fabrics causing damage.
Anything with beading, glitter, silkscreening, sequins, appliques, embroidery or any delicate easily damaged fabrics should be turned inside out before placing in the washer to avoid abrasions and scraping against each other. Some newer washers will have a "hand wash" cycle that you can choose for these items.
Hang your clothes to dry whenever possible. This doesn't have to mean running a clothesline in your backyard. Just hang them on hangers in a well ventilated area or toss them in the dryer for a few minutes to damp dry and then hang to completely dry. Lay any heavy knits flat to dry so they don't become overstretched on hangers.
Taking the time to care for your clothes when washing and drying will prolong the life of many items and save you money in the long run. It's not hard to do and once you allow it to become a habit you will see a noticeable improvement in the appearance of your wardrobe.
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Comments
Great ways to keep clothes looking new. H5