16 Unbelievably Simple Hacks to Extend The Life Of Your Clothing

Unless your clothes are encrusted with diamonds, they’re not going to last forever. But there are some insanely easy ways to extend the life of your clothing that will be kind to your wallet and our planet.

We know that fast fashion isn’t great for so many reasons, but the way we care for our clothes will have an impact on how long they last. So if we’re going to pursue the idea of slow fashion, style and substance over the latest fashion fix, we need to swat up on caring for our garments. After all if you can extend the life your clothing by just nine months, it reduces the carbon, water and waste footprints by approx. 30%.

Separate colours when you wash them.

Avoid your white T-shirt turning grey and your bra a terrible shade of pink by separating your colours in the wash. To keep it simple split the load into three: whites, mids and darks.  

Spot clean instead of washing the whole garment.

The more you wash your clothes, the quicker they’ll disintegrate. So spot clean clothes instead. In our family this usually only applies to adult clothing, the kid’s clothes are normally so dirty the whole thing has to go in.

Wash denim inside out.

This will prevent your favourite jeans from becoming faded and minimize the wear to hem lines, pockets and the waistband.

Wash knitwear on the correct setting.

I’ve added this tip in in case my husband reads this. We’ve lost more garments due to shrinkage in the wash than by any other means. Modern washing machines have excellent hand wash / knitwear and silk/delicate settings, so use them. The problem with a normal wash is that the agitation from the spin cycle causes the fibres in the knit to scrunch up and so shrink.

Air dry your clothing

It’s much better for your clothes to dry them in the fresh air. Plus it uses much less energy than tumble drying. As a bonus, the sun is an amazing stain remover, particularly useful after poonamis and tomato soup episodes; we’ve had many. Hang your whites in direct sun light to keep them ultra-white and colours in the shade to prevent fading.

Pack away your jumpers during summer.

Moths are my biggest bug bear, excuse the pun. As someone who chooses to invest in wool garments, finding my jumpers ridden with holes post summer is heartbreaking. So, make sure you wrap up your jumpers in an air-tight container, either vacuum packed or using a ziplock bag. Please note though, that if your jumper is already infested with moths, they will continue to munch through your much-loved sweater throughout summer. For advice on how to get rid of a moth infestation, please click here. Also invest in moth balls, put them in between the folds of jumpers and inside your closet. Just be careful that your children or pets don’t get hold of them as they can be potentially dangerous if digested.

Keep knitwear folded in your wardrobe.

You may have noticed I have rather a lot of tips about knitwear, but that’s what happens when you ask an ex-knitwear buyer to write a blog post on how to extend the life of your clothing. If you store your jumpers neatly folded this will help them keep their shape and prevent them from being stretched in an ungainly fashion on a hanger.

if you can extend the life your clothing by just nine months, it reduces the carbon, water and waste footprints by approx. 30%.

Iron creased clothes with care.

Extending the life of your clothing is not just about it physically lasting, it also includes how we think about our clothes. If an item is screwed up at the bottom of the wardrobe, it’s easily forgotten or discarded. It’s amazing to see the transformation to a garment with just a quick iron at the right temperature (always check the care label), particularly if you have a good iron.

Breville® have just launched their new PressXpress® 2800W Ceramic Steam Iron. Not only does it look great with its charcoal and rose gold exterior, it is also incredibly quick and efficient. Ironing is one of my least favourite chores, but it’s got an amazing steam 180g/min shot to eradicate stubborn creases. The precision tip helps to iron tricky areas, such as pleats on Daisy’s school dress. It also has self-cleaning technology so it doesn’t spurt muck when you’re ironing a white shirt, which is one of my pet hates. The large 400ml water tank, makes it easy to fill and even easier to use.

You can purchase the Breville® PressXpress® 2800W Ceramic Steam Iron here.

Iron viscose clothes whilst wet to prevent shrinkage.

I learnt this trick in the days when I wore outrageously short skirts, that needed to keep their length. These days I care more about keeping my midi skirts the right length. Viscose is renowned for shrinking in the wash by at least 5%. However, if you iron and reshape the garment straight from your machine it won’t shrink. The Breville® PressXpress® 2800W Ceramic Steam Iron has a super-wide, multi-directional sole-plate which is perfect for quickly doing large items, like my favourite midi and maxi dresses.

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Regularly waterproof your shoes and bags.

My mum recently asked me to recommend a handbag brand that would last, after destroying her latest one in less than a year. But she’d never heard of protecting the handbag before its first use. Leather is a great durable product, but it needs to be protected. Buy a leather protective spray and apply before you use it. This will waterproof it and stop it from staining. You can also buy leather cream / conditioner that will keep leather items soft and supple over time.

Store shoes and handbags in cloth bags.

Handbags and shoes stuffed at the bottom of a wardrobe will end up scuffed, lost and not looking their best. So, store them in a soft non-abrasive cloth bag.

Repair your clothes.

Lost a button or have a small rip in your jeans? Don’t throw them away; instead a good local dry cleaner will mend them for you for a small fee. And if you fancy doing it yourself, have a read here. This is such a simple way to extend the life of your clothing.

Dry clean specialist items.

There’s no denying that traditional dry cleaning isn’t great for the environment due to the toxic chemicals used. But these days you can find ‘eco’ dry cleaners. And for some vintage and delicate garments you need to dry clean them to keep them looking pristine.

Rotate your wardrobe.

If you wear the same pink T shirt day in and out it will eventually disintegrate. Instead rotate your wardrobe on a seasonal basis. That way clothes feel new and fresh again. They won’t experience as much wear and you won’t be fatigued by ‘that old thing’ and so feel the need to buy more.

Buy quality over quantity.

The elephant in the room, when it comes to sustainable fashion, is always the cost. Good quality garments cost more, because the fabric is more expensive. But they also last. It’s important to invest in the garments you wear daily. Jeans, a great white T shirt and a beautiful coat can stand the test of time if we care for them and buy well in the first place.

Buy items that suit you.

Probably the biggest antidote to fast fashion is buying clothes that you love and that flatter your colouring and body shape. I can be so swayed by the latest colour trend, style or must have print. But if it doesn’t make me look and feel good, it won’t stay in my wardrobe long enough to need caring for. It’s why recently I had my colours done, to help me make an informed decision about the clothes I buy. That way I keep them, look after them and they’ll be worn time and time again.