Picture this. You bought a fantastic new shirt at the mall last weekend. You wore your new threads out to a party that night, and got quite a few compliments. But when you pulled it out of the dryer this week, some of the edges were frayed! Don’t let this happen to you. Instead, consider these tips for laundering your clothes and keep them looking new.

Say no to bleach. While bleach is great to whiten worn, dingy clothes, it is actually very harsh on clothing material. It damages fibers in the fabric which makes the clothing more prone to tearing. But don’t worry, you can still keep those whites looking whiter- just use natural products like baking soda. In fact, before bleach was invented, people kept clothes looking bright by boiling them in water, adding baking soda and a few tablespoons of salt!

When the weather permits, line dry your clothing. An alternative (if the weather is lousy) is draping them over a drying rack in an empty area of your house. While drying clothes in a machine dryer does save time, it can lead to fading, shrinking and pilling of your clothing. In addition to increasing the life of your clothing, you’ll save money on your electric bill.

When you get a stain on an article of clothing, the immediate impulse is to throw it in the washing machine. Resist the temptation and pre-treat the stain with soap- your everyday dish soap will do the trick. Pour a few drops on the stain and lather up under cold water. If the stain is stubborn, gently scrub with an old tooth brush.

Sort your clothing into whites, darks, reds, and natural/synthetic fibers. Most likely your mother drilled this into your head as a child, but it’s actually good advice. It may take more time, but it’s worth your clothes not looking gray over time.

Stop overloading your machine. When you’re in a hurry, it’s easy to throw everything together and stuff it into the washing machine. Instead, take the time to separate into smaller loads- when there are too many items in the machine, clothing rubs against each other which leads to fraying. An additional safeguard is to run the machine on the “gentle” cycle to avoid turning your clothing into scratchy, uncomfortable sandpaper.

Inspect the clothing before you throw it into the washing machine. Make sure all zippers are closed- if left open, the sharp teeth can damage other articles of clothing in the load. Teach your children (and your spouse!) to empty the pockets of their pants before tossing them into the laundry bin. Post-it notes, receipts, colored paper and the like can permanently dye other articles of clothing that run in the same load.

Posted in Home Budget

Related Articles: