Here are some more tips to help keep your clothing in good condition so you can get more wear from each item and replace clothing less often.
1. Treat stains as soon as they occur. Do not wait until washday to treat stains, allowing them to sink in and dry onto the fabric. Wet with cold water and apply stain remover or a bit of liquid laundry detergent. Allow the solution to soak into the stain until you are ready to wash the garment. Rinse with cold water before washing to see if the stain is beginning to lift. If needed, re-apply stain remover before washing. Dab gently with a clean white cloth, but do not rub another part of the garment against the stain. This will cause the stain to adhere to the other portion of the garment, and rubbing can also damage fibers.
2. Soak or re-wash tough stains. For those extra tough stains, you may need to soak the garment overnight before washing. Also, remove the item from the washer and check the stain before placing the garment in the dryer. The heat of the dryer will bake the stain in. If the stain is not gone after the first washing, treat with stain remover and wash once more.
3. Only iron when necessary. Avoid ironing your clothing if possible, and if you must iron, always pay strict attention to the proper heat setting for the type of fabric. Less ironing saves electricity, it saves time, and it also saves wear and tear on clothing.
4. Do not store clothing in plastic. While it may seem like a good idea to keep your clothes in the wrapper from the dry-cleaner or to wrap it in plastic grocery bags because they’re free, remember that plastic can keep in moisture and cause clothing to mildew. Wrap clothing in paper bags or an old sheet instead.
5. Follow the manufacturer’s care instructions. This is the best way to keep your garments looking like new. Most clothing offers complete instructions for washing, drying, and ironing. If the tag says dry-clean only, it is best not to experiment with regular washing, although there are home dry-cleaning kits now available that work well for many items.