How to take care of your clothes to make them last longer

Why do things wear out

The textile fibers that make up the fabric are deformed under the influence of washing, drying, high temperatures, interaction with powders, bleaches and other detergents. Therefore, any thing has a lifespan and eventually breaks or loses its shape. But if you store, wash and iron your clothes correctly, you can significantly extend their life.

Share your garment care advice and get a chance to win gifts: Scarlett SC-SI30K08 iron, Scarlett SC-SI30K10 iron or Scarlett SC-GS135S01 handheld steamer. To do this, click on the form below, log in using your VKontakte or Facebook profile and send your advice. The length of the text must not exceed 500 characters.

We will collect your life hacks on a special page. There you can also share tips for self-care, keeping your home tidy, and eating well. On February 11, the editors will select the best life hacks, the authors of which will receive useful prizes from Scarlett.

How to store clothes correctly

Most often, clothes fall into disrepair due to the fact that they lose their shape: sweaters stretch, “bubbles” form on the knees of jeans and trousers, the shoulders of shirts, jackets and coats are deformed. To avoid this, it is worth storing things correctly.

1. Use a coat hanger

Store shirts, blouses, dresses, jackets on a hanger. So they will retain their shape longer. Fold the trousers in half and throw them over the bar, store the skirts on hangers with clothespins. Do not hang several shirts or blouses at once on the same hanger on top of each other: this will cause them to wrinkle and lose their neat appearance.

Find the right hanger for each item. Their width should correspond to the width of the shoulders, otherwise “bubbles” may appear on the clothes.

2. Fold sweaters and cardigans

Heavy sweaters, woolen and cashmere items on the hanger stretch and lose their shape, so it is best to store them on the shelf. It is also preferable to store jeans folded.

3. Use a hair clipper

It happens that after one or two socks, the sweater becomes covered with pellets and loses its attractive appearance. It's all about the fabric: pellets are formed if it contains synthetic fibers. Even if the thing is 70% wool, and 30% polyester, acrylic or elastane, it will not work to prevent their formation. This is a natural process associated with the characteristics of the fiber. However, it is easy to get rid of the pellets with a special machine.

It runs on batteries, fits easily into your hand, and cleans fluff from a sweater or cardigan in a couple of minutes, even if you are in a hurry to go to work or are late for an important meeting. The machine is easy to clean: remove the reservoir, discard the contents and use it further.

4. Use a roller to clean clothes

This is another indispensable garment care product. The roller will not clean things from pellets, but it will collect dust, small debris and pet hair.

5. Store clothes in covers

When putting things away for seasonal storage, use clothes covers. They are suitable for jackets, coats, items made of expensive fabrics (silk, velvet) and protect against dust, moisture and dirt.

6. Store shoes in transparent boxes

Instead of ordinary cardboard boxes, use transparent boxes for storing shoes. They will protect your shoes from dust and moisture. In addition, you will be able to navigate well in the closet and easily find the right pair.

7. Dress first, then apply makeup

Try to keep your clothes free from make-up marks. If the item is worn over your head, then dress first, and then put on makeup, so as not to accidentally leave traces of makeup on the collar.

If the item is buttoned, zipped or wide cut, wear it after you put on your makeup. This will keep your clothes safe from accidental makeup.

8. Do not store unnecessary things

It is better to donate to a charity or recycle items that you are not wearing. Your wardrobe will not be cluttered, and it will become easier to navigate in the wardrobe.

How to wash clothes correctly

During washing, clothes are exposed to serious influences: high temperatures, spinning, powders and bleaches. This damages the textile fiber, and over time, the thing becomes unusable. To make things last longer, it is important to wash them correctly and not do it more often than necessary.

1. Only wash dirty items

If you decide to wash a thing just to freshen it up, give up. We wash our clothes more often than necessary. Because of this, it wears out faster and serves us less than it could. To keep your clothes looking tidier after wearing, walk over them with a handheld steamer.

Under the influence of steam, the thing will be smoothed and softened, and visually it will look as if it has been washed.

The bonus of the handheld steamer is the ease of use and the speed with which you can freshen up clothes and smooth wrinkles on shirts, blouses and trousers. The steamer will not replace a regular iron (it will not be able to iron bed linen or make arrows on trousers), but it copes very well with small details, lace and applique. It is suitable for thin fabrics (steam will not damage delicate fabrics due to low temperatures), it can steam a jacket, coat, jacket, which is not possible with an ordinary iron.

Another plus of the steamer: they can iron curtains and tulle, and right on the eaves.

2. Prepare to wash

Check your pockets before washing, otherwise you risk spoiling both the item and the washing machine. Keep all zippers closed to avoid damaging other items and scratching the drum. On the contrary, undo the buttons. They can fly off during washing or spinning.

Turn things inside out to prevent fading.

3. Sort things

Wash together items of similar color: dark with dark, light with light. Wash white separately. Sort items by fabric and do not wash coarse or synthetic fabrics with fine or natural fabrics together. In addition, wash heavily soiled items separately from slightly soiled items.

Colored items may fade, so follow the care instructions on the label when washing. When in doubt, erase a small area. Is the water colored? This means that the fabric is shedding. Such a thing must be washed separately at a temperature not higher than 30 degrees.

4. Choose the right temperature

The number with the degree sign on the label indicates the maximum allowed washing temperature. However, this does not mean that it is worth washing at 60 degrees: the higher the temperature, the worse it is for the fabric. Therefore, if your clothes are not heavily soiled, wash them in colder water.

If there are stains on things, try starting with 30 degrees anyway: modern powders work even at low temperatures. If the item still hasn't been washed off, switch to hotter water.

5. Use laundry bags

Use special bags for washing underwear, swimwear, tights. This will avoid hand washing, but at the same time, it will preserve the appearance of things. Button up your bras before loading to prevent the hooks from damaging the lace.

The bags can be used to wash items that need to be hand washed. Just choose the appropriate mode (delicate or hand wash) and spin at 600 rpm, no higher.

6. Choose the right washing powder

Hand wash powder is not suitable for washing machine. It forms a thick foam, making it difficult for things to move. As a result, the clothes are hardly washed and remain dirty.
Universal powders are suitable for all types of fabrics. However, powders intended for washing cotton, linen, synthetics, wool do their job better. Therefore, it is a good idea to have several powders for different types of fabric. This way things will keep their shape and color longer.
In addition, there are powders for washing colored and black fabrics. They keep things bright and prevent them from fading.
For delicate fabrics, knitwear, microfiber and lace, it is best to use a liquid softener. They wash gently and will not damage delicate fabrics.
To avoid shedding and shrinking of the fabric, you can add a spoonful of vinegar solution.
Powders with enzymes (protein enzymes) wash well blood, milk, sauces, ice cream. However, clothes need to be washed at a temperature not exceeding 50 degrees.
Do not add more powder than necessary, otherwise white streaks may remain on the clothes and excess detergent may remain in the seams. In addition, powder residues can cause allergies.

7. Get rid of stains on clothes

The easiest way to get rid of stains is to use a stain remover. However, test the tissue response on an inconspicuous area of clothing before use. Soak items after using the product, then send them to the washing machine.
Blood stains can be removed by soaking in cold water.
Ink stains can be blotted with alcohol and then machine washed.
Cover wine stains with salt before washing.
Blot greasy stains, nail polish and lipstick with alcohol or nail polish remover, and then soak before washing.
Soak clothes with dirt stains with a little vinegar before washing.

8. Washing white clothes

Try to wash white items after wearing them two or three times. This is especially true for T-shirts, shirts, bodysuits that you wore all day.
Wash white items separately from other clothing.
Don't get carried away with bleach. It destroys the fibers of the fabric and reduces the lifespan of the garment.
Wash stains on collars, cuffs with laundry soap and leave for half an hour. Then rinse and wash the item in the washing machine.
Baking soda can help make things whiter. Dissolve a tablespoon of baking soda in a glass of water, add to the powder and wash at 60 degrees.

9. Washing jeans

Turn new jeans inside out and soak in salt water for 12 hours. So they will not shed.
Turn jeans inside out before washing to preserve color.
Use a mild laundry detergent.
Don't wash your jeans too often, you don't need to.
Wash jeans at a temperature not exceeding 30-40 degrees.
Do not use a strong spin in the washing machine.
Dry your jeans horizontally or by hanging them upside down.
You can iron your jeans from the wrong side at low temperatures.

How to iron things properly

Ironing things is a time consuming and time consuming process. Nevertheless, ironed items look more neat and tidy, and absorb dirt and sweat worse. Therefore, you should not refuse ironing. To make the process easier, more enjoyable and faster, use a good continuous steam iron with steam boost and spray. They will help you quickly deal with creases. And the anti-scale and self-cleaning function will protect your clothes from streaks and marks.

However, it is worth following the rules of ironing: temperature regime, sequence and other recommendations. Some fabrics are best not ironed at all (use a steamer instead).

1. Read the information on the label

Different fabrics require specific heat treatment and moisture levels. Therefore, be sure to read the information on the label and follow the indicated recommendations.

Strikethrough iron sign: you cannot iron or steam the item.
Strikethrough iron with two lines at the bottom: the item can be ironed, but not steamed.
The usual icon of an iron with two lines at the bottom: you can steam the item, but you cannot iron it.
Iron icon without lines: you can iron and steam the item.
The dots in the iron indicate the maximum allowed ironing temperature. One point - you can iron at temperatures up to 100 degrees, two points - up to 150 degrees, three - up to 200 degrees.

2. Do not iron dry cloth

It is much easier to smooth out creases if the garment is slightly damp. Therefore, dampen wrinkled items or use the steam function on your iron. Water will greatly speed up and simplify the process.

3. Start ironing at a low temperature

The iron heats up faster than it cools down. To save time and not spoil delicate fabrics, start ironing with them (silk, polyester, acrylic). After ironing delicate fabrics, move on to cotton and linen.

4. How to iron different types of fabrics

Synthetic fabrics can be ironed with a warm iron using damp gauze.
To iron a silk item, it's best to use a handheld steamer. The steam temperature will not spoil the product, and you will quickly cope with the task. If you iron a silk item with an iron, first moisten it and iron it on a low temperature. Do not spray the fabric during ironing, otherwise drip marks may remain on the fabric. Iron dark silk through gauze from the wrong side, light silk from the front.
Woolen items do not need to be ironed or ironed at a low temperature through a damp cloth. Be careful: if the iron is overheated, the item may shrink. If the woolen item shrinks during washing, dampen it before ironing and stretch it to the desired size.
Nylon is not ironed. After washing, gently smooth out any wrinkles with water.
Do not moisten viscose clothes and iron them dry.
Iron velvet and plush from the inside out.
Long-piled fabrics, camel wool, velor, soft drape should be steam ironed from the wrong side.
Knitwear can be ironed with a hot iron (up to 200 degrees), successively applying it to the fabric. Be careful as the jersey is easy to stretch.
Linen must be ironed damp from the seamy side at a temperature of 180-230 degrees. Use steam to iron the item more easily.

5. How to iron a shirt

The easiest way is to iron the shirt with a handheld steamer. No special skills are required for this: pour water, launch steam and direct it to the thing. Start with small details, then move on to larger ones.

If you iron your shirt with an iron, dampen it with a spray bottle or spray on your iron. Start with the collar, straightening and ironing it first on the inside and then on the outside. Then go to the cuffs. Unbutton and straighten them on the ironing board. Use steam to make it easier. Then iron the sleeves, hem and back.

6. How to iron a dress and skirt

The dress and skirt can be ironed with either a handheld steamer or an iron. Start at the top of the garment (neckline, collar, shoulders), then move on to the hem.

For the skirt, first process the pockets and the belt, then the seams and the zipper, then the main part of the product.

7. How to iron pants

Start ironing from the inside out. Iron all seams, lining and pockets.
Turn the trousers right out and smooth the top of the garment and the belt through wet gauze, repositioning and pressing the iron.
Fold the pants so that the side and inside seams match. Iron the inside of the legs first, then the outside.
Iron the arrows.

Useful Tips

Do not iron stained clothing. Such contamination will be difficult to remove later.
To keep ironed items in shape longer, hang them on a hanger and let cool. Then you can put your clothes in the closet.
If you do not know at what temperature to iron the item, try ironing it on a small area of the fabric on the wrong side.
To remove “bubbles” from the knees of trousers or jeans, dampen the area of the fabric, cover it with a piece of linen and iron, lightly using a hot iron. The process must start from the edge of the site, moving towards the center.
To keep things less wrinkled in a suitcase or travel bag, roll them up.

Lifehacker and Scarlett give prizes for the best advice

We remind you about the action of Lifehacker and Scarlett. Share your advice and get a chance to win cool gifts: Scarlett SC-SI30K08 Iron, Scarlett SC-SI30K10 Iron, or Scarlett SC-GS135S01 Handheld Steamer.

The conditions are simple:

Click on the form at the beginning of the text and log in using your VKontakte or Facebook profile.
Send us your advice. The length of the text must not exceed 500 characters.