Wouldn’t it be great if you could make your clothing last longer instead of paying to replace them regularly? The average adult spends about $1,800 per year on clothes. You could save your self over $1,000 by following these simple tips.
Follow the Care Instructions
In case you didn’t know, the little icons on your garment tags are the care instructions. Depending on the label, they might have even written the instructions down. Either way, figure out what your clothes need and do just that if you want them to make it past one wash cycle. They will give you guidelines for water temperature, wash cycle, bleach, ironing, and drying.
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Update Your Routine
Are you doing your laundry the same way you did in college – you toss everything in the washing machine and then the dryer? Beyond the fact that you missed the first step of looking at the tag, you also failed to sort.
Sorting
Sorting is usually done by color family to avoid dye transfer, but you also have to consider the type of fabric. Delicates need a gentler cycle to prevent rubbing against the agitator or coarser materials. You might want to forego the washer altogether and handwash them in the sink.
Fabric Softener
Are you washing workout attire? You may want to skip the fabric softener. This additive can destroy the stretchy fibers in your tights and tank, making them ill-fitting. Additionally, it can cause your gear to retain odors or lose their moisture-wicking properties. In other words, fabric softener can defeat workout clothes’ entire purpose.
Drying
Further, everything doesn’t need to go in the dryer. You should hang clothes to dry if you don’t want them to shrink or the tag says to avoid high heat. When hanging them up, you can minimize wrinkles without using an iron. Thus, you can eliminate burn marks or that sheen on the fabric. Again, check the tags to see if you’re supposed to iron your clothes and at which setting. If you must, ironing while damp can alleviate wrinkles better than ironing dry fabric.
Buy Better Clothes
Now that you know how to maintain the clothing you own already, here’s how you find new pieces for your wardrobe. Search for clothing made out of quality, durable material. I know you can find most of the items you’re looking for on Amazon for a fraction of the price. However, you will probably need to replace them next month and the month after that. I’m not encouraging you to spend $100 or more on undergarments by any means. I’m recommending you compare fabric and durability before you invest in the product. You get what you pay for with clothing. If it’s cheap to purchase, it’s probably cheaply made.
Properly maintaining your clothes may take more time, but it will make your clothes last longer. It will also save you money, even with a small increase in your laundry costs. If you buy quality pieces you love, then take care of them, you may have them for years to come.
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Flanice Lewis is a DC-based financial literacy advocate, blogger, traveler and breast cancer survivor. In addition to having bought her first house at 23, she is a graduate of Howard University and The University of Virginia. You can follow her on Instagram or read her work here on critical financial.
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