Top 10 Ways To Care For Your Clothing To Make Them Last Longer + Be more Eco Friendly

Besides the obvious fact of wanting to preserve your lovely and expensive clothing, in order to avoid having to replace and spend more money on new items too often, another important reason to care for your clothing more considerably is to lesson your load on environmental impacts.

Can washing less help the enviroment?

One of the most obvious reasons to opt for clothes that require less washing is because of the water you can save by not washing. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), an average washing machine uses 41 gallons of water per load - that is roughly 155 litres! According to the EPA, 90% of the energy used to wash one load of laundry, is used to heat up the water, while only 10% is used to get the motor running. Another benefit of using cold water only is that you can use mild detergents instead of the chemical ones. Strong detergents often require hot water in order to dissolve properly and generally contain more chemicals than softer, biodegradable ones.

How will Washing Less Benefit Me?

Well, for one, constant washing of garments leads to a faster deterioration of the items, resulting in you losing more money in the end as you then have to keep buying more items to replace the spoilt garments that could have lasted you twice as long. Being cautious about your daily or weekly wash of unnecessary items can lead to a more mindful approach you have on your purchases and shopping habits. Now when you shopping you can opt for buying a garment made from better quality, organic materials that don't require a weekly wash.

But Does that Make Me Dirty if I Don't Wash My Clothes Often?

Obviously there is a fine line between not washing at all, and washing too much. Not washing your garments often does not, by any means make you an unhygienic person, it makes you a more self aware, and eco conscious human being. In 2017, a student in the University of Alberta wore jeans for 15 months straight, and they contained the same bacteria levels as they did when he wore them for less than two weeks. It is a different story when all your gym garments are full of sweat and your kids clothes are full of mud. But it's about being more conscious with your washing habits. For example, if you are able to spot clean a garment alone by hand washing, instead of chucking it in a random weekday wash and filling the machine up with extra clothes just to make a load, then that is something applaudable. Small changes and a simple lessen from three washes a week to two washes can help your garments longevity as well as your eco footprint on the world.

Here are a few tips and rules that I follow when washing my clothing:

1. Buy fabrics that are durable.

If you have a choice, buy fabrics that are naturally durable and require very little care. Some great natural fabrics that actually does not need a lot of washing and attention include: Leather, Silk, Linen, Bamboo, Cotton, Denim, Merino Wool and Hemp.

2. Wash less frequently.

Try to wash your clothes as less frequently as possible, not that you should wear dirty clothes, but the more you wash them, the more they lose their quality.

3. Fold clothes along the seams

To avoid unwanted creases and to maintain the shape of the item, fold your garments along the seam lines.

4. Let everything air out.

The elastic in garments needs to relax. In general, no matter what you do, elastic has a shelf life, but the better you take care of the elasticity the longer the garment will last. When washing stretchy, or elasticated items, it is best not to dry synthetically, but rather air drying on a flat surface of washing line.

5. Learn basic repairs.

Learning to complete basic repairs on your clothing — such as replacing a loose thread or a missing button — can make them last longer and save you a tonne of money. I can't even count on my finger the amount of times I have crossed paths with a person who will throw away a piece of clothing just because it has a small tear that is totally repairable!

6. Avoid Ironing.

If you don’t have time to iron, steam your clothes by hanging them in the bathroom while you take a hot shower - This method is a popular one with denim jeans, as the natural fibres within the denim react so well to a light steam, and will decrease themselves whilst you shower!

7. Empty your pockets.

Empty out pockets of tissues or other odds and ends which can make a mess of your laundry and lead to damaging the garments.

8. Close zippers and other fasteners to prevent snagging.

Also, loosely tie strings and sashes to prevent tangling. In my personal experience, I have had some drawstrings caught in between holes in washing machines, but now that I simply tie the drawstrings into bows they do not get caught and snagged anymore!

9. Denim

To get rid of odors: You can do the hanging the jeans in the bathroom whilst you have a steamy shower method. According to multiple articles and interviews with the likes of CEO of Levi's, Chip Bergh, "If you're washing your jeans after every wear or two, you're likely washing too much."

10. Avoid the dryer when you can.

Researchers found that repeatedly drying cotton garments led to cracks in the clothing, which reduced fabric strength by 25 percent or more and also caused pilling. Rather than scorching your garments on a synthetic dry, try opt for an air dry on the washing line.

The numbers below are from carbon footprint expert Mike Berners-Lee. They show how much CO2 is created from loads of washing using different settings.

• A load washed at 30C and line-dried creates 0.6kg of carbon dioxide equivalents

• A load washed at 40C and line-dried creates 0.7kg of carbon dioxide equivalents

• A load washed at 40C and tumble-dried in a vented dryer creates 2.4kg of carbon dioxide equivalents

• A load washed at 60C and dried in a combined washer-dryer creates 3.3kg of carbon dioxide equivalents

Switching to cooler water isn't going to make as much difference as avoiding the dryer, but it still reduces the carbon footprint of your load by around 15 per cent!

Not sure how often to wash your clothes? Check out this article to shed some light. Click here.

Happy Conservative Shopping and Washing Friends! 😊

xx Britt