Caring for your garments, wash-care and being eco-conscious.

There are small things you can do to prolong the life of your favorite items. ~ Better care for your clothing means better care for the environment, for you and for the lifespan of your clothing items. 

While most of us live fast paced lifestyles and don’t have the time to hand wash our laundry or move it around the garden to follow the bit of sun to dry. :) It is still important to do as much as you can to preserve your garments. Having a sustainable wardrobe also means making the most out of the items you have.

We have some easy TIPS to help your clothing items live longer and in turn reduce your environmental impact.

1. Choose Line drying ~ Tumble drying can cause elastics to break down and fabrics to shrink so opt for line drying. The way you hang your garments on the line will also decrease your ironing and help it from stretching out. It is a huge electric saver too! Heavier items should be folder over halfway instead of pegged on each corner to reduce stretching.

2. Rotate your garments ~ If you wear one piece a lot it wear more quickly, so mix it up with all your wardrobe pieces. 

3. Accurate sizing ~ this may seem silly but if you choose an item that is too tight, it will pull at the seams and make it a weak spot on your garment. Always make sure your elastics or zips don’t have too much pressure or stretch as this will wear them down quickly. We personally like our garments fitting a little looser.

4. Natural washing detergents ~ Using a chemical detergent will decrease the lifespan of your garments. Try use a less harsh approach and opt for natural. There are plenty of earth-friendly products out there that offer you a range of cleaning options. Some of our favorites are Triple Orange Bio-Detergent, Better Earth Conditioning Laundry Gel.

5. How often do you really need to wash your garments? understandably if it’s dirty or smelly then please do wash them but try to wear your items at least a few times before throwing them into the laundry pile. Machine washing can be harsh on your clothes, but not only that it also uses a lot of water and most detergents release toxic chemicals into our water systems.

6. Read your washcare labels ~ never mix and match your whites and blacks, they will certainly leak colour into the lighter colours. Keep your washing temperature low, most garments shouldn’t be washed over 30 degrees. Higher heat will shrink your garments and also break the fibres down faster than needed. So we definitely recommend cold washing. 

7. Wear an apron while cooking or working with things at home that might stain them. The longer you leave the stain, the harder it is to remove. If you have a tough stain you can also make your own at home DIY vinegar and baking soda to apply to the stained area.

Stains can appear easily from skin products or make up. Be sure to wash them immediately. It is important to check that there are no more stains before ironing your garments. If there are, soak and wash them again. An eco friendly stain remover we love is Pure Simple Stain Treater - Citrus Fresh Liquid.

Stains or holes you can’t fix. ~ you can crossstitch over a hole or stain and use the garment for homewear or sleepwear.

9. Ironing your garments: if you love a crisp garment you will want your linens ironed. Try to do this while your garment is still a bit damp and then hang it up. Steam is also better than dry ironing so make sure you have water in your iron before using it. If you aren’t too stressed about having a perfectly ironed garment, a good tip is to hang your item in the bathroom while showering to let the creases come out naturally.

10. Natural insect repellent ~ you can use old school lavender bags in your cupboard to avoid small holes from your friendly moths.

11. Turn your garments inside out ~ If you have the time it will help to wash shirts and things that can pull and hook on other items to stay intact. It will also help maintain colour aswell as on the washline from the sunshine.

12. Do not sleep in your day clothing or that super comfy pair of linen pants that you oh so love. This will cause pilling and put strain on the seams as you move throughout the night. A good option is to keep your older clothing or the stained items as sleepwear.

13. Love your clothing ~ be gentle with your clothing when putting it on and off, handling items roughly can cause seams to rip and stitching to come loose. 

All these tips will significantly increase the lifespan of your clothing pieces.

‘Just by wearing our clothes twice as long, we can reduce our environmental impact by 44%.’ ~ Ellen MacArthur Foundation.