Cleaning Care: How to Make Your Clothes Last Longer in the Laundry

TYNE AND WEAR, U.K. - EntSun -- Making your clothes last longer has never been more important. Not only is regularly replacing clothes expensive, but it can also have a detrimental effect on the environment. According to one report, the UK produces around 350,000 tonnes (https://www.wrap.org.uk/content/textiles-overview) of landfill waste from clothing every year. The need to make our clothes last longer is essential, and it begins with laundry.

Our laundry techniques contribute to the wear and tear of our favourite clothes. Whether it's fading jeans, shrinking jumpers, or piled underclothes, we've all had laundry nightmares. Here we look at the best laundry practices to help your clothes last longer.

Don't stumble with your tumble

Drying is one of the most important steps when protecting your laundry. Understanding how your tumble dryer works is essential knowledge, especially entering the winter months when the machine becomes vital for efficient drying.

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For clothes that shouldn't be tumble dried, fabric strength can be decreased (https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/1999/08/990831080157.htm) by 25 per cent through rapid drying and may also cause pilling. The list of clothes not to throw in your tumble dryer include:

• Bathing suits
• Bras
• Tights
• Decorated clothing (think of sequins and crystal beads)

These materials can warp and melt in the tumble drier. A good quality tumble dryer (https://www.miele.co.uk/e/tumble-dryers-1015698-c) can help with longevity by providing gentle but thorough drying cycles.

Again, try not to dry anything with metal components as they can overheat and melt your clothes, but this can easily be avoided.

Good drying practices include not allowing your clothes to dry completely in the tumble dryer. Letting your clothes run short of completing or to a 'ready to iron' setting where clothes are still a little damp can help your clothes last a lot longer. Shrinking usually happens when clothes are dried completely, so allowing clothes to dry part way in the tumble dryer and then on a rack can increase their longevity — it's also easier to get creases out. This technique is extremely beneficial for items like jumpers and jeans. Always check your care label for the best way to dry individual clothing.

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Ensuring that our clothes aren't worn out begins with laundry. Make sure that you wash, dry and iron your clothes with care. Bad practices can dramatically decrease the life expectancy of clothes, and it only takes the wrong temperature of the iron to complexly ruin your favourite spandex leggings. Make sure that your laundry is on point so that you can always look your best.

Sources

https://www.wrap.org.uk/content/textiles-overview

https://www.amycleaning.co.uk/blog/2014/01/pros...

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/1999/08/9...