Whether you are a fashion enthusiast or not, you must have a wardrobe filled with clothes. Some of which are going to be close to your heart, some may be a gift, might bring about a certain nostalgia, or some sort of emotional attachment. This notion has made us all wonder at some point, how to make clothes last longer, or ideally, forever?

We are going to break down some of the best and tested tips to make your clothes last longer. It's not an impossible task, and with a little care in addition to these hacks, you can make your clothes be with you for a lifetime. Plus, for the sake of motivation, remember that having nifty clothing plays a significant role in impressing your boss, and making a nice impression. 

Don’t Dry-Clean After Every Use!

There are a ton of misconceptions about dry cleaning, and that makes it essential to understand a little about the process. Talking about dry cleaning does not mean washing your clothes with water. Dry cleaning means to immerse your clothes in a mild petroleum-based solvent in a drum. This solvent dusts away the dirt particles and other marks within no time and without even rubbing the clothes. Rubbing the clothes harshly to remove the dirt marks makes the cloth lose its thread; it eventually breaks off the thread, which lessens the cloth’s lifetime, by reducing fabric integrity. Simple, right?

Dry cleaning prolongs the life of your clothing for two prior reasons. First, the drum turns much more slowly than a washing machine’s, preventing wear and tear. Second, water immersion is harder on many fibers than in the petroleum solution. 

Which Clothes to Dry Clean?

Well, the rule of thumb is, every cloth you have that comes with a "Dry Clean Only" tag, should and must only be dry cleaned. There are ways around this, but that would make the fabric lose its integrity. 

On the other hand, all clothes that come with a "Dry Clean (Optional)" tag, should also be dry cleaned. 

Lastly, quality fabric T-Shirts and Casual Tanks do not require dry cleaning, for their fabric is made to stand the laundry "harshness" 

Use Mesh Laundry Bags (Must!)

Usually while washing your clothes, or doing laundry, the major issue we face is that while washing clothes we mix them with other dyed clothes. This mixing of clothes takes you to the major issue of de-coloration. In this way color from this cloth dye over on the other cloth. To prevent this situation, all you need to do is use mesh laundry bags, especially for socks and handkerchiefs. 

With these bags, you can also pair clothes and put them in a bag together. There won’t be the fear of losing the pair of cloth while washing. These bags are large enough to allow movement to remove stains, but they prevent the rougher tumbling that wears fibers down. For even more protection, turn the clothes inside out before putting them into the laundry bag.

Go Natural Folks!

Experts have been warning that store-bought detergents may damage the fabric in the washing machine. To prevent this, many have turned to natural cleaning alternatives. Fabric conditioners are good, and as mentioned, shouldn't be used to "too" long, as it would just hurt the clothes. But what's even better is going natural, for the sake of your clothes at least. 

Choosing Natural Over Artificial 

You can also use artificial ones once a while, but not in a huge amount. The more unnecessary chemicals you expose your clothes to, the lesser they will survive. 

As for natural detergents, white vinegar serves several purposes in the laundry. It removes stains and odors, disinfects, and leaves clothes soft. Do not use dark vinegar, which may stain clothes. Baking soda can remove tough stains and deodorize even the "smelliest" clothes.

It works effectively in warm water. Lemon juice is excellent for brightening whites and removing old stains that have sat for a while. Fresh-squeezed lemon juice is the key, however, since bottled lemon may have color added to it, try getting a natural alternative. 

The Right Machine Setting

One of the best tips to make clothes last as long as possible is to read and set the machine manual setting. Clothes are not only damaged by humans, the machine can also play a major role in it. Thus, to minimize the damage your machine may cause, choose either cold or warm water temperature. Set the spin cycle to the mid-speed, not even to the medium speed, rather the slowest.

Go Gentle 

Most of the strains don’t need hot water to get removed, so simply use the "gentle" cycle. This will save your clothing from stretching but still offer enough rotation to remove dirt. If you do need to use a dryer, use the air-fluff setting as opposed to high heat. But prioritize not using a dryer just use it in case if there is no natural source to dry clothes. Leave the clothing in for the least amount of time and remove it immediately. Do not just forget the clothes in it and do not wait for the maximum drying. Some people do so, and just wrap them and put them inside the cupboard which is definitely not an appropriate way to make your clothes last forever.

Sunlight's Magic!

While drying clothes, all you need to take care of is the Sun’s direction. Usually, what people do is just wash clothes when the sun is high up there and hang them on the strings so that they can dry faster in sunlight. This is absolutely wrong. High sunlight may damage your clothes' quality. It will burn the threads of your clothes.

This is an essential tip for bikers, as their clothes would get all the dust and bacteria from roads and sunlight helps sanitize those bacteria. 

The Process

The right way to dry your clothes is to always hang them when mid-day has passed and the sunlight is bearable. Do not ever hang clothes within direct contact with the sun, always hang them in a shady place. Even if there is no shade, then just hang them upside down so the sunlight won’t affect your clothes.

Key Notes 

These life hacks are to save your clothes, make them last longer, and maintain their quality. They can be applied on anything from pants to shirts. T-shorts are really stretchable, they need extra attention and care with handling. Thus, make sure to not do anything before knowing what you are dealing with. We are dealing with the everything clothing here, and if you try to use detergent on your suede coat, it's going to make you regret it. 

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