I think of my grandmother’s nicely stored Pashmina shawls… how they still look brand new after all these years. I always wonder if it’s some secret technique or just the fact that we now have lost the art of storing things, especially clothes, the right way.
As clothes are becoming disposable, with new styles and trends introduced so frequently, we are buying more, consuming more and with every new purchase, older items keep getting pushed down the pile. We are also moving away from the art of mending or imparting any sentimental value to the clothes we own, and therefore, from giving them the care they deserve.
Why caring for your clothes is important
Looking after your clothes is critical to keeping things sustainable. The better we care for them, the longer we make them last, the less we dispose. And if we’re able to keep old clothes looking as good as new longer, the less we buy. So, let’s get back to discovering the charm of what it is to own and care for a garment. We’ve put together some tips and hacks to help you appreciate and love your garments, the way they deserve to be loved.
Because, Loved Clothes Last.
How to care for your clothes
1. Understand fabrics and how to care for them
Your woollies should be flat-dried and never tumble-dried, to retain shape and reduce pillage. Your silks should only be handwashed in cold water with natural detergents, or the fabric will shrink. Your cottons can fade within the hour if you dry them in direct sunlight. Each fabric has its own very specific way of caring. Understand what your garment expects from you, live up to that and care for it.
A common misconception is that you need to wash clothes in hot water to get the dirt out, but cold water is actually better for stains as well as fabric health. In fact, cold water is your best option to be used for delicate fabrics, whether for machine or hand wash.
2. Store your clothes right
‘I have nothing to wear!’ Are you one of those who feels this way every single time you need to dress up and step out?? Are you always making a trip to the mall before an event? Well, perhaps what you need is a little shake-up to your closet, and not getting anything new. The key is in storing your clothes right so they always look new. Stack your clothes as per the season. “Put the items more in use at the time, on the lower, easier-to-access shelves, and store the other items at the top,” advises Shelina Jokhiya, founder of DeCluttr Me, a UAE-based professional organizing service, and author of Can You Find It in Five Seconds. You can use boxes to store items you don’t use often. “But woollen items must always be folded to ensure they retain their shape,” Jokhiya asserts.
3. Read the care labels- carefully
Those annoying, itchy tags we cut and throw almost as soon as we’re sure we’re keeping the garment? Those are actually bearers of very important information, essential to making that particular garment last longer.
Here’s what I do: Don’t trash the labels, but store them in a small bag or a drawer you can always refer back to. Your clothes will thank you!
4. Reduce the frequency of laundry
Are you the kind of person who pops clothes into the washer after every single wear? Think again. Every time you wash your clothes, the fibre wears off, reducing the quality and longevity of the fabric. Try other options, such as air drying your clothes. In fact, we are blessed with an amazing tropical climate, which means plenty of sun to help disinfect our clothes. But again, use some discretion. You don’t want to leave your printed or coloured cottons hanging in direct sunlight, or they’ll fade. Extra-strong UV rays can lighten or fade other dark-coloured clothing, too.
5. Mend it, repair it, make it your own
We are lucky to have been born in a place where DIY is something we’ve witnessed in our homes ever since we were kids. Be it, using baking soda to take out turmeric stains or using rafu, a popular mending technique, to extend the life of a garment. Also, you can shower some extra love on your clothes by adding visible patches either for mending or even otherwise.. We have all seen our mothers and grandmothers do it. Use that as a starting point, and don’t throw away that perfectly good pair of jeans because of a stain or a tuck.
Your clothes tell stories. Cherish them like the treasures they are. Love them. And wear them with pride.
