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  1. Home
  2. Better Life

How to extend the life of your favourite clothes

Keep your clothes looking newer for longer. - by Rebecca Lowrey Boyd
  • 03 Apr 2018

Pilling, shrinking, fading: There is something heartbreaking about investing your hard-earned cash in new clothing only to find it doesn’t last the distance.

According to fashion and cleaning experts, there are many ways you can extend the life of your clothes. Here are their best tips.

Girl looking at clothes in front of wardrobe
Getty

1. Don’t use hot water

According to Australian fashion designer Alex Perry, hot water breaks down the fibres in your clothes and can lead to shrinking.  

He prefers an “old school” approach, using laundry soap to hand-wash collars, cuffs stains before adding them to the washing machine.

2. Invest in the best technology to clean your clothes

The right washing machine with the latest technology can extend the life of your clothes.

"I love the Electrolux UltraMix washing machine," said Mr Perry, "because it premixes the water and detergent in a special chamber before the beginning of the cycle to maximise cleaning power at a cooler temperature.”

3. Wash inside-out

Cleaning expert Donna Smallin Kuper recommends turning denim inside-out and hand-washing it in cold water. 

4. Don’t dry-clean often

According to Mr Perry, “dry cleaning fluids on pale items can discolour the fabric over time.”

5. Move quickly on stains

Don't allow stains to set on your clothes. Instead, use water or soda water on any stain straight away. 

“Then get the garment into the wash as soon as possible,” said Mr Perry.

6. Add fabric softener to your wash

According to Mr Perry, it freshens your clothes and makes them “smell and feel nice”.

7. Don’t use the dryer on denim

Cleaning scientist Mary Johnson recommends skipping the dryer to extend the life of your denim and laying it flat to air dry instead.

Rebecca Lowrey Boyd
Rebecca Lowrey Boyd
Rebecca Lowrey Boyd is a former magazine editor and the founder of Wee Birdy, one of The Sunday Times’ Top 50 Blogs in the World. A design nerd and bird enthusiast, she can usually be found poring over Pinterest, knee-deep in Bunnings or sticky-beaking at modernist homes in Sydney’s bushburbia.

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