March 10, 2022
Fast food. Fast fashion. One is bad for your waistline and the other is bad for the planet.
In the UK alone, it’s estimated that the average lifespan of a garment is no more than 2.2 years. This explains why almost £140 million worth of clothing lands up in a landfill every single year. That’s a whole other kind of fashion crime.
With the current ecological crisis, it’s even more important than ever to look after your clothing. By keeping your clothes for longer, you’ll radically reduce the environmental impact of a garment. Another perk is that you’ll save yourself a lot of money!
There are 5 major factors that influence how long a garment is used for:
Technicalities such as the fabrics, dyes, and colors.
Whether owners follow cleaning and care instructions.
The owner’s willingness to wear the same garments repeatedly or buy pre-owned clothes.
Clothes owner’s ability and willingness to repair clothes.
The versatility of a garment.
With all this in mind, we’ll share a few top tips to extend the lifespan of your clothing and build a sustainable closet.
1. Read The Label
Different materials require different types of laundering. Checking the label of each garment will tell you the maximum temperature you should wash it in. Wool, for example, requires a special detergent, and you should only wash these garments when absolutely necessary on a gentle or hand wash cycle.
2. Wash Less Frequently
When clothing isn’t dirty but it needs freshening up, rather hang it outside or in a steamy bathroom to air out. Washing clothes with too much frequency damages the fibres and decreases their lifespan. The more you ash something, especially at a hot temperature or vigorously, the quicker the fabric will deteriorate. A handy trick for jeans is to pop them in the freezer as this freshens them up.
3. Cooler Is Kinder
Washing clothes at lower temperatures with a gentle, natural detergent keeps the fabric soft and reduces color fading. The majority of an average shirt’s emissions occur during washing or tumble drying. To reduce those emissions and preserve your clothes for longer, wash them at no more than 30°C/86°F. Some items, such as underwear, towels, and bedding, however, may require higher temperatures.
4. Ditch The Dry Cleaning
Many people avoid buying dry clean only products to save themselves the extra effort required to clean them. Interestingly, though, many dry clean only clothes can actually withstand lower temperatures on a gentle cycle (unless it says that washing machines will cause damage).
Dry cleaning uses a lot of chemicals that are detrimental to the environment and can have negative effects on fabrics and skin. When dry cleaning is the only option, try to find a dry cleaner that offers non-toxic and eco-friendly services.
5. Use Eco-Laundry Powders and Detergent
Most standard laundry detergents contain fossil fuel-based substances. These substances are not biodegradable, so they might create a negative environmental impact.
Luckily, there are a growing number of eco-friendly laundry products around, all made from biodegradable plant-based ingredients. Most of the time, these companies reusable and recyclable bottles, and many have refill programs set up.
6. Wash Clothes Inside Out
By washing clothes inside out, and avoiding the temptation to overfill the machine, you’ll avoid unnecessary damage to the fibers caused by friction.
7. Opt To Air Dry
Air drying clothes is far better than tumble drying, both for the environment and the state of the fabric. It’ll also save on unnecessary energy use from the tumble dryer. Simply shake your clothes out and hang them on a washing line or rack in the sun. Be aware that some garments, like woolen jerseys, are best dried lying flat on a surface.
8. Storage That Makes Sense Proper storage is important for keeping your clothes in the best condition possible. They’re best kept in a cool, dark place, out of sunlight, and away from dampness or heat.
Store clothes only when they are clean, as dust and debris will attract moths that’ll damage them. You can store knitwear with lavender or mothballs for extra protection. It’s advisable not to overfill your closet, as clothes need breathing space. Leaving some room in your closet will also help clothes from wrinkling when getting squashed.
9. Right To Repair
You should repair any damage to your clothes as soon as you notice it. This prevents the damage from worsening further and prolongs the lifespan of the item in the long run. You can also maintain clothing to keep it looking its best for longer. This could mean de-pilling your favourite old jumper or rehydrating an old leather jacket that’s cracking.
10. Upcycle And Adjust
Often we’ll stop wearing an item of clothing because we’ve grown out of it, either physically or stylistically. This is the perfect opportunity to upcycle what you have.
One way to overcome that is to make simple alterations. Most clothes are easy enough to make smaller in whatever way is needed, although making them bigger may be a challenge (and a worthy one if you have the skills!). You might also make changes to make a garment fit with the current trends.
You could, for example, turn a full-length dress into a medium or short one quite easily. Making simple alterations like this can be loads of fun and turns old clothes into something that feels like a fresh new outfit.
11. Dye-ing For An Update
Black or dark-colored clothing will inevitably fade with time, but there’s a way to rejuvenate it that’s easy and cost-effective. Fabric dye is cheap and easy to use, and it makes your dark colors look like new again.
If your jeans have faded, you can have them dyed professionally too, either the same color as before or a whole new shade.
Your Clothes CAN Make The Difference
It’s not rocket science. Changing up your lifestyle and embracing sustainable living is all about making the most with what you’ve got. By looking after your clothes, you’ll be doing both the environment and your pocket a massive favour. It also means you can hang on to all your favourite clothes for longer—and who doesn’t want that?
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