4 Surprising Ways You're Ruining Your Clothes
Every year, the UK discards about 300,000 tonnes of damaged clothes. This suggests that the UK may not be practising sustainable fashion. According to reports, the deterioration is usually due to poor laundry practices, weakened fabric, or questionable storage. You can reduce the number of clothes you toss out of your wardrobe every year using the right measures and practices. Below are some ways you may be damaging your clothes and suggested solutions.
Washing with excessive laundry detergent
Your appliance would usually come with a manufacturer’s manual, which details how to use it. This is where you read about how to measure your washing detergent. These measurements are also spelt out on the detergent bottle or box. If you go against the instructions, there is a high chance of damaging your clothes.
For example, using too much laundry detergent causes the clothes to get sticky. The residue on the garment seeps into the inner layers of the fabric. Subsequently, the detergent molecules bind onto the threads of your clothes. When that happens over a period, it weakens the material and causes it to tear quicker. This damage is facilitated by the microplastics in the detergent. And when they harden, they stick to the threads in the fabric, stiffening and weakening them. There are better alternatives to detergents, such as laundry sheets and fortunately, it isn’t challenging to learn how to use eco friendly laundry sheets. One sheet is enough to take care of a 7kg laundry load.
Folding your leather garments
Did you know that leather clothes should be hanged and not folded in drawers or wardrobe shelves? Because you cannot iron leather to straighten out creases, folding them is not a good idea. Doing so could cause the formation of permanent lines on the surface. According to clothing and style experts, the best way to keep them is on wooden hangers. Leather clothes tend to be heavier than other fabrics. Therefore, a heavy-duty wooden hanger is recommended. They help keep the leather pants or jacket straight, minimising the risk of wrinkles. Furthermore, if you must hold leather clothes up with clips, you may want to use a piece of cardboard on both ends. This creates a barrier between the leather and the clip to prevent the appearance of a pinched fabric.
Excessive dry-cleaning
Excessive dry-cleaning weakens fabrics. The solvents used to lift stains on clothes can be quite harsh, so you may want to reconsider the frequency. If you don’t wear these garments often, you can dry-clean them twice a year. Although this cleaning technique has seen improvements over the years, it is necessary to minimise its use.
Leaving hooks and zips open in the washing machine
Open hooks and zips often get caught on delicate fabrics in the washing machine. And you will notice pulled threads, small holes, or tears on freshly-washed clothes. If you’re doing a mixed load wash, this is something you must be aware of.
To conclude, one sure way to ensure you take good care of your clothes is by reading the care labels on your clothes. Hopefully, these points will also be insightful.
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