How to Extend the Life of Your Clothes

If your clothes came with an expiration date, how past-due would the items in your closets and drawers be? When do you finally convert those old undershirts into rags?

According to the experts, undershirts should usually be replaced every six to 12 months. But what if they could last twice as long with proper care?

As your laundry ally, we’ve assembled some tips to help you keep your clothes looking like new, for longer:

• Brightest Whites – To brighten whites, wash with ½ cup lemon juice, dry in the sun.
• A Cold Wash – Washing fabrics in hot water degrades material more quickly and dulls color. Save hot water for heavily soiled loads that require sanitizing. In fact, most modern detergents are actually formulated to work best in cold water.
• Denim and Dyed – To extend the lifetime of your favorite denim jeans or high-vibrancy dyed tees, flip the article inside out to help prevent fading.
• Stain Treatment – If you’ve stained a favorite clothing item, treat it immediately and with a proper regimen. The sooner you treat the stain, the better. Do not dry the garment until the stain is removed, or you risk setting it.
• Pack Away Clean – If you’re packing away out-of-season clothes, be sure they’re clean first! Body oils, sweat and many other ‘invisible’ stains can take hold after they’ve had time to oxidize while packed away.
• Delicately! – For delicate items, wash them inside of a mesh bag. If the material stretches or sags, consider air drying the item flat for best results.
• Zip It – Be sure to zip up zippers and button-up jeans to help deter damage due to snagging.

With a little help from WASH, you can easily preserve the look and durability of your favorite clothes for years to come. Technique makes all the difference!