How to take good care of your clothes

23 Apr

How to take good care of your clothes

Remember the time you ruined your favourite pullover in the dryer?

Washing and taking care of your clothes properly will prolong their life cycle and saves money, time and effort. Here are some care guidelines that will help your clothes stay great for a long time.

Laundry instruction

A very simple way of making your clothes long-lasting is to do the laundry correctly. Follow the laundry instructions on the tag on the neck or down the side seam of your item.

In case you are not a big fan of clothes that require special care, read carefully the laundry instructions before buying them and choose items which are sturdier.

Sorting clothes

By color

Whites, pastels, light grey, and white background prints will go in one pile.
Dark-coloured clothes – black, red, navy, brown, dark grey – go in another pile.

By type of fabric

In the white/light coloured pile separate towels and sheets from blouses, slacks, and underwear or lingerie.
In the dark colours, separate t-shirts and jeans from lighter weight items like blouses and dress shirts.
If you have dark towels or blankets, separate them from clothes to reduce lint,

Machine settings.

Load Size

Small Load: Approximately one-quarter full
Medium Load: Approximately one-half full
Large Load: Over one-half full
Super Large Load: At full capacity

Water Temperature

Cold water: dark colours, delicate fabrics, lightly-soiled clothes, like office wear.
Warm water: synthetic, permanent press fabrics, heavily soiled with oil or stains.
Hot water: white cotton fabrics that are worn close to the body (underwear, socks, and bedsheets), really heavily soiled (work jeans, mechanics’ overalls, kids’ play clothes)

The rinse cycle water temperature should always be cold.

Cycle Selection

Delicate, Hand Wash, or Wool – for delicate, fragile items: lingerie, lace, and silk.
Speed Wash: use when you have less time for washing clothes; not recommended for heavily soiled items or delicate items.

Permanent Press, Wrinkle Control, Casual Clothes, or Dark Colors: for synthetic fabrics, blended fabrics and any colored fabrics.
Normal: for cotton or blended fabrics with average soil.
Rinse and Spin: for simply rinses and then spins out the moisture from fabrics.
Spin Speed: select a lower spin speed for delicate fabrics, higher final spin speeds extract more water, reduce drying time.

Drying

Use a clothesline or drying rack instead of a drier. The high heat wears clothes out and you save energy.

In case you’re using a dryer, check the settings:

Lowering the overall temperature and keeping the same dry time, taking clothes out while they’re still damp.
If there are no temperature settings, set the timer for 15 minutes less than normal, then transfer your clothes to dry on a laundry rack.

Iron

Using too much heat on delicate fabrics can ruin them, so make sure you always use the right heat level for the type of fabric. Many irons have different levels for various fabrics on the heat dial, but here’s a general guide: