How to Take Care of Your Clothes and Remove Stains
/Here at Mammaprada, we've been running a slogan clothing store alongside our website. This was created quite some time ago now and it's given us an insight into how to care for these types of garments.
Many of us probably think our everyday clothing can take a lot of wear and tear but with costs rising it's important to look after your possessions and see them as a long-term investment, not fast fashion to be disposed of if we have a laundry mishap!
With that in mind, how should you take care of clothing and what's the easiest way to get in the habit of doing this? The good news is it doesn't take much to add these few steps to your routine and make your clothes last longer.
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Washing
Firstly how often do you wash your clothes? I'm assuming if you are anything like my family who wear something once and then throw it in the laundry basket you may be washing things too often.
Unless your clothes are stained or you know it's been a particularly sweaty day you don't need too wash things after every wear.
When you do come to use the laundry room, check the care instructions on the label and follow them. Tempting though it might be to just throw everything in the washing machine without checking. You can ruin your favourite shirts by washing them incorrectly.
Generally, stick to a cool wash and turn printed clothing inside out. Be sure to wash colours together and whites separately. If you are washing very sweaty gym clothing add a few tablespoons of vinegar, this is the white vinegar to get rid of the acetic acid smell and wash these items separately.
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Stain removal
The best way to deal with stains is to do so as soon as you find them. The stained area can be treated with the following method, using simple household ingredients and soaking the stain with vinegar and dissolved baking soda. This should fizz when you use them together and lifts the majority of stains if used straight away.
A common problem is when the severity of the stain is worse or it's been left for more than a couple of hours. Getting deodorant stains out of shirts can be tricky and you may need to purchase an effective stain remover or see a professional dry cleaner.
Alternatively, there are some incredible clothes now which block sweat stains, from T-shirts to sweat proof undershirts.
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Drying
Funnily enough, the best way to dry your clothing and the most eco-friendly is to air dry them the old-fashioned way. Hopefully outside, but if you have the delightful English weather you may find it's not always very quick.
The reason drying your clothes outside on a hot day gives better results is that it stops your clothes from shrinking. Tumble dryers are the worst for this and I have ruined some of my loveliest jumpers this way by accident. And some of my husband's worst tops... on purpose.
If you do put your clothes outside to dry don't stand them in direct sunlight as over time this does make the colours fade.
Ironing
My mother irons anything that stands still! Thankfully most people have moved away from this mentality now. However, there will still be items that need or would look much better with a nice press.
The best way to iron your clothing is on the lowest setting possible and iron the garment turned inside out. This is especially true of printed clothing as you will lift the design off the garment or melt it with the iron if they touch directly.
Avoid using a water spray bottle or ironing water with printed garments as it can make them stick further. This is best used on heavy cotton shirts that are very dry when you come to iron them.
Lastly, although regular washing will lead all t-shirts and your favourite slogan clothing to eventually wear out and fade. It doesn't have to be a fast process and depends on how much you look after your belongings. With a few top tips and grabbing stains first thing you will have the best results and save your favourite tee so it lasts longer.
