As awareness of the environmental impacts of the fashion industry increases, many consumers are looking to take better care of the clothes they already own. In 2017, the Environmental Protection Agency reported that 11.2 million tons of textile waste in the US ended up in landfills. In our increasingly throwaway culture, it’s common to wear an item only a handful of times before getting rid of it. Before throwing out a garment at the first sign of wear, consider how you can extend your wardrobe’s lifespan. Here are a few tips:

• Treat Stains Immediately: You’ll have the most luck removing a stain if you treat it quickly.
• Follow Garment Care Instructions: The fabric care labels on your clothes contain a lot of useful information.
• Limit Extra Washing: Clothes may not require washing after every wear; be mindful of this and wash accordingly. For example, a thin layering shirt may extend the time between washes for sweaters.
• Wash in Cold Water: Many garment care labels specify to wash in cool or cold water. This is because cold water is gentler on your clothes, and can protect them from fading, shrinking or bleeding. (Want to learn more? Check out coldwatersaves.org)
• Use Front-Load Washers: These machines have no agitator and are gentler on your garments than the top-load machines. Bonus, these machines save energy and water too.
• Hang Dry: Use an indoor drying rack or an outdoor clothesline. Drying clothes in a dryer can cause fading to happen faster.

In addition to washing tips, you might consider mending or tailoring clothes to extend their lifespan. A good seamstress or tailor can do miracles on small rips or damaged clothing. A good pair of shoes will last for years if taken to a shoe repair shop for occasional maintenance – like new soles or a new coat of polish.

Resources:

Laundry Basics

Laundering Problems and Solutions

Keep Dark Clothes from Fading

How to Clean a Front Load Washer