How to make clothes last longer 

Curating a sustainable wardrobe means investing more in your clothing. What’s often forgotten is that one of the easiest ways to create a more sustainable closet is to take care of the clothes you already have so that they last longer. We’ve outlined a few tips for you to learn how to take the best care possible of what you already own:

1 / Wash your clothes less

Washing your clothes less frequently will lengthen their closet-life dramatically. Washing machines and dryers agitate fabrics and cause pilling, stretching, and fading, so the less you wash, the longer they’ll last. If you love the smell of fresh laundry though, try this fabric freshener from Saje you can spritz on clothes in between washes.

 

2 / Follow the wash instructions

Taking the time to read the care label on your clothing is important! In addition to following those instructions, try to use a plant-based detergent that’s free from sulfates, chlorinated bleach, optical brighteners and fragrances to keep your fav designs looking their best. Our fav detergent is from Canadian brand, SOAK. Their eco-friendly laundry soaps are plant-based, biodegradable, phosphate-free, dye-free, and sulphate-free. Plus, they're no-rinse, making them great for hand washing as well as machine washing. Washing your clothing in a garment bag is another great way to increase the longevity of your clothing. We recommend the Guppyfriend Washing Bag, which protects both your clothing and the planet! Everytime we wash our clothing made from synthetic fabrics, tiny plastic fibers find their way from washing machines into the wastewater, polluting rivers, lakes, oceans, and soils on an unimaginable scale. By washing your clothing in the Guppyfriend Washing Bag, on average 86% fewer fibres break off from synthetic clothing during the washcycle, and the synthetic fibers that do break off are collected in the corners of the washing bag to be easily removed and disposed of after washing. By reducing the amount of fibers breaking off during the wash cycle, your clothes last longer - a win for you and the environment. Lastly, we always recommend passing on the dryer if you can - heat breaks down fibres in clothing, especially natural ones increasing the likelihood of pilling and fading.

 

3 / How you store your clothing matters  

Hanging your knits with a hard edge or slippery hanger can affect the shoulder structure of the garment - try to keep your heavier garments folded up on a shelf. If you prefer to keep your clothing in your closet, try out a sweater organizer that you can suspend from your closet rack.

 

4 / Give them a brush once in a while

Knit clothing naturally pills with wear. Instead of purchasing a new sweater every time something gets a little nubby, try using a sweater shaver or a brush to take off the extra fibres. We love this brush from The Laundress to get the job done.

 

5 / Rotate through your closet

It’s safe to say that you’re going to repeatedly wear your favourite items in your closet. What happens when you do that though? They show wear faster. An easy trick is to rotate your clean clothes to the back of your closet so it forces you to reach for items you haven’t worn recently. Not only will it show you what you’re no longer wearing, but it will help keep your favourite items in your closet for longer. For how to get the most wear out of your closet, check out this post.

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