Almost everyone has items they rarely use that they keep in the back of their closet that look old, worn out, dirty or faded. These items were new only a few months ago. We throw away ninety percent of our clothes before they expire. Who is to blame?
This is not only a waste of money, but it also contributes to the rapid end of fashion and harms the environment due to the excessive use of water, electricity, and detergents. You can keep your wardrobe and the planet more sustainable by adopting small habits when washing clothes. Here are some suggestions for keeping clothes to last longer:
1. Pay close attention to washing instructions
Some fabrics require water at specific temperatures to maintain color, sterilize, and to remove stains and heavy soils. In general, use heat to remove germs, then cool it to gently clean delicate, light-colored clothing.
Read the care labels attached to each item of clothing, and you will know the information you need to know to choose the appropriate water temperature and type of wash cycle, and to keep the clothes to last longer it is necessary to comply with the recommendations indicated on the label.
2. Sorting dirty clothes
After reading the label, separate dirty clothes according to color, fabric weight, and washing temperature. If you wash similar types of clothes together, you will get much better results in removing stains, preserving colors, and protecting delicate clothes.
You can sort clothes and divide them into white clothes, light clothes, dark clothes, and dry cleaning clothes.
3. Remove stains immediately
Do not leave stains to settle on the clothes. The longer you leave the stains, the more likely they are to remain on the clothes. This can be avoided by removing the stains immediately using natural stain removers. All you have to do is use vinegar to saturate the fixed stains, then rub the area with a paste consisting of equal parts of... vinegar and baking soda, then rinse in the washing machine on cold.
You can keep a stain removal pen in your purse to use when necessary. This may prevent stubborn stains such as red wine stains or food stains from ruining your favorite clothes.
4. Less frequent washing
Not every piece of clothing needs to be washed after every use. Jeans and jackets can be worn many times before washing them because constant friction and frequent exposure to water increases the possibility of damage.
You have to decide whether you sweated in it or how much time you spent outside wearing it. If not, you can pull heavy, wet clothes out of the washing machine, as well as well-maintained clothes to last longer.
5. Do not fill the washing machine with too many clothes
Starting the wash cycle before the washing machine is fully filled leads to wasting water, but filling your wardrobe completely and overloading the washing machine is not healthy for your clothes either. Not only will the clothes not be washed well, but they will also rub against each other, causing damage and fading of their color. The detergent will not rinse off well.
6. Choose a suitable washing program
If the ratio of water to wash cycle duration is incorrect, it may cause your clothes to deteriorate faster, consume more energy, and harm your money, your wardrobe, and the environment. This can be avoided by using Frigidaire side-load washing machines equipped with AutoSense technology, which automatically adjusts the time. Water and energy according to load size for the best possible daily clothes care.
For best results please see our how-to guide on How to Operate Your Washing Machine Correctly
7. Avoid using large amounts of detergent
Excessive use of detergents results in excessive bubble formation, which may have an effect opposite to that for which soap was designed. Using too much soap may prevent clothes from being clean, and worse, they may become dirtier than they were.
Tip: Keep your clothes looking fresh for longer using Frigidaire's Ultramix technology. This technology ensures that detergents dissolve before they enter the washing machine's tub. This means you can wash your clothes at lower temperatures without fear of having to rewash them.
8. Control the ironing process
Ironing is a necessary process for many clothes, especially work clothes, as they must be maintained in excellent appearance, but there are many problems that may occur during ironing,
Learn how to care for your clothes by following the basic ironing steps as given below:
- First, read the care label attached to the garment to see if it can be ironed;
- Then read the product user manual that came with your iron or steamer for instructions on correct use.
- For your regular clothes, read the wash care label to determine the appropriate ironing temperature
- Finally, arrange the ironing steps to simplify the work, as you can start with the collar, then the sleeves, then the rest of the parts
Tip: Save your effort with Frigidaire steam care technology. This technology works to smooth out wrinkles on your clothes quickly by heating the clothes with a small amount of water while maintaining their size. Thus, you get new, wrinkle-free clothes in less than 30 minutes, and the clothes do not need a lot of ironing. And learn about Frigidaire washing machines equipped with the Steam Care program as shown below:
