Eight Simple Ways To Take Care Of Your Apparel

Do you want your apparel pieces to last years without betraying how old they really are? You bet you do. Although fabric and apparel care sounds like finicky business that's fit only for the pros, the reality is much simpler. Go over the following list of ways wherein you can take care of your apparel pieces.

1. Dress and act appropriately for the occasion. If you're going camping, ditch your gowns and cocktail dresses. Do not attempt to split your legs or do somersaults when you're donning a tight-fitting pencil skirt. Avoid wearing fragile and delicate apparel when you wish to undertake physically strenuous events.

2. Wear your apparel correctly. Do not use a tube top as a mini skirt. Do not use a fitting blouse as an over-shirt. You want to retain the original shape, fit and fabric quality of the apparel piece that you once called “brand new.”

3. Check the tag of your apparel piece for washing advice. If there isn't any, at least follow some rules of thumb: Hand wash the delicate pieces such as lingerie and flimsy dresses. Machine wash everything else. Remember that there is no “one style” to do your laundry correctly; therefore, exercise good judgment.

4. Schedule your laundry day. The ideal period is once a week. Too many schedules within a week will unknowingly cause you to wash the same pieces several times as well. Take note that while you want your apparel pieces to be squeaky clean, you also want to balance the equation by providing them with as much protection as possible from wear and tear.

5. Protect the color of your apparel pieces. When washing, separate the whites from the colored items. Not doing so will invite unwanted staining that can damage your clothes forever.

6. Hang your clothes conscientiously. After a hand-washing session, do not leave your laundry crumpled and unattended in a basin. Hang them out to dry or find a well-ventilated space indoors in case the weather is inclement. (The drier is not a complete substitute to fresh air and sunshine.) If you want, iron your clothes afterwards.

7. Study the type of apparel pieces that you have and learn how to appropriately hang them on the clothesline or inside your closet. Do not stretch collar lines just to fit the apparel in a hanger. Some fabrics follow the shape (usually the shoulder areas) of the hanger; for these pieces you may want to use clips instead. Orient yourself with the fundamentals of necktie hanging.

8. Use your clothes. If you just let them sit in your closet, they not only use up space but also become more prone to yellowing and stinking. Donating your unused clothes to charity is actually a generous way of taking care of your apparel pieces.

Regardless of your age, status in life and occupation, you can take care of your apparel like a pro if you really want to. The key to apparel care is everyday care.