CARE FOR YOUR CLOTHES AND MAKE THEM LAST LONGER, HOW?
CARE FOR YOUR CLOTHES AND MAKE THEM LAST LONGER; HOW? 
Our clothes are the second most important basic necessity of life. We can not overemphasize the importance of clothing, just to put this into perspective, while the food we eat is the first necessity of life, the clothe we wear follows that, as long as an individual is sane, we can see a homeless man but still wearing clothes, is never the other way round of someone living in a house but going around naked with no clothes on, in fact is fair to say that we see a battle with one having no food and no home, but still clothed, making us recognize that in some aspects, the clothe we wear battles the first position of the basic necessity of life with food.
Our clothing provides us with so much; they help cover our bodies, keeping us warm. They also help to dignify us while covering some imperfections we do not want all to see about us. They provide us comfort and give us confidence. We can go on and on, why not think of many ways your clothing makes you feel.
In the light of the above and having established the importance of our clothes, let us examine some tips to help us care for our clothes and make them last even longer:
1. Buy Quality clothes:
Quality clothes are sustainable and reliable. When we buy quality clothes it makes it easy to pass on to another user either as a gift or resold cheaper when we do not need it anymore, making it one less clothe to throw out on land fill. Is easy to find quality clothes these days without spending huge amount. Depending on the region you live, you can source out quality clothes from second hand shops, market sellers, online sellers and Ebay.(if your buying on eBay, look for items on bids, as they some times end at unbelievable cheap prices).
2. Empty your pockets:
Pockets should be emptied constantly and at the end of the day. Do not leave heavy metal objects like coins and nails as they can make holes on your pocket. Also do not leave paper money, paper or receipts as it can ruin your clothes after wash, making some damage that is hard to remove. 
3. Repair and amend your clothes:
Learning to do basic skills with clothing repair can really save you money either from buying a new one or from paying someone else to do it. This basic skill can make your clothes last longer too. Amend all clothes that doesn't fit anymore but that you will still love to wear. Of course, some clothes can not be amended if we are way out of the size. In which case we can pass it on to another person  that can make use of it. 
4. Wash less: 
The less times clothes are washed the better for the clothes, as it helps them last longer. And when you wash, especially when using the washing machine try and wash inside out. 
5. Air dry your clothes when you can:
Clothe lasts longer when they are allowed to dry off by themselves, so give the tumble dryer a rest and spread your clothes to dry sometimes. 
6. If you must iron- iron inside out:
Iron your clothes inside out to protect and sustain the material. This also reduces fading rapidly. When  there are some iron marks, the front side can be protected from it. 
7. Fold clothes properly:
Fold clothes around the seams, this reduces the greases, reducing the possibility of ironing more often while maintaining the style and design of that particular clothe. 
8.  Good storage solutions:
Providing good storage solutions for your clothes will help them last longer. Store your clothes in a cool and dry place. When stored properly clothes can be protected from heat, sunlight and damp. Make sure clothes are properly washed with good smelling detergent, fold properly before storing. If you do not have a wardrobe you can get some plastic storage with lid. If your storing under the bed or above your wardrobe you can use the 32L and 45L boxes. There are other smaller and bigeer storage boxes. Always make sure you get boxes with lid. This is ideal too for your seasonal clothes or for clothes you want to pass on for others to use. 
9. Wash with quality detergents:
Using some standard detergent can have some negative effect on the  environment or speed up the fading on your clothes. So use eco-friendly detergents that sustain your clothes and yet still friendly on the environment. 
10. Give attention to the clothe label:
Please, do pay close attention to the labels on your clothe. There are instructions for care and washing  of the clothes. 
11. Stains - wash off immediately:
Always wash off any stain immediately. Many clothes can be salvaged from stains when they are washed off immediately because some stains take time to settle. So simply put, the longer the stain the harder it takes to remove. 
12. Practice good hygiene:
This may sound easy but to some people is not. Practicing good hygiene can help your clothes last longer and smell fresher. Showering daily, putting on some deodorants and wearing some under garments can help sustain your clothes longer.
13. Do not overload - washing machine
if your using a washing machine, please do not overload your machine with clothes. Wondering why your clothes still smell bad after wash? That's one reason. When a washing machine is overloaded, clothes can also end up more greased and partially clean. So, please give your clothes more space and room to tumble up as it washes. 
14. Use the right hangers: 
If clothes are to be hunged, please use the right hanger for each clothes. If the right hanger is not used it can affect the shoulder of the clothes, making it out of shape and design. 
15. Use some clothe razor/lint roller:
Sure no one like to see  bubbles or pet hairs on their clothes. So to remove bubbles, use some clothe razors to gently scrape them off. And for pet hairs use some lint roller to remove them. And your clothe will come back to new! 
16. Rotate your clothes:
Is fair to say that we all have that favourite clothe that we like to wear more often than the others. That being said, we need to rotate our clothes, avoid the habit of wearing a particular clothe or set of clothes all the time. Try and use all the clothing in your wardrobe. As an idea, after washing, newly washed clothes should be moved backward and others brought forward, in this way you can rotate what you wear. 
17. Dress after makeup 
This is a no brainer for a woman, because women wear cosmetics and hair products that can stain or fade clothes. So keep that nice top longer by dressing up after makeup. 
In conclusion:
We understand now the importance of clothing in our lives and is never too late to start improving on how we care for our clothes. As individuals and as families we can do this. Where there are children, they should be taught and reminded constantly of these tips, to care for their clothes, as these are skills for life. why not make and laminate a list of these tips and paste somewhere around the house.
Brought to you by: 
Shoerack Entetprise