Extend The Life of Your Clothes: Part 1
The first time I did Project 333 (a minimalist fashion challenge in which I reduced my wardrobe to 33 pieces for 3 months), I noticed at the end of the season that my clothing looked significantly more worn down than it ever had before. Living with less was great and all, but did it really make sense to pair down if my clothing was falling apart after so much using and washing? Putting on the tired clothes did not make me feel comfortable and confident, and the whole aim of the experiment is that we think LESS about our clothes, not more!
I learned over time that the key to living with less boils down to this: fewer, better things; and take really good care of them.
When it comes to clothing, caring for it properly makes a huge difference in how long we can keep the items looking new, therefore increasing how many times we can wear them. I like to think of it like this: if I buy a $100 sweater, wear it twice, and then ruin it in the wash, that sweater cost me $50 per wear. But, if instead I take care of that sweater and wear it 24 times, that sweater now cost me $4.16 per wear.
Buying better quality clothing obviously makes a huge difference in how the garments hold up after many uses and washes, but I’ve learned it is also possible to keep something looking good even when the material and construction aren’t great. Sometimes we just love that $20 top, and that’s ok.
I also share the true purpose of those lavender sachets.
In this video, I cover the basics of taking care of our clothes, specifically when it comes to cleaning them. I cover the following topics:
Stain Removal: I cover the 3 most common types of stains, and share how to get them out.
Proper Laundering: The best way to wash our limited wardrobes, separating between fabric weights, what to hand wash, and what doesn’t need to be cleaned that often.
Drying: Best practices for tumble drying, when to hang dry, and a hacks for ‘laying flat to dry’.
Removing Wrinkles: Why our clothes get wrinkled even inside our closets, and the best way to get those wrinkles out in minutes.
I use a trusted little steamer to get all the wrinkles out!
Because there is so much valuable information on this topic, I split the video into two parts. This is part 1, and part 2 will go live the following week. I will be covering proper storage, pilling (how to prevent it and how to remove it), preventing and managing infestations, and the best practices for bringing in a thrifted garment into your wardrobe.
I hope you learned something from this video, and please share it with a friend if you did. Don’t forget to let me know what type of videos you would like to see next. As always, thanks for watching!