- Get rid of stains as soon as possible
The longer you leave a stain, the better chance it has to set and become impossible to remove. Be sure to keep a range of stain removers on hand, and even better keep a stain remover pen in your purse.
- Do zips and buttons up before you put things in the wash
If you don’t, they will catch on and damage other items of clothing or get caught on the washing machine drum and damage what they are attached to. - Polish boots and shoes as soon as you’re done wearing them
- Check your wardrobe or clothes storage area for damp or mildew
Similar to not putting away clothes when they have a chance to grow fungi like mildew and mold, be sure to check they aren’t already present, especially if you are putting away your winter clothes in the basement or attic when spring comes around. - Properly prepare your clothes for long term storage
Clean items thoroughly first, store in plastic airtight boxes so mold and mildew can’t grow on the clothing fibers, make sure you don’t no cardboard boxes as creepy crawlies and mice will find their way in. To better protect your clothes store heavy items at the bottom and lighter ones at the top. - Have a clearout of things you don’t want so you have more space around items
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The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing
Read the book that started it all for some inspiration, before you get started!
RELATED: 5 Essential Reads That Will Help You Declutter - Hang your clothes wherever possible
Resist the urge to drop your clothes on the floor when you get home from a long day (or night). Creases will be harder to remove, and over ironing will weaken the fibers.
- Learn basic repairs like fixing buttons or small tears
Like stains, you want to fix your damaged items before they get worse, learning how to do this yourself will save time and money. - Beware of storing trousers with hangers that use clips
These hangers will put for put kinks in the fabrics, use a hanger with a trouser bar instead. - Don’t use wire hangers from the dry cleaners
Like the plastic garment bags, these hangers are just for getting your clothes home, be sure to hang them up properly with the hangers you (hopefully) have already to your basket.
One last shout out for these hangers
AmazonBasics Plastic Clothes Hanger with Non Slip Pad
The best value and best quality hangers I have had. I swapped all my wooden hangers out for these = more closet space! - Don’t store natural fabrics like silk and wool in plastic vacuum bags
Especially for long term storage use airtight plastic tubs instead. Natural fabrics can easily lose their shape and need to be treated with extra care.
Want to shop all our cleaning & organization supply picks in one place? Check out our dedicated shopping page, full of all our best finds from the interwebs!
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The secret to keeping clothes in great condition is just in taking more care when cleaning and storing them. Follow these tips and you’ll say goodbye to wardrobe dramas, not your favorite items of clothing.
