Unless you have a ventilated wardrobe or storage place for your clothes and you go through the effort of ironing every single garment before it goes into said wardrobe then there is a high chance that your clothes will be wrinkled and over time will start to smell stale. The thing is, not everyone can be bothered with ironing their favourite garments straight from the wash especially if there’s no plan to be wearing them anytime soon. There are however some things you might want to try:
Treat spills and stains pre-wash
A really effective way to keep your clothes looking new is to pre-treat any stains or smudges caused by daily activities. You can buy treatments in nearly any supermarket so they shouldn’t be too hard to find. Not only that, they come in various forms too so even the most delicate of clothes will be safe to pre-treat. Typically, you’ll find treatments for whites, colours and delicates, their effectiveness will vary from brand to brand so a bit of research before buying could be just the ticket.
Garment steamers
Probably, one of the most effective ways of treating your clothes comes in the form of a Garment Steamer which is likely something that most people overlook, especially if they’ve never used one!
Garment steamers are superb, if you make the right purchase and use them properly, they could last you a lifetime. Surprisingly enough, there are various forms of garment steamers too which range from full-sized units to travel-sized machines that you could take with you ‘on the go’.
Don’t use fabric softeners
Although it can be very tempting to use fabric softeners, certainly considering the vast array of wonderful smells that are on offer these days, you’d be best advised not to use them. Some experts in the field of clothes hygiene strongly recommend against their use because although they may smell good and leave your clothes smelling superb, they also tend to break down the fibres that hold your clothes together.
Hang your clothes to dry
If you can afford one, you have a washing machine and a dryer or a combined washer dryer because it’s super tempting to tumble dry your clothes (if you can). The thing is… whilst it may appear to be an effective, efficient way of drying your clothes, it too damages the very fibres that help to hold your clothes together. If you consider that you may be using fabric softeners and using a tumble dryer to dry your clothes, you can then start to imagine how detrimental both of these processes are in terms of keeping your clothes fresh for any amount of time!
A colder, softer, shorter wash
Believe it or not, despite what your washing machine may recommend on its pre-set options, most will give you the ability to reduce the temperature levels, spin speed and time of your chosen wash cycle. All of which will help to prolong the life span of your machine and your clothes! Try it out next time you wash your clothes and see how it goes, you’ll be sure to feel a difference and your electricity bill should be slightly less than the previous one too!
