According to Wrap, factors that impact how long an item of clothing is kept for include the willingness of the owner to wear the same item repeatedly (always beyond #30wears); technical aspects such as resilient fabrics, dyes and colours; consumer ability to repair or alter clothes; and how owners look after their clothes. Little Hedonist is taking much effort to offer the very best quality in fabrics in the clothes we produce so they last superlong, but we need the owners of these pieces too to good care of these items too. It can help to significantly increase its lifespan, which is why we are sharing some of our top tips for taking care of your clothes so they stay looking great for as long as possible!
1. Wash less
Ok.. we understand that this is not the most easy thing when you have children. They are supposed to get dirty ;-). But, think twice before washing your clothes can help! If an item isn’t dirty but just needs freshening up, rather than slinging it in the wash bin, try hanging it outside or in a steamy bathroom to breath first.
2. Wash at low temperatures
When the time does come to do a clothes wash, wash at lower temperatures. “Wash clothes at a low temperature with a gentle and natural laundry detergent to keep the fabric clean and soft, and also to prevent colour fading,” advises Morton. For an average shirt over a year, 80% of the emissions produced during the ‘in-use’ stage of its life cycle are from washing and tumble drying – washing at 30° or less helps to reduce those emissions, while also protecting your clothes. The exceptions might be items that are in close contact with your skin, such as underwear, bedding and towels – which may need a higher temperature wash.
3. Pay attention to care labels
Different materials need different approaches to laundering…
4. Cut down on dry cleaning
One in three consumers avoid buying a garment that says dry clean only on the label thanks to the extra effort involved in cleaning the item, but actually most delicate items labelled as ‘dry clean only’ can be washed on gentle, lower temperature cycles (unless the item has details that might become damaged in the washing machine). Dry cleaning is a highly chemical intensive process that has negative environmental impactsand can have a negative effect on textiles fibres and consumers’ skin.
4. Use eco-laundry powders and detergents
5. Wash inside out
6. Air dry
There’s nothing like that freshly laundered, air dried smell when you get your clean clothes in from the washing line. And not only does it smell great, air drying is also better for your clothes and the planet compared to tumble drying, which uses a lot of energy to run and can also damage certain fibres.
Instead, shake out your clothes and hang either outside on the washing line, drying rack or on hangers to air dry.
7. Store properly
8. Repair damage
9. Alter to fit or refresh the style
Wear your pre-favourite style in a total different way! Give it a second life by styling different!
10. DONATE
Our garments are made to last a lifetime. Our fabric is super strong. If you wash it with care it can be passed on to siblings, cousins, friends, or who ever that needs your piece of clothing after your little one has grown out of it!
