There‘s a lot you can do yourself to help us close the T-Shirt‘s loop. Here are a few tips you can follow to make your tee last longer.
- 1) In general: Wear more, wash less
- You don’t need to wash your clothes as often as you think. Unless they are visibly dirty or smell, your clothes are still good to wear.
- 2) If you wash, know how to do it right
- Close zippers before throwing your clothes in the machine. Open zippers can get entangled with and damage other fabrics.
- Wash garments inside-out; that prevents colour loss.
- Use a delicates bag (an old pillow case does the same job) to protect delicate fabrics.
- Don’t overload: Your clothes will get damaged by rubbing against each other. Yet wasting water by washing small loads only is unnecessary. Try to fill your machine 2/3 to 3/4 full.
- Wash at lower temperatures; that prevents fading and saves energy.
- Don’t use detergent. It harms the environment and it can make your clothes stiffer.
- Wash similar fabrics together (that goes for both colours and materials).
- 3) Skip the dryer
- Dryers are energy-consuming, and they run the risk of shrinking your clothes through overheating. Use a drying rack or clothesline and air dry instead. It’s gentler on your garments and the environment.
- Try flat drying. It prevents your clothes from losing their shape because they won’t be stretched down by water weight.
- The no-plastic policy also holds true for hangers: They easily stretch out the shoulders of your clothes. Use wooden hangers instead.
- 4) Learn how to fix garments
- Get yourself a sewing kit and learn how to fix holes and sew on buttons. A little practice is worthwhile: Fixing your own clothes brings a lot of satisfaction, promised.
