Proper
care saves delicate clothing, money
Janelle L. Burns
- Fashionably Tuesday
When
I was young and my mother still had power
to veto clothing options, it all came down
to one thing. I can still hear her voice
telling me to check if the tag said dry
clean only. If the tag read those dreaded
words, I could give up the fight right there.
On the rare occasion I did convince her
to give into something, I promised to give
it the best of care. I have
my mother to thank for forcing me to cultivate
what I call “clothing hygiene.” Somehow,
a sweater can survive years in my wardrobe
and still look pretty good. I owe the longevity
of my clothing to proper cleaning.
The first thing everyone should know is
just because a tag may say dry clean only
does not mean it has to be dry-cleaned.
Some clothing manufacturers slap on a dry
clean only tag to cover their losses. To
make up for less than exceptional workmanship
manufacturers say to dry clean cotton-poly
blends so the stitching won’t fall out in
normal washing.
Most fabrics and blends do fine in a hand
wash. Get a bottle of mild wash formula
and hand wash items with cool water in your
bathtub. To dry, roll the item in a towel
and squeeze, unroll and hang to finish drying.
When hand washing sweaters, lay flat to
dry or on a sweater dryer. Sweater dryers
cost about $8 at Target. Proper drying insures
that the sweater won’t stretch out and loose
its shape when it is dry.
When washing clothes conventionally remember
to avoid using bleach. Yes, it keeps whites
white but it weakens clothing. If clothes
do not need bleach, steer clear. It is better
to use a stain treatment for specific areas.
Shout makes the best stain remover, it can
be used on whites and colors and it works
well. Since most college students use communal
washers, they should fill it up before dumping
clothes in the machine. This prevents them
from being contaminated from previous bleach
residue that can stain.
Another good tip is to add a few drops of
perfume or cologne to the water and the
clothes will come out with a subtle essence
of that fragrance.
If anyone has any questions, comments or
suggestions for topics, please email me
at fashionablytuesday
@yahoo.com, I’d love to hear them!
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