How to Keep Your Clothes Fresh Between Trips to Your Professional Cleaner
Professional dry cleaning and laundry are great for helping you maintain your wardrobe, but there are other steps you can take at home to help your clothing stay fresh between cleanings. From making your favourite dress last longer to keeping your work shirts looking sharp in between trips to the dry cleaners – knowing how to look after your clothes can save you time, money and prolong the life of anything hanging in your wardrobe.
Here is an article about how to keep your favorite clothes on top for longer so you can still looking the best without having magazines shooting directly at you.
1. Rotate Your Wardrobe
Perhaps the most basic concept to elongating the lifecycle of your clothing is to utilize them in a rotation. Over using items is what causes them to wear faster, and if you have had to wash then numerous times that process will hasten the turnover. As a general rule of thumb many recommend not to wear the same piece twice in 2 days, especially when it comes to suits, jackets and shoes.
1. Give Clothes a BreatherImpose a waiting period on that closet-dweller you used the day before.
Your clothes may simply need some air to remain fresh. Once you have worn an item, air it out for a few hours outside of the closet before putting it back. It lets moisture and odors release on their own naturally, so you have to wash them less. But for some delicate items that can’t be machine-washed, hang them to air between dry-cleaning visits so they don’t start to smell musty.
b) Keep it Out of the Closet
If you are like my children and claim there is nothing to wear every morning, we have talked about that issue too), then an overcrowded closet can be the cause of wrinkle-prone clothing and ill-fitted clothing uppercase. Set the garments well apart so they hang clear of each other. Hanging clothes up to dry properly ensures that they breathe and do not become musty or mouldy.
Rotate the selection from your wardrobe and air them out to help clothes last longer and stay in a better condition when you do send them for dry cleaning.
2. Become an Expert at Spot Cleaning
Mistakes can happen, whether you spill a drink at dinner or have oil splashes in the kitchen. Now, not every tiny spot needs a dry cleaner. While wearing lighter clothes can get some people worried about getting more dirt on their clothing, having the knowledge to spot clean between professional cleanings will save you time and keep your clothes looking fresh.
a. Act Quickly
Know This: When it comes to spot cleaning stains, the sooner you act is key. Able to wipe up most stains at first with a clean, damp cloth. DO NOT SCRUB, this can push the stain deeper into the fabric.
Solution #2: Apply a Stain Stick or Make a Mild Detergent
AdvertisementIf your clothing has common stains—think food or dirt—a pretty run-of-the-mill detergent or a simple stain stick might do the trick. You just need to apply this product on the necessary area and then wait for some time, before blotting it gently with a wet cloth. If the stain persists, repeat the process or, for delicate fabrics, leave it to Austin dry cleaning professionals to avoid damaging the garment.
The more of these quick fixes you master, the longer you can go between washing or dry cleaning your clothes while still keeping them looking fairly unsullied.
3. Invest in the Right Tools
Not only do homeowners have the right tools that can make all the difference in the world to ensure your clothes last you longer. With fabric shavers or lint rollers, you can make small investments to keep your garments until professional cleanings.
a) Every Day Lint Rollers
Lint Roller: A **cheap, but not without value** way to remove dust, hair, and lint from your clothes. Leave one in your closet to freshen up dark fabrics which attract lint the most. Perfect for looking smarter in outerwear such as coats and jackets without giving them a wash or dry clean every five minutes.
b. Fabric Shavers — Wool and Cashmere
While luxurious, wool and cashmere garments tend to develop pilling through wear and use. A fabric shaver, the basic gadget used to shave lint and pills off your clothes and make them look smooth once again. It is a good tool to keep your sweaters, scarves and coats in their best conditions between professionnaly dry cleaning sessions.
They help keep your clothes looking smooth and optimized which means professional cleanings are not as frequent, saving your money and extends the life of each garment.
4. Properly Store Seasonal Items
With pieces that are not worn all year round, storage is the key to keeping your clothes looking their best. If you pack your summer stuff properly when winter comes (or vice versa), you will save them from damage, and you will need less dry cleaning next year.
a. Garment bags that can breathe.
Breathable Garment Bags — garment bags, a must for hanging delicate or expensive items such as formal wear and outerwear. Bags such as these shield clothes from dust and moisture but because it allows them to breathe, mildew won’t grow. Do not place in plastic dry cleaner bags, as it can trap moisture and rot clothing.
2) Heavy Knits, Delicate Fabrics Fold
Hanging heavy knits (like wool sweaters) and delicate fabrics (such as silk) can distort the shape. Fold these pieces instead. However, when you hang them, the weight of your clothes can stretch the material out of shape over weeks and months. Insert tissue paper between folds to prevent creasing and keep them in a drawer or on shelf in a cool, dry location.
Properly storing your seasonal wardrobe not just keeps it safe from harm but also prepares the clothes to be worn again, next time seasons change.
5. Grab a Fabirc freshener
Fabric fresheners If your clothes need a spritz between cleanings. Fabric sprays help neutralize odors, so whether you are trying to get the smell of smoke out after a night on the town, or just freshen up your cocooning-in-your-favorite sweater scent, fabric fresheners can make sure that you do not reek like a frat party without smelling too perfumey.
a. Pick an Eco-friendly Blend
Although there are various fabric fresheners on the market, you want to opt for one that is eco-friendly without harsh chemicals and synthetic fragrances. Their sprays are formulated with natural ingredients that wont’ just mask odors but neutralize them, without laying on a thick scent. A quick mist before putting your clothes back in the wardrobe can help them to stay smelling nice until you wear them next.
b. Use Sparingly
Fabric fresheners are not only beneficial, but they can be harmful if overused. You can get some build-up when you use too much product on the fabric and then it becomes sticky or stiff. Just a few spritzes keep garments smelling as fresh as the day they left your favorite dry cleaner or laundry delivery service.
This just quickly freshens up your clothes, helps keep them smelling good and in some cases even wearable a 2nd time!
6. Reduce Wrinkles with Steam
Wrinkles can make the nicest clothes appear sloppy. Not ready to send something to the dry cleaner but want a quick steam and wrinkle-free spray?
a. Buy Handheld Steamer
Quick work with a handhold steamer. Apparel steaming is easier on clothing than ironing and works on a wide range of fabrics, from cotton and polyester to more delicate options like silk. Steam relaxes the fibers in fabric like wool or silk, which not only smooths out wrinkles but also helps lift the smell and bring it back to life due to bacteria.
– Steam, not iron when it comes to delicate fabrics
Steaming may be a more delicate solution for garments such as silk blouses, lace dresses and structured pieces that can become misshapen when ironed. The iron can be too strong for more delicate fabrics, and a steamer is an alternative that removes wrinkles without the excess heat. A couple of minutes with a steamer gives your clothes that starched and smooth look which in turn will allow you to delay visiting the dry cleaners.
Steam: Steaming your clothes (ideally after the process of hanging them) is a fast and efficient way to keeping your outfits in top shape between visits to the dry cleaner.
You can live in your wardrobe until the professional dry cleaning or laundry delivery services arrive. If you religiously rotate your clothes among options, take the time to master the art of spot cleaning and cobble together an anti-wrinkle army equipped with just a few select tools, then you can maintain fresh garments and always look ready for any event. By properly caring for your laundry at home, you can help maintain the integrity of the fabric and require fewer visits to have your clothing cleaned professionally—safeguarding both time and bank account.
These tips will make it simple to keep looking your best in-between going to Ian’s Cleaners.