It’s always annoying when we break something – especially when it’s an absolute favourite. Whether it’s a piece of clothing, a shoe or an accessory, we are particularly attached to individual pieces. Here are some tips on how to take care of your favorite pieces so that they stay beautiful for as long as possible.
As gently as possible: wash clothes properly
It is often not so much the wearing of the clothing that puts excessive strain on it, but rather the washing. Favorite items in particular end up very often in the washing machine, where they are spun and then dried in the sun. Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for them to suffer small holes over time, for a seam to come loose, for the colors to fade or for the items of clothing to damage one another, for example through their zippers. But if you are particularly careful when washing, you can minimize these risks and, with a bit of luck, your favorite item will still look like new after many years. The following tips will help:
- Wash clothes as infrequently as possible
Admittedly, we are sometimes tempted to wash our favorite clothes often – way too often. Maybe they need to be fresh for a special occasion, maybe you’re washing that color anyway and there’s still room in the washing machine. But the more often a piece of clothing is washed, the faster it breaks. It therefore makes no sense to throw it in the washing machine without an emergency, and clothes do not have to be washed immediately after each use.
Instead, it’s worth exposing your favorite items to the rigors of the laundry as little as possible. They should therefore only be washed if they are actually dirty or have an unpleasant smell, for example because you have worn them for sports. A quick “checkup” to see if the item still smells good and is clean can prevent unnecessary washing and thus increase the lifespan of your clothes.
- Sort laundry by color and material
There’s another faux pas that we’ve all probably had when washing: One part has discolored the other and suddenly the once-white shirt comes out of the machine pink. Depending on the item of clothing , it can be difficult or even impossible to reverse such discolouration . It is therefore incredibly important to sort laundry by color. Because even at low temperatures, dark or colorful clothes can otherwise leave a “veil” on light-colored clothing, making them look faded or, in the worst case, even unwearable.
It is therefore advisable to at least separate light, dark and colored laundry from each other. In addition, only the same colors should go into the washing machine together, for example only red or yellow items of clothing together. In a household with several people, this is usually not a problem. But what if you don’t fill an entire machine with one color? In such cases, you can wash individual parts by hand or use a special short program for this. You can also leave clothes that you rarely wear anyway for a long time to collect more clothes of the same color.
But the material and the temperature at which you want to wash the clothes also play a role in sorting: Particularly sensitive materials such as wool are best cleaned on a gentle cycle and with a special detergent. You can also protect them with laundry nets. These are also ideal for bras or similar items that could damage other items of clothing with hooks and the like. Delicate clothes are also best washed cold or by hand. Machine washing at 30 to 40 degrees Celsius is sufficient for non-sensitive laundry that is not too heavily soiled.
Whenever hygiene plays an important role, for example with underwear, towels or bed linen, you should wash at 60 degrees Celsius. In the case of particularly stubborn stains or cleaning rags, the hot wash cycle at 90 degrees Celsius removes almost everything – and for the sake of the machine , this program should be selected at least sometimes.
- Take a look at the care instructions
At first it may seem overwhelming what you have to consider when doing laundry. But there is a simple solution, namely a look at the care instructions. These tell you whether the part can even be put in the washing machine and dryer – and at what temperature. If you take these care instructions into account and sort them by color, you really can’t go wrong. However, since there is only limited space on such a care label, the care instructions are designed as small symbols that you need to know in order to understand them. So it’s worth taking a look at them. In the future, you will always know which favorite items you can wash and how, so that you can enjoy them for a long time.
Extra tip: Detergent is not just detergent, some products contain bleach or optical brighteners. These are intended to make white laundry shine again and are therefore ideally suited for them – however, they can fade colored or dark laundry and thus make them look “old”. In most cases, products contain brighteners that are labeled as heavy-duty detergents. If the laundry is not white, it is therefore better to use a mild detergent or a special detergent for the respective materials, such as wool or sports detergent. Color detergent is also well suited for colored laundry, but does not offer 100 percent protection against discolouration. The right choice of detergent is therefore also important in addition to the basic rules for sorting etc. mentioned.
Hang or fold? Optimal storage of clothing
After the items of clothing have been freshly washed, the question arises as to how to store them correctly – so that they remain beautiful even if they are not worn for a long time. Otherwise you may have to wash or iron them again and thus expose them to further unnecessary hardship; and you already know why this is not recommended. There are also a few questions about short- or long-term storage and here are the answers:
- How do you gently dry your favorite items?
After the washing process or if the clothes have gotten wet for other reasons, you must first dry them completely. Otherwise, a musty smell or, in the worst case, even mold can form. You can use a dryer for this – but it is also important to look at the care instructions in this regard to check whether the clothing is suitable for this at all. There is usually a program called “closet dry”, which means you can tidy up your clothes afterwards. Nevertheless, to be on the safe side, you should check again whether they are really no longer wet. Alternatively, laundry is air dried. You can turn non-sensitive items inside out, which is a good idea when washing, and then hang them on a drying rack. Woolon the other hand, is dried lying down so that it does not lose its shape. You can also dry particularly sensitive items on a hanger, such as shirts, in order to have as little effort as possible when ironing later.
Extra tip: Since ironing also puts a strain on your favorite items, you should avoid this whenever possible. By smoothing out the laundry while drying, you no longer have to iron many clothes at all. And if it is necessary, it is best to choose a steamer. Alternatively, you can hang the garment in the bathroom while showering to allow the steam to smooth it out without exposing it to direct heat. Then you wait again until it is completely dry – done!
- Hang or fold? An overview
As soon as your favorite pieces have dried, you can put them away in the closet. Most garments can be folded to save space. However, there are some textiles that you should hang better. These include primarily shirts and blouses. But dresses and skirts made of sensitive fabrics such as silk or jackets that crease easily like a trench coat are also best stored on the hanger. The same applies to trousers made of linen. On the other hand, what is less sensitive or where one or the other crease is not a problem is best folded and stored in the closet. With the right technique, this is both space-saving and gentle, so that you can take out your favorite pieces with a flick of the wrist and put them on directly without having to iron them first. theKonMari method is helpful in this .
- How do you store seasonal clothing?
Seasonal clothing such as a thick winter jacket or an airy summer dress needs to be stored regularly for several months. It’s definitely worth reorganizing your closet at least twice a year so that you have the seasonal clothes you need at hand – and to stow away the others carefully. A few basic rules apply here: Clothing must be stored in a dry place, but ideally in a dark and cool place to prevent mold from forming and the material from fading. It is also important that no pests such as moths get to the textiles.
To be on the safe side, you can also pack them in tissue paper, cotton bags or vacuum bags. A cupboard in a dry basement is particularly well suited for storage, for example as a built-in cupboard in a corner of the apartment that is otherwise unused, such as under the stairs. If your wardrobe offers enough space, you can of course also store your favorite items in it and only change the sorting depending on the season.
Store and clean properly: This is how accessories stay beautiful for a long time
The question of storage also arises with accessories such as handbags, scarves or jewellery. After all, these are also an important part of your wardrobe and you are certainly interested in them staying beautiful for a long time. To do this, follow the steps below:
- To clean
As with clothing, you should always store accessories cleanly. How you clean them properly depends on their type and material. With handbags, for example, it is often sufficient to wipe them with a damp cloth. Some textile models can even be hand or machine washed. The best way to clean jewelry is with a soft cloth or, if that is not enough, with water and a mild washing-up liquid. It also cleans belt buckles. Scarves, shawls & Co, on the other hand, can be easily cleaned according to the care instructions.
- stuffing
Some accessories, especially handbags, should be stuffed in storage to keep them in shape. This can also be useful for shoes. With other favorite items such as a scarf, on the other hand, it is essential to fold them or hang them up correctly so that they can be stowed away to save space and still remain beautiful – so you can spontaneously combine them with any outfit you like.
- Store
Now it’s time for actual storage. In the case of handbags, there are also some special features in this regard . For example, you should pack them in dust bags, which is especially true for long-term storage. Alternatively, custom-fit storage boxes are a good option, as are other accessories such as jewellery. So think about how you can make sure, especially with smaller parts, that they are stored clean and dry, but still nothing gets lost. Depending on the space available, you can also hang up belts or scarves.
- Care for
The last step is to carefully inspect the accessories when you take them out of the closet and want to use them – or before you put them back into storage. This is important in order to detect and eliminate dirt, damage or signs of aging at an early stage. You can make numerous accessories such as leather bags or belts look like new with the right care, whether you do it yourself or have it done by a professional. You can also give tarnished silver jewelery a new shine at regular intervals with a silver bath or you can have your silk scarves professionally cleaned every now and then. Because the better you look after your accessories, the longer they will be the icing on the cake of your looks.
Clean and tidy: take good care of your shoes
Finally, the shoes are an important topic, because they can round off your outfit or completely change it. Whether you combine high heels or sneakers with a dress ultimately makes a big difference. Be honest: we women love our shoes and of course we want them to last as long as possible. Unfortunately, the service life is limited, especially with our favorite shoes that are worn a lot, because at some point the sole will wear out or the upper material will start to crack. The inner lining is also a common weak point that can give way and affect the wearing comfort. But that doesn’t mean that you have to sort out your favorite shoes. There are many ways to maintain and repair them – and thereby increase their lifespan:
- Clean materials properly
To keep your shoes looking like new for many years, it is important to clean them regularly. As a result, the dirt has no chance of settling on the material. You should remove stubborn dirt in particular as soon as possible. How this is done depends on the material in question. You can simply put some textile shoes in the washing machine and then let them dry in the fresh air. For leather shoes, on the other hand, a dirt brush or a damp cloth is your choice. If necessary, special cleaning agents for leather shoes are also available if the dirt proves to be stubborn.
Suede leather, on the other hand, is particularly difficult to clean. This should be impregnated with a suitable agent and only worn in dry weather and on the cleanest possible surface. If stains do appear, you can try your luck with a special cleaning foam for suede leather. Nevertheless, water stains or other unwelcome phenomena can often no longer be satisfactorily removed from this material.
- Maintain leather shoes
After cleaning, it makes sense, especially for shoes made of smooth leather, to care for them so that they remain supple and beautiful for a long time. You also have various means available for this, such as shoe polish or polish. It is therefore worth choosing them according to your individual taste and needs. Because after proper care , leather shoes look like new again and at the same time you will extend their lifespan. Investing in high-quality leather shoes and their care can be worthwhile – as can professional repairs if you notice damage to the sole, upper or inner lining.
- Store shoes – but how?
The only question that remains is how to store shoes correctly, after all you probably wear some models only rarely or only at certain times of the year. As with clothing, you should always store shoes that are clean and dry. The environment must not be damp and the material must be protected from direct sunlight. Depending on where you have enough space available, you can store the shoes in the apartment, in the basement, in the attic or again in a “dead corner”. If you have saved these, you can use the original shoeboxes for them. But other boxes or special shoe bags made of cotton are also ideal for keeping dust, pests, etc. away from your favorite shoes. In order for them to keep their shape,
Extra tip:Small utensils can be welcome helpers when storing shoes. Scented sachets, for example, prevent unpleasant odors from forming. You can also put small desiccant bags in the shoes if there is still moisture in the shoes to prevent mold from forming. If you store your shoes for a longer period of time, you should still check them at regular intervals. And so that you always know which pair is where, you can simply attach a photo of the shoes to the outside of the box. So there are no limits to your creativity when it comes to designing storage boxes and places for your shoes. You can hide them invisibly in the basement or present them in transparent boxes as a style element.
