If you’ve invested your hard-earned money into expensive, or even designer, clothing, you must know how to take care of expensive clothes so you can enjoy it for a long time to come. The whole point of buying these clothes is to wear them, so you’ll want them to look their best when you do.
You might think that, because of the high quality of these items of clothing, they don’t need particularly special care taken of them; they are robust and will last for a good long while without needing much doing to them. Unfortunately, this is not the case and it would be a mistake to think of them in this way. It’s true that more expensive clothing will be better quality and longer-lasting than cheaper clothing, but it still needs to be cared for – even the most well-made of garments will eventually fall apart or at least not look its best if it is neglected or treated badly.
With that in mind, here are some useful tips for how to take care of expensive clothes within your closet. If you can do these things, the clothes will last for much longer and give your untold amounts of joy.
READ THE LABEL
Although it may sound obvious when written down here, it’s crucial to read the label on your designer clothing before you try to clean it or store it. That label will include all the details you need to know about what temperature to wash your garment on, what kind of detergent to use, and whether or not the clothing needs to be hand washed or even sent away to a dry cleaner.
By following all these instructions as carefully as possible, you’ll be giving your expensive clothing the best chance of looking good for longer. Don’t try to cut corners even if the care of your item is inconvenient since it will only cost you more in the long term when you have to replace your designer item due to lack of care.
LEARN HOW TO HANDWASH
We mentioned above about handwashing and although this sounds like an easy thing to do, you will need to learn how to do it correctly to ensure you don’t accidentally damage the piece of clothing you’re trying to clean.
When handwashing you will need to fill the basin or tub with lukewarm water and add soap or laundry detergent. Mix this using a gloved hand or an implement such as a wooden spoon or stirring stick. Submerge each item you want to clean into the water and then agitate the water briefly. Leave the clothing to soak for no more than 30 minutes.
After this time, rinse the items in cold water and press them against the side of the container to squeeze out the excess water. Don’t twist the item or be tempted to wring it out – it’s too delicate for that.
TREAT STAINS IMMEDIATELY
If you spill something on your clothes or you rub against something that leaves a mark, or even if you store your designer items incorrectly and it gets dirty, it’s vital that you treat stains immediately. Whether it’s removing unsightly oil stains from fabric, food stains, paint, grass stains, or general grime, leaving it to sit on your clothes is what causes the biggest problem, not the stain itself.
As soon as you can, wet the stain with water; this quick-thinking pre-treatment can make all the difference. If you do this quickly enough, you should be able to remove the stain with a hand wash. Leave it too long and the stain will remain. Once you’ve wetted the stain, soak the clothing in lukewarm water for between two hours and an entire day, depending on how big the stain was and how soon you were able to soak it.
USE A STEAM IRON
You shouldn’t assume that your expensive clothing can’t be ironed; in many cases it can (just check the label to be absolutely sure). If you can iron it, and you choose to, use a steam iron. In this way, you’re less likely to leave iron marks and creases on delicate material.
If you have access to a professional steam cleaning machine, this is the ultimate way to remove creases from your designer items, as it works quickly, and the wand part of the machine is held away from the garment, lessening the amount of heat that goes anywhere near the clothing.
STORAGE
Storage is key when it comes to how to take care of expensive clothes and keeping them protected. If you can take care of it when you’re not wearing it and clean it properly when you’ve finished wearing it, it should last for a long time.
Different fabrics will need to be stored in different ways to keep them in the best condition. Woollen garments such as silk knits or cashmere should be dry cleaned and then stored in airtight bags or plastic containers. The same is true of any clothing that has embroidery on it. Storing in this way prevents moisture, insects, and general household dust from tarnishing the clothes. If you have metallic fabrics, they should be kept in tissue paper.
As for where these items need to be stored, the best place is a cool, dark, dry environment where UV rays can’t penetrate (this causes insect infestation and color fading).
DON’T WASH CLOTHING TOO OFTEN
Of course, any clothing that has a smudge on it, or a stain as mentioned above, will need to be cleaned. Plus anything that you wear for a long period of time. However, if you wear something for a short time and it’s not dirty, it’s usually best to forego putting it in the laundry to prevent any accidental damage.
When it comes to how to take care of expensive clothes and expensive jeans this is definitely the way forward. Denim can stand being worn three or four times before it needs to be washed. Since your jeans are going to fade each time they are washed, it’s best to do it as little as possible. In the first two months, try not to wash them at all since they will mould to your body better and be much more comfortable.
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This has been a collaborative post. All thoughts and opinions expressed above are not my own
