Home → Blog → Resources → How to Make Clothes Last Longer – 16 Effective Solutions
Clued-up consumers are increasingly concerned about sustainability in the fashion and textiles industries and growing numbers are rejecting the fast fashion model that has dominated for so long. This has led to greater interest in ways people can extend the lifespan of their wardrobe and get maximum use from their clothes. From investing in odor-control Polygiene-treated products to using the appropriate amount of detergent, there are plenty of things you can do to make your clothes last longer.
Read our guide for practical tips that you can implement right away, and learn how to make clothes last longer.
Investing in durable clothing and making an effort to extend its lifespan benefits you in several ways.
When it comes to environmental protection, the fashion and textiles industries are not great. In fact, they are a major contributor to global waste and pollution. Many textile growing, farming, and processing practices are also resource-intensive and damaging to the land and the people who work it. By making your clothes last longer and purchasing new clothes less frequently, you reduce your environmental impact considerably.
The same goes for home washing practices. For instance, buying Polygiene StayFresh™-treated clothing that keeps your fabrics fresh means you can skip every other wash. This translates to 3,800 liters of water and 51 kWh of electricity in annual savings (Polygiene).
Avoiding waste and practicing responsible use is particularly important when you consider that water is one of our most precious resources — essential to life yet inaccessible to many around the world. While washing clothes less often is one way to reduce water consumption, you can also help those less fortunate by supporting charities and initiatives that work to improve access to water or conserve water resources, such as Clean Water Around the World | Water For People.
Longer-lasting, higher-quality garments may require a larger up-front investment. But they cost you less in the long run. By ensuring you don’t have to replace items regularly, a longer-lasting wardrobe offers better value for money and makes financial sense if you can afford the initial outlay.
Durable clothing retains its shape, color, and appeal, so you enjoy it as intended for much longer than lower-quality items. This means your super stylish new purchase will look just as good in a few years and you won’t be reluctant to wear it because it’s gone all baggy and shapeless. Our clothes also have a sentimental value. Most of us have a favorite jumper or jacket. By buying higher-quality durables and making an effort to look after them, we get to hold onto these pieces for much longer.
Here are our top 16 tips for making your clothes last longer.
The most simple and effective way to extend the lifespan of your clothes is to wash them less frequently. While washing machines are undoubtedly the most efficient way of cleaning your fabrics, they are harsh on textiles and will damage fibers in the long run, resulting in premature wear. Odor-control solutions like our Polygiene Freshness™ technologiesmake less frequent washing a reality, ensuring your clothes stay fresher for longer without compromising comfort or allowing odor-causing bacteria and molecules to proliferate.
Polygiene StayFresh is an industry-leading antibacterial solution that tackles the main source of unpleasant smells – bacteria. Based on silver ion technology, the technology impedes bacterial growth, preventing the bad odors that result from microbial metabolic processes. This enables you to wash your garments less frequently, minimizing damage caused by the machine and ensuring your clothing lasts longer. At the same time, it reduces products’ overall environmental footprint as consumers use less electricity, water and detergent – as demonstrated by our independent LCA.
Check the care labels included on clothing before washing and follow the instructions provided. Every garment typically has recommended temperature settings and drying instructions. Different textiles require different approaches and should be maintained in the appropriate way to maximize lifespan.
When possible, turning your clothes inside out when washing them helps prevent color loss, keeping the outside brighter for longer. It also protects more delicate design features, such as embroidery.
There was a time when homeowners would wash everything that wouldn’t shrink on a fast spin at 60℃, believing this would get the best results. While a hot wash may sometimes be advisable for particularly stubborn stains, it is not a good idea for general laundry. First, it damages fibers and fabrics more easily. Second, it’s far more energy-intensive and, consequently, worse for the environment and your wallet. In most cases, a 30℃ wash is more than enough to get your clothes clean. Even cold washes do a good job most of the time.
When putting on a wash, it’s tempting to put a load of detergent in just to make sure that your clothes come out as clean as possible. However, this can have unintended consequences. Excess detergent leaves a residue on fibers that accrues over time, making your items look dull and damaging the fabric. Instead, opt for the minimum recommended amount, limit damage to clothing and make your favorite clothing items last longer.
Most people love the freshly washed smell that scented fabric conditioners and softeners leave on textiles. But they have the same effect as using too much detergent. Fabric conditioners add a load of chemicals and fragrances to the mix, most of which leave some trace on the fabric and quickly build up and damage the fibers. Rather than using conditioner or softener to keep clothes smelling fresh, opt for Polygiene-treated designs and keep your storage spaces well-ventilated and stocked with scented products.
If you accidentally spill something on your favorite T-shirt and it’s just a little mark, consider spot washing rather than putting it down for a full machine wash. Sometimes, this requires nothing more than a damp cloth and a little dry time. However, you can also purchase specific solutions – often labeled as stain removal pens or something similar. These allow you to get to work on a small stain quickly, before it has time to set. Avoiding a full wash on every spillage will give your clothing a longer lifespan.
This one may seem simple, but it’s amazing how many times we’ve ruined a perfectly good T-shirt or pair of trousers through lack of forethought. Wearing appropriate clothing for the task at hand helps you keep your best items in excellent condition while extending the life of older clothing that has seen better days. Have an old pair of fraying jeans that are a little dirty and stained? Keep them for gardening, decorating, or other potentially messy jobs. And make sure you change into them before starting any of these chores. Changing only takes a moment, but it can add years to your wardrobe’s lifespan.
It’s not always possible to air dry. When winter arrives and the colder weather comes, drying even the most lightweight tee can take forever. That said, if you can air dry, you should. Not only does it help to prevent bacterial growth (air drying plus Polygiene technology is the ultimate combination), but it also gives your clothes that lovely fresh feel and means your items don’t need to be put through the rough and tumble of the drying machine.
Figuring out how to make your clothes last longer isn’t just about how you wash them (though it really is quite a big deal!). You can also help extend items’ lifespans by learning how to repair clothes and fabrics when damaged. Picking up a needle and thread and learning the basics of stitching is a fantastic way to breathe life back into an old piece and is rewarding too. As your skills progress, you can move on to the sewing machine and even begin getting a bit more creative, injecting a bit of your personality and sense of style into worn-out designs.
Delicates bags are very handy if you need to wash textiles that are more prone to damage and need to be treated with care. The bags prevent your clothes from getting tangled and caught on each other, ensuring they don’t rip, stretch, or damage the fibers in the process. This makes them a great option for fine-knitted items, lace, and delicate underwear.
While fast fashion has been the dominant approach in the textile industry for at least the last decade, attitudes are changing and consumers are moving away from purchasing low-quality designs that need replacing more frequently. In large part, this is due to a growing awareness of sustainability issues. Investing in high-quality products means you benefit from more durable clothing. While this may mean you have a little less to choose from in your wardrobe and have to pay a slightly higher price initially, it will save you money in the long run and is far more environmentally friendly.
While we have primarily focused on the dangers of potentially damaging washing machine practices in this guide, your home machine is not the only threat to your clothes. Dry cleaning is also harsh on your textiles and the chemicals used to get that deep clean are known to weaken fibers over time. While using the dry cleaner once in a while shouldn’t cause that many problems, regular visits are not great for your clothes or the environment. Make your clothes last longer by sticking to washing at home where possible.
So what’s the alternative if you want to avoid the dry cleaners and your washing machine? Hand washing is without a doubt the least harsh washing method and best for the environment. Of course, that doesn’t mean you should hand wash absolutely everything. We’re all busy people and we have to factor convenience into the equation. The washing machine is usually the most practical solution. However, if you are particularly worried about a piece of clothing and want to ensure it lasts as long as possible, there is no better way to wash your clothes.
It may be the last thing we do before we put on our clothes, but that doesn’t mean it’s any less important for managing their lifespan. Ironing textiles on too high a heat (or ironing some fabrics at all) will cause damage to fibers. High heat can also make the fabric surface shiny, ruining the look and feel of your best clothes. With this in mind, try to iron your items inside out when possible, check the label for guidance on temperature, and never iron fabrics that shouldn’t be ironed. Ironing clothing correctly will help them last longer.
Some materials are more prone to wear and tear than others, while some designs and brands purposefully build short lifespans into the design. If you want clothes that last a long time and that you won’t have to replace as frequently, avoid the following fabrics and styles:
By keeping your clothing fresher for longer, Polygiene solutions reduce the frequency with which you need to wash them. In turn, this saves you time and money, minimizes the damage your washing machine does to your favorite items, and extends their lifespan. At the same time, our solutions reduce the overall environmental impact of clothing, resulting in more sustainable fashion and textiles industries.
The Polygiene team is committed to facilitating the transition from fast fashion consumables to long-lasting durables and is happy to discuss how our solutions benefit you.
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