6 mistakes your dry cleaner wishes you'd stop making
When it comes to mistreatment of household items, our clothes may well top the list. If we aren’t throwing them over a chair to put away “later”, we’re stuffing them in a crowded draw or trying to cram them onto a hanger that’s too small. Unfortunately, our clothes aren’t always as tough as we like to think they are. A few simple tips and tricks along with a bit of TLC can go a long way to ensure a happy, long lasting wardrobe. Here’s how to avoid the most common clothes care slip ups.
1. Taking risks with tricky stains
If you’re not sure how to treat a stain, consult a professional! When we try to remove a difficult stain ourselves we run the risk of irreparably damaging the garment itself. This is one instance where DIY is definitely not best.
2. You do the “wear and neglect”
Do you inspect your clothes for stains/rips/tears after each wear? You should! By wearing then stuffing in the wardrobe, you run the risk of missing a nasty stain or similar which will end up setting while your item sits in the wardrobe. Likewise, if you’ve managed to incur a rip or tear, you won’t notice it until next time you want to wear the item by which time it’ll be too late to fix and you’ll need an alternate outfit!
3. You don’t notice the invisible damage you do
Our daily habits can create havoc for delicate items of clothing. Perfume, hairspray and deodorant can all create an irreversible stain on clothes due to the chemical interaction. To avoid this happening, apply your body products before getting dressed and allow them time to settle before you pop your clothes on.
4. You leave clothes in their dry cleaning bag
Dry cleaning bags were designed for transporting clothes from the dry cleaner to your home, not for long-term storage. Leaving freshly dry cleaned garments in their bags can end up causing damage due to the build-up of moisture which can lead to mildew and odour.
5. You hang heavy items on wire hangers
Wire hangers are a no-no when it comes to heavy items of clothing, as they don’t provide enough support or structure. This means that items can end up with marks or strange wearing patterns.
6. You over-dry your clothes
If you’re a fan of the clothes dryer take note! Over-drying can cause colour to fade along with shrinkage and even rips and tears. Instead of chucking your load of washing in and hitting “On” try line drying as much as possible and only using the dryer for short stints on a low setting. It’s much better for the environment as well.
Related links:
7 common items you should never put in a dryer
Reason buttons on men’s and women’s shirts are on opposite sides
10 ways you’re doing your ironing wrong