‘Wear More, Wash Less’, ‘Garment Care 101’, 

Stop what you’re doing and close your eyes. Think about your most treasured garment. Now, imagine it being rediscovered by generations from now, in near-pristine condition, despite the many, many times you wore it. Imagine it being admired by wide eyes, or worn by a relative that you’ll never meet. Clothes can and should last for lifetimes - and this is made all the more possible by the way we care for them in the here and now. My mother taught me that. 

That said, caring for our garments has never been a more overwhelming task. With every composition and garment care label referring to an ever-increasing number of fabrics mixes, it can be difficult to know where to start. To support you, we’ve collated our top ways to care for and extend the lives of our clothes. 

WEAR MORE, WASH LESS

It’s plain and simple: washing your clothes less is far better for both you and the planet. Each washing cycle breaks down fabric fibres, ultimately leading to fraying and falling-apart clothes. Washing your garments less often - but still wearing them as much - keeps them in use and out of landfill for longer. Whilst each person is different, this is how often we wash our clothes as a rule of thumb:

That said, everyone - as well as their body and lifestyle - is different, so this is not a one-wash-fits-all but the general take away is LESS is MORE when it comes to washing. 

DRY & MIGHTY

Opt for air-drying your clothes as often as possible. This avoids the fibre degradation and microplastic shedding associated with tumble dryers, whilst also saving on electricity and energy. .

DREAM STEAM

Choosing to hang your garments in the bathroom whilst showering is an effortless way of removing surplus dirt, loosens stains and any minor wrinkles in the fabric. The steam produced by warm showers is usually enough to smooth out most fabrics, meaning you don’t need to dig out the iron. 

BUTTON UP

Close zippers, buttons, and other fasteners to prevent snagging whilst washing. Loosely tying strings, sashes, and fabric belts also helps to prevent tangling and excess wrinkles.

DEALING WITH STAINS 

Repeat after us: there’s no need to throw a whole garment in the washing machine or send it to the dry cleaners for one stain. Instead, turn to spot cleaning, an approach that selectively treats localised stains and other marks. This minimises the frequency at which a garment is machine-washed, thus maintaining the quality of the item for longer and conserving natural resources such as water and electricity.

Without a doubt, it is always best to treat stains as quickly as possible. First, scrape off the stain if possible - this works a treat with chocolate!

Our top tip: use Marseille soap stain remover or “Savon Detachant”. It's magic, gets out most stubborn stains and is  free of nasty toxins and biodegradable!

Other natural stain removers such as lemon or bicarbonate of soda also work a treat on stains. 

STORING YOUR CLOTHES

The way you store your clothes can increase longevity and ensure your clothes don’t lose their intended shape. Try to use the right size hangers for your garments. Coats and jackets should  always be  on wider ones than your shirts. Fold your trousers along the seams and hang up. Knitwear is best kept folded with a few natural cedar wood moth repellent balls thrown in. 

For more specific information on different types of fabrics we use here at INDOI  head to Our Fabrics, Our Care page.

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