How to Wash Your Clothes So They Actually Last
Most clothing damage happens in the wash. These simple changes to your laundry routine will extend the life of your ward...
How to Store Your Clothes Properly Between Seasons
Many people store their seasonal clothing without much thought — folded into a bin bag, stuffed into a suitcase, hung in a spare wardrobe. Done wrong, this leads to irreversible damage: moth holes, yellow stains, musty smells, and permanently distorted shapes.
Before you store anything
Always wash or dry clean before storing. Body oils and perspiration are invisible but acidic — they oxidise over months and cause the yellow staining you find when you retrieve a white shirt you "never wore." Even if a garment looks clean, wash it before putting it away for a season.
Storage by fabric type
- Knitwear — always fold, never hang (hanging stretches the shoulders)
- Wools and cashmere — use cedar blocks or lavender sachets to deter moths
- Leather — store in breathable cotton covers, never plastic
- Down jackets — store loosely, never compressed
- Silk — fold in acid-free tissue paper away from direct light
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