Clothing Care 101

You spend a lot of money on them, now treat them with care. Taking good care of your clothes protects your investment as well as keeps you looking great.

Always Hang / Fold Your Clothes
Don't let any piece of clothing lie around all crumpled up. Not only will your bedroom look a mess, leaving your clothes about will probably create unwanted creases or worse your item can warp its shape. Air them out on the hanger for a night then put them back into your closet to prevent odors from being absorbed permanently.

Brush it
Invest in a lint tape roller and a clothes brush. Dust can prematurely deteriorate your garments, therefore make sure to brush off accumulated dust from your clothes.

Laundry
Before tossing your clothes into the washing machine, flip them inside out in order for them to be squeaky clean.  Separate the light colors from the dark ones and try to wash whites separately. If you're washing a piece of clothing with a zipper, make sure you zip it up before putting it in the washing machine because it may damage the more delicate pieces in that same load. More delicate articles should always be hand washed to avoid any damage. When drying your clothes, shake out items taken from the washer before placing them in the dryer to prevent them from balling up and wrinkling. Dry lightweight clothes first separately to help prevent damage and shrinking. Lightweight, delicate fabrics such as lingerie are sensitive to heat and should be dried while the machine is cool. Average-weight garments like pants and dress shirts should be dried next followed by heavyweights like towels and jeans, which can handle the hot drum. Dry fuzzy stuff separately,  separate lint-shedders, such as fuzzy sweatshirts, chenille robes, flannels and towels, from lint-keepers, such as knits, corduroys and permanent press and synthetic fabrics.

Ironing
Do not iron garments that are dirty or stained. The iron's heat can set the stain. Iron clothes, especially those made of cotton, rayon and silk, while they are still damp by removing them from the dryer before they are completely dry. If that's not convenient, dampen dried clothes with a steam iron or sprinkle with warm water. Allow the moisture to permeate the fabric. Iron fabric on the wrong side or use a pressing cloth on the right side to avoid shine marks. Hang newly ironed items immediately. Do not wear or pack them for several hours. Newly ironed garments tend to wrinkle again quickly.

Dry clean your garments
Bringing your clothes to a reputable dry cleaner is a must because substandard ones use poor quality chemicals and might expose your clothes to excessive moisture, which can damage their outer fabric and lining. Ideally, make sure your cleaner uses textile and environmentally friendly paraffin-based fluids. I would recommend taking your clothes to the dry cleaner at the end of each season so they are ready for you next season.