It’s World Kindness Day! Naturally, we are here to advocate being kinder to your clothes. A key part of building a sustainable wardrobe and avoiding fast fashion is to make your clothes last longer and get more wear out of them. By being kinder to your clothes, you end up being kinder to the environment and your wallet as well! Here’s Binks’ Clothing Care Guide: Kindness Edition
Read the label
It’s understandable if it hasn’t been your day, week, month or even year to follow a label while caring for your clothes. A good reason why this happens so often is that we read the label before washing our clothes, not before we buy them. When you read the label before buying your clothes, you will know if it’s the right material for your wash routine; pick frequent wear clothes that don’t have intricate wash instructions.
Cushion the beading
The best way to wash any blouses, kurtas and tops that have beads would be by hand. Alternatively, if you have to put them in a machine for a wash, the kindest thing to do would be tying them up in a scarf, dupatta or a stocking leg to reduce wiggle room and snagging.
Protect colour
Clothes fade much sooner than they actually fall apart. Keeping the colour of your clothes safe forever is the dream, albeit an unrealistic one. Until science catches up with our demands, consider washing and drying your clothes inside out to reduce exposure to washing detergent and direct sunlight. Once your favourite kurtas have faded, get them dyed to a deeper colour at your local dyeing centre.
Care for your jeans too
While your jeans might be the toughest fabric in your wardrobe, taking care of your jeans might make them last longer than you would think. We have all heard that jeans should not be washed at all and yes, we were just as shocked. If not washing your jeans makes you uncomfortable, wash your jeans as little as possible and spot clean for stains. For our personal favourite jeans tip, put your jeans in a delicates bag or pillow cover before putting them in the washing machine so that the legs do not tangle around your other clothes and cause unnecessary stretching.
Winter is coming
Sweaters and hangers are not friends. Sweaters are made of heavy, stretchable material. While drying and storing your sweaters, make sure they are laid down on a flat surface and not on a hanger to ensure they don’t stretch and self-destruct.
Give your sarees some love
This goes without saying (not that it’ll stop us from saying it twice), your sarees need (nay deserve) a lot of extra love and attention from draping to storing. Check out Binks’ comprehensive guide to caring for your sarees here.
Deal with the delicates
It is an absolute outrage that the tiniest, most essential of our clothing is also the most expensive and delicate. Do not machine wash your bras, especially the ones with wiring, lest you be stabbed. Invest in a bra box to avoid aforementioned violence. Ensure the rest of your lingerie is washed in a delicates bag and all will be well.
Find a good tailor
Whether it’s your favourite outfit that needs some upgrades or a piece of cloth that you have a vision for, the ultimate kindness you can bestow upon your clothes is handing it over to a good tailor (we volunteer) to treat it well.
Here are 5 additional acts of kindness for your clothes (because more is more)
- Avoid harsh detergents
- Find the right setting on washing machines and irons
- Wash your whites separately
- Air dry your clothes
- Invest in good hangers