Great Minimalist Clothing Care Tips You Should Know About
Great minimalist clothing care tips and habits will save you time and money. Your clothing can be a significant investment and should be adequately maintained to protect that investment.
Your clothing is an investment in money and the time it takes to shop, choose, and purchase them. I wouldn’t say I like shopping and look to avoid it whenever possible;-(
Living a minimalist lifestyle my wardrobe is limited to a few essential items. Because of that, I am forced to purchase quality items and use these clothing care tips to protect my investment and maximize my time.
Edit Your Belonging Clothing Care Tips
Working with clothing you love and are likely to wear during the current season is best. Ill-fitting clothing, worn out or not likely to be worn, can cause chaos in your closet.
Get rid of clothes fitting those categories. Ill-fitting garments should never be kept around. Clothing that you no longer enjoy wearing should be sold, donated, or given away.
Clothing that is out of season should be stored with similar clothing. Damaged or worn clothing should be repaired, repurposed, or thrown out.
Once this is done, you will clearly know what you must wear. You will save time getting dressed and be able to care for your clothing more easily.
Organizing Your Wardrobe Clothing Care Tips
Now that you have a solid base, begin organizing your wardrobe. The simplest method is to color-coordinate your wardrobe.
Group clothing according to colors and then try to group them depending on the activity they are primarily wearing. This can be fun as you decide how they will be mixed and matched.
For example, formal clothing will never be worn with gym attire but may be worn with casual wear. Gym attire may also mix with casual wear, so have fun developing a system.
Clothing grouped into categories will have similar clothing care tips. When doing laundry or cleaning your clothes, carefully read the care labels and separate them accordingly.
Separating your clothes properly involves more than matching bright colors with bright colors, whites with whites, and darks with darks. LOL.
Follow the clothing care tips on the labels. Usually, you will be instructed to cool and dry bright colors and use the gentle cycle for delicate clothing. Small steps like these will extend the life of your clothing and keep it looking new longer.
Dryer Clothing Care Tips
The clothing dryer is notorious for shrinking clothing. However, when this happens, all is not lost. Many of those items can be restored to their original size.
You don’t have to give away, throw out, or donate those items.
One trick is to soak the shrunken items in hot water and hair conditioner for about five minutes—yes, hair conditioner! Then, let them air dry.
If you would like to go the extra step, gently try to stretch the items back into shape after the soaking. Then, if you are really desperate to restore them to their original size, wear the damp items while they dry.
Stain Removal Clothing Care Tips
Stains are the number one reason clothing lifespans are cut short. I don’t know what it is about stains, but they are a deal-breaker. No one wants to wear anything with even the slightest stain on it. LOL.
Besides using stain removers or bleaching products try soaking the item in cool water with 1/2 teaspoon of dishwashing liquid and one teaspoon of vinegar for 30 minutes. Then rinse.
Sometimes, even rubbing some hand sanitizer will remove a stubborn stain. Here is a comprehensive Guide to Removing Stains From Clothing for future reference.
Smelly Footwear Clothing Care Tips
Thoroughly washing clothing will remove all foul smells, but what about shoes? Many people like to leave work boots out in a hallway or outside, but what about other shoes?
Smelly shoes in your closet can permeate into your clothing.
A host of products are available to get the stink out of shoes. If you have run out of the usual product, try putting a few dry tea bags inside the shoes to absorb odors.
Another tip is to use fabric softener sheets inside your closet to keep the closet smelling fresh.
Storage Clothing Care Tips
It is very important to wash your clothing before storing it, even if it doesn’t look dirty. Over time, dirt, sweat, or soil on the clothing can set in and cause stains.
This is the #1 cause of the yellow-looking stains found when clothing is removed from storage. Also, bugs are attracted to dirt, strong scents, and even smoke that may emanate from dirty clothing.
If the clothing is dry cleaned before storage, remove it from the plastic, as it may attract moisture, become musty and mildewed, and, combined with the excess heat, damage the clothing.
Conclusion
There is nothing fancy about basic clothing care tips. Living a minimalist lifestyle means limiting the amount of clothing to what is needed. It’s essential to purchase quality clothing and protect your investment.
These clothing care tips will help extend the value and usefulness of your wardrobe. What clothing care tips would you add? Leave a comment below.
Hi! These Minimalist Clothing Care Tips are so useful. I’m glad I found your post because it has opened my eyes in some basic things that I had surely been doing wrong.First of all, getting rid of clothes that I don’t wear anymore is an important step. Following clothing care tips on the labels is another one. But this Dryer Clothing Care Tip using hair conditioner has really made me reconsider how I view the clothes in my Wardrobe. Thank you very much!
Thanks for your comment, Henry. I am happy you found a little value in this post.
Hi Tony – you have some great tips here on clothing care and organizing your wardrobe. Whether you are a minimalist or not, people can get some tips here on best practices for caring for your clothing and footwear. I’m guilty of keeping clothes I haven’t worn for years around for too long. I need to set a timeframe that if I haven’t worn that item of clothing or shoes with the last 2 years, I need to get rid of it.
Thanks for the information,
Michele
Thanks, Michele. Yeah, I agree. Clothing and items that are not being used can provide value elsewhere. You can earn a buck or just reclaim space in your home.
I like your sense of organization! Life is truly that much easier if one has an organized closet. I like to keep my work clothes together so I don’t have to think too hard in the morning lol. Color separating has long been my habit. It really is essential to watch the labels, for laundering and drying. In fact, I check them at the store because I don’t want everyday clothes that need to much care. You have some great details in this article and it is good to be reminded of them!
Thanks for your comment Dancinscot. Sorry but I am the worst organized person on the planet but I am working on it. LOL. It’s great to have a plan to help achieve my goals.
Love this article, I reall really need to go through my closet it is a hot mess in there. I have so many shows that I haven’t worn in forever that just those alone I’d clear up so much space. Thank you for this article and kicking me in the rear to be more organized and take better care of my clothes.
Thanks Cheyenne. Sometimes the joy and less stress looking over and seeing a clutter-free closet brings are rewards enough. LOL
Hi Tony – you have some great tips here on clothing care and organizing your wardrobe. Whether you are a minimalist or not, people can get some tips here on best practices for caring for your clothing and footwear. I’m guilty of keeping clothes I haven’t worn for years around for too long. I need to set a timeframe that if I haven’t worn that item of clothing or shoes with the last 2 years, I need to get rid of it.
Thanks for the information,
Michele
Thanks, Michele. Yeah, I agree. Clothing and items that are not being used can provide value elsewhere. You can earn a buck or just reclaim space in your home.
I like your sense of organization! Life is truly that much easier if one has an organized closet. I like to keep my work clothes together so I don’t have to think too hard in the morning lol. Color separating has long been my habit. It really is essential to watch the labels, for laundering and drying. In fact, I check them at the store because I don’t want everyday clothes that need to much care. You have some great details in this article and it is good to be reminded of them!
Thanks for your comment Dancinscot. Sorry but I am the worst organized person on the planet but I am working on it. LOL. It’s great to have a plan to help achieve my goals.