How to Make Clothes Last Longer? Laundry Guide for Busy Moms (Spoiler: You Probably Overdo Your Laundry)

With little exception, clothes are not made to last today. The “fast fashion” concept teaches us to overspend on clothing we barely need, wear once, and toss. Having too much clothing in our wardrobes, we became less careful and… less knowledgeable about proper clothing care. Really worthy clothes still happen today, whether they are quality branded stuff or just something you wore for a special occasion. If you are at least half as sentimental as I am, you would like to make them last, keeping the precious memories for you. So how to make clothes last longer? How to wash clothes properly so they do not fade or shrink? What is better, to dry or hang dry? Inside or outside? Yep, it is a science, but not rocket one, so after reading this guide, you will be competent in caring for most types of clothing, from bras to coats.

How long do clothes last on average?

How many washes do clothes last? Clothes can last for decades (and even passed on to the next generations) or barely survive two washes. Everything depends on the quality of clothing and your clothing care method. 

Fast fashion did us a disservice. Twice. Firstly, it got us hooked on nice but trendy and low-quality stuff made to last for a very short time. The FF boom started in the 2000s when clothing production doubled. The statistics indicate that 85% of manufactured clothes end up in landfills every year.

The production of one average cotton t-shirt requires 2,700 liters of water (the amount an average person could drink in more than two years). If you’ve ever wondered why fast fashion T-shirts are so thin (and develop holes after just a few washes), it might be because this way manufacturers are trying to save water, LOL.

Secondly, fast fashion made people less conscious about clothing care. Clothes have become cheaper and readily accessible, so why even bother learning how to wash them properly and make clothes last longer? 

I made some foolish and costly clothing care mistakes that resulted in half of my baby’s wardrobe shrinking from newborn size to doll size. It made me wonder if there were laundry recommendations based on the type of clothes, fabric, etc. I have collected a lot of valuable clothing care tips I would like to share with you.

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10 tips on how to take care of clothes to keep them looking new

1. Wash less

Washing the item after every use is the most popular clothing care mistake. If clothes do not smell and are not visibly dirty, it is okay to wear them three to five times before washing or even longer. (Socks and underwear are an obvious exception.) Jeans and top layers such as sweaters, sweatshirts, and coats can go even longer.

This is more of a guideline than a rule since we have different lifestyles. However, double-checking whether the item really needs washing will save your wardrobe from expiring too quickly.

2. Wash gently

Handwashing at a cool temperature is the most gentle washing method. If time allows, go for it. If not, machine wash, but use the coolest water possible for this type of fabric.

Remember that although hot water copes with dirt better, heat destroys synthetics, causes color bleeding, and makes natural fibers shrink.

3. Sort before washing

Not only should you wash darks, brights, lights, and whites separately, but also you are better off sorting clothes by dirtiness and heaviness. For example, it is not recommended to wash delicates with rough fabrics such as jeans or towels.

Similarly, your swimsuit doesn’t have to suffer with your bedding as these two require different temperature modes.

Washing with like colors prevents dye transfer. Dirt and lint transfers are also real. To avoid them, make separate loads for heavily soiled and fuzzy items.

4. Respect colors

Recommended washing temperature for different colors:

• Brights – cold
• Darks – cold
• Lights (pastels) – warm
• Whites – hot (plus you can add bleach or oxi booster to your regular detergent)

Colors you should never wash together

• Whites and reds (or saturated pinks)
• Darks and lights
• Old and new clothing (new can color bleed on the old one)

A friend of mine has three girls and lots of pink laundry as a result. She always collects pinks in a separate bag and then washes them all as a separate load.

As a mother of three boys, I have a similar fad with darks. I would normally make a separate load of dark socks to not mix them with other laundry and not make the whole load look dingy after that.

5. Do not mix different fabrics in one load

Mixing different types of fabric (for example, washing swimming towels with swimming suits or washing linen clothes with bedding) is a bad idea because they require different temperature modes and spin settings. Swimming suits (synthetics) require a cool wash while towels thrive at warmer temperatures (more on this below in this guide). In my post on how to take care of linen clothes, I said that linen loves cold washing temperatures (otherwise it shrinks and gets heavily wrinkled), unlike cotton bedding which perfectly survives a hot wash.

6. Wash clothes inside out

Many people wonder if they should wash clothes inside out. Yes, it helps protect color from fading and keeps decoration elements such as prints or sequins intact. Plus, this method helps cope with foul odor better as your laundry detergent has more chances to work on the inner surface of sweaty clothes (just where sweat lingers).

7. Zip zippers but leave buttons undone

If you do not do it, you risk getting holes from zipper teeth in your entire load. You should not, however, button up the buttons because it would create unwanted tension in the fabric and wear it out faster.

8. Do not overload the washer

Less clothing in the drum (basket) means better washing and faster drying with less wrinkling.

9. Use mesh laundry bags

Mesh bags simplified my tedious laundry as a working mom a lot. When I had only one bag, I used to put delicates (swimming suits, expensive underwear, and bras) in it to protect them from scratching against the zippers and straps of other items in the load.

Now I have many mesh bags of different sizes and use them to organize my load. For example, socks and tights in one, bras in another, and so on. I don’t want to dry my bras in the dryer, so, after washing, I just remove the “bras” bag before running the dying cycle. I also remove the bag with socks or baby clothing earlier in the drying cycle to prevent them from shrinking and getting too rough. 

A tip: if you do not have a mesh laundry bag at hand, but need to protect your garments, use a pillow case as a laundry bag.

10. Do not overdo it with fabric softener and dryer sheets

It may sound counterintuitive, but over time, fabric softeners worsen the fluffiness and absorbency of clothing by creating a waxy film on it. For example, you may notice that your dry bath towels absorb body moisture worse as if they were already wet.

Softeners may also leave greyish stains all over the load and dull the whites. If you can’t quit using fabric softeners, at least use them less frequently, say, once in two to four washes, especially for towels. Dryer balls are a natural, reusable, and hypoallergenic alternative to dryer sheets. They reduce static and keep your whole load wrinkle-free without contributing any chemicals, which is a perfect solution for baby and kids’ clothes.

How to Make Clothes Last Longer: an Ultimate Laundry Guide by Clothing Type

A typical family laundry basket is a mix of fabrics, styles, and sizes. Life would be easier if we could just stuff everything in a washer, push one button, and get clean, ever-new clothing, but it does not work this way.

Clothes love individual approach. To help your wardrobe last longer, you need to follow specified care instructions for every type of garment.

How to wash delicates (intimates, bras, swimsuits, or silk)?

• Put it in a mesh bag.
• Handwash in cool water or go for a short cold cycle in a washer with Woolite or another delicate detergent. 
• Air dry only (the heat of a dryer ruins the elastics).

How to care for athletic clothes?

Athletic clothing care tips are the same as for delicates, but with a few notes:

• Wash as soon as possible after the workout.
• If you worry about smell, soak your outfit in cold water with some vinegar added before washing.
• Turn inside out to protect prints and help detergent wash away sweat and odors. 
• Never put them in a dryer, otherwise, your clothing can lose its shape and stretchability.

How to wash t-shirts (and baby cotton outfits)?

How to make t-shirts last longer? Always follow t-shirt care instructions. You are on the safe side washing your t-shirts and baby garments this way:

• Pretreat stains if needed, then go for a short cold cycle.
• Wash with like colors.  
• Tumble dry cold or air dry.

How to wash jeans properly?

• Turn inside out for bright colors and darks.
• Gentle, short, cold cycle.  
• Only when dirty.
• Air dry or cold tumble dry.

The best way to wash bedding and towels

• Normal warm cycle for colors and hot for whites. 
• If someone in your family is allergic to dust mites, wash hot at 130-140F). A sanitizing cycle is an option only from time to time. 
• Tumble dry separately from other clothing.
• Skip fabric softener for towels.

Here is why:

How to take care of linen clothes?

• Wash in cold water on a delicate cycle (dark colors separately).
• Short spin (to prevent wrinkling).
• Use mild detergent.
• Avoid chlorine bleach.
• Air drying is best (if tumble dry, use the coolest temperature possible).
• Do not wring (this causes wrinkling).

Get more linen care details in my post on how to take care of linen clothes.

How to wash a shirt (and minimize wrinkles)?

• Cold wash for darks and warm/hot for lights/whites.
• Hang dry on a sturdy hanger or dry cold and remove while still wet.
• Steam iron or iron while wet.

How to wash wool without ruining it?

Your cashmere sweater or alpaca throw can lose their tenderness and shape if washed improperly. Here is the best way to care about your wool clothing items:

• Handwash and rinse in cold water only, or go for a “wool” cycle if your washer offers one (or a “handwash” cycle where you can choose a cold temperature).
• Use a liquid detergent specially developed for wool care. A no-rinse lanolin-based wool wash is also a great way to care for wool. Lanolin (a natural wool fat) keeps conditioning a wool item after the wash, keeping it soft. 
• If shrank, gently stretch it to its original size while wet.  
• Never put in a dryer. Air dry or flat dry by laying it on a dry towel in a properly ventilated place.

Should you wash new clothes (and how)?

Whether to wash brand-new clothes or not is up to your individual preferences. However, you should definitely do it for new underwear, baby clothes, bedding, and towels. Here’s how:

• Remove tags and stickers, turn inside out, and zip zippers.
• Wash cold on the quickest possible cycle (delicates in a mesh bag).
• Darks and brights: wash separately from older clothing to prevent color bleeding.

Is it better to dry or hang dry clothes?

Air drying (hang drying) is the most gentle method of drying your clothing. It does not cost you a dollar (except for the investment in a folding drying rack) while helping your favorite items keep their like-new shape and color for longer.

If you have space for unfolding a drying rack in your home and time to wait for it to dry (and at that, your home is not too humid to make the mold issue worse with wet clothes), air drying is your best option for items you want to keep longer.

A dryer does a fantastic job with towels, bed sheets, outerwear, and jeans, but spinning delicates, sportswear, or some kinds of cotton in a dryer can kill them. This is actually how I “deleted” a whole load of new cool baby clothes right before the due date. 

Before tumble drying, always double-check the drying temperature allowed by the clothing manufacturer. It is always better to underdry than overdry. And be prepared for your clothing to get thinner with every spin in the dryer (where do you think all that lint on the filter comes from?).

How to make clothes smell good longer?

Wonder how you can refresh your clothing without washing it? Just air them out between wears. After taking off your garment in the evening, do not put it immediately in your closet. Hang it on a hanger (padded or wooden hangers are best as they provide better support to your items without sagging) and leave it to “breathe” overnight.

Putting clothes in the freezer for several hours is another way to eradicate odors and prolong the lifespan of your favorite jeans or knits.

How to shorten your regular laundry routine?

A short laundry takeaway.

Turns out, most clothes don’t need a washing machine marathon after every wear.

Shocking, right? Think about it: jeans after a quick coffee date? Probably fine to hang-dry and air out. Workout gear? Toss it in a mesh bag for a spin cycle instead of a full wash. This not only saves water, energy, and laundry supplies but also cuts down on time spent in the laundry room.

Perhaps these are a couple of spare hours you’ve been struggling to find in your busy schedule. You deserved them. I am sure you know how to best spend your precious time as a working mom (try out my solo date ideas to escape the daily grind, for example).

And speaking of less laundry, have you ever tried the genius KonMari decluttering method? A decluttered closet means fewer clothes to wash, fold, and put away—win-win! Head over to our KonMari Method Steps article for tips on sparking joy and minimizing your laundry mountain. Now go forth and conquer that laundry basket, mama!

If you know the laundry secrets we missed out in this post, do not hesitate to share your clothing care know-how with us in the comments!

Images: Pexels

If you loved this post on how to make clothes last longer, more inspiration awaits:

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KonMari Method Steps to Mom Bliss: PURGE Clutter, Refind Focus

Solo Date Ideas For Overwhelmed Moms to Reclaim That Elusive “Me Time”