How to make your clothes last longer

Sustainability does not end at the purchase!

In 2014 more than 100 billion garments were newly produced. That was the first time this record number was reached. Since then the fashion industry did not slow down. Fashion has more and more become are throwaway product: German consumers buy an average of 60 items of clothing per year - but wear them for only half as long as they did 15 years ago. And on top of that approximately 1.3 million tons of clothing are disposed of annually in Germany alone (source). This causes dramatic, negative impacts on planet, humans and animals.

One way to fight against this is shopping less and opting for high quality, ethical and slow fashion. But even with the most sustainable and eco friendly garments the wardrobe is not necessarily slow fashion if the items are disposed of quickly. Either because they shrank in the wash, because there are holes in the fabric from incorrect storage, or because they have marks from ironing them too hot. If the garment is not well cared for or discarded quickly, resources are wasted.

That is why we summarised some quick tipps to support you in caring for your garments in the best way possible:

1. Sensitive Laundry: For fabrics such as Tencel, wool and silk, make sure to use a proper detergent without protein-based enzymes (e.g. wool detergent). These enzymes can damage wool and silk. That's why choosing the right detergent is so important.

2. Treating stains: Rinse your garment immediately to avoid the stain to soak in too much. Do not use bleach but rather a mild detergent. Don’t rub the fabric too much since that can cause damage in the fibers and threads. Rinse the garment off, soak it for a short amount of time and then wash it according to the washing instructions.

3. Take care: It is usually best to wash your garments inside out, only with similar colors and according to the care labels. If you have a newer washing machine, you should have a hand wash program. That one is the best for items that need hand wash. For very delicate items use the gentlest washing programme the machine offers.

4. Less is more: Only a few items of clothing need to be washed after each wear. Too much cleaning harms the environment and is not the best choice for your clothes. Less is more is also the case for garment care.

5. Handle carefully: Consider every item in your wardrobe as delicate, even your t-shirts. Don't try to pull and stretch fabrics unnecessarily. Open zippers all the way, or open all buttons before putting your garment on so that you don't put any unnecessary strain on seams and threads.

6. Storage: Store your garments carefully. Don’t overfill your closet, hang clothes such as blouses, shirts or trousers on hangers. Fold knitwear or stretchy items. Protect your clothes from moths and store rarely used items on a dry and cool place.

With these tips you will get a lot of use out of your garments for a long time! For details on washing instructions for different types of fabrics, read our fabric care guide here.