Published on August 20th, 2008 | by Stephanie Evans

Stretch the Lifespan of Your Clothing

From buying organic to taking care of the clothes you do have, there are many ways to be environmentally conscious, have fun, and be fashionable at the same time.

Here are a some eco tips for sharing, selecting, and saving clothes so they stick around for a while:

Care for Clothing

Throw a clothes swapping party with friends. You and your friends are guaranteed a fabulous time when you gather together for a night of fun and friendship. You can serve food and drinks while selling your clothes for a dollar. Whatever you make from the party can be donated to a charity and the remaining clothes can be given to your favorite thrift shop.
Dress from head-to-toe in environmentally friendly products. While going green is about saving and reusing, we sometimes need new things to replace those that are worn past their usefulness. These days there are many eco clothing companies offering quality garments and stylish wear. One company, Clothes Off Our Back, hosts celebrity auctions that benefit children’s charities. Check out these websites for beautiful, high-quality, guilt-free attire.
Be good to your clothes and they’ll be good to you.
- Limit dryer use to save energy, money, and threads. Your dryer can wreak havoc on clothes by fading the colors and affecting the quality of the fabric.
- Add a couple of teaspoons of table salt in with your detergent to make your clothes brighter and prevent colors from running. For more tips about using salt in the wash, check out HowStuffWorks: Uses for Salt: Doing the Laundry. Also visit 5 Tips for Fresher Laundry.
- Add baking soda or distilled white vinegar to detergent to clean, deodorize, and brighten clothes.
- Turn your clothing inside out in the washer and dryer. This prevents the outside from getting worn out.
- Switch to cold water wash—doing so not only saves energy but also prevents colors from bleeding or fading, which tends to happen with hot or warm water.
- Make sure to button and zipper up your clothes. This prevents snags that could ruin your clothes after several washes.
- Keep lights, darks, and delicate clothing separate to keep colors bright and clothing in good shape.
Use eco-friendly laundry soap. Environmentally friendly detergent is made up of natural materials rather than chemicals and is biodegradable. Most markets now carry these natural products. Visit Soap Up Safely with Natural Detergents for details and eco product picks.