Caring For Your Clothes To Keep Them Lasting
& A Few Earth Friendly, Non-Toxic Detergent Options
Most things can be machine washed, on a gentle cycle in cold water. That’s even more gentle than washing things by hand, unless you’re really careful.
Putting things in the dryer, on high heat, when they are DRY, will get out any bed bugs and kill any bacteria.
Most clothes are better folded, especially sweaters because hangers can pull on the shoulders and make them lose their shape.
Obviously, big coats, dresses, and pants are better hung up, to help them keep their shape and reduce wrinkles.
Line drying is the best option to preserve the colors and to keep fabrics from deteriorating over time. Also less electricity being used.
Many things that need to be pressed or steamed, can be hung when wet, straightened out just a bit, and that will get most of the wrinkles out.
While I don’t buy anything made from animals anymore, I still have some in my wardrobe. I will occasionally buy something second hand that might have a little wool or be made of leather. But I am very selective about these purchases.
Most animal fibers do need to be dry cleaned, because wool will 100% shrink when it gets wet. Silk usually wrinkles really bad and it’s hard to get it back to its soft, silky self. No pun intended.
Animal fibers are also susceptible to moth holes.
Those plastic bags your dry cleaning comes in aren’t helpful to the clothes and definitely harmful to the environment. I asked my dry cleaner to please stop giving them to me, unless something is white or has delicate beading we are worried about.
Most items are best stored, as in, with no garment bags.
There are also cedar blocks which are great to have in your closet. Keeps things from getting moth holes and they smell great!
~*~ Bonus ~*~
Here’s a list of some laundry detergents better for your clothes, the environment, the animals, and the people.
Most popular laundry detergents have harmful chemicals in them that end up in water sources, that rub off on our skin, that we end up breathing in, that test on animals, that pollute our oceans.
The list goes on and on. So here are some companies that give a crap and want to do better. Let’s support them and help this be the new standard for which products are made.
32 pack for $15, and other options too
Laundry sheets, liquid pods (plastic free), and dryer sheets
Also other products including kitchen cleaning supplies
100% PLASTIC FREE, Free of added dyes, Vegan, Cruelty Free, Biodegradable
Detergent powder $22.99 120 loads
Always safe for the people and the planet
Leaping bunny certified, Vegan, And ocean safe
Where to buy as well as options to buy in bulk.
Link: mollyssuds.com/pages/retailers
PETA certified Cruelty free and Vegan
They use bio-based, biodegradable ingredients, responsible sourcing,
bottles and caps on the 32 load bottles are made of aluminum and can be recycled infinitely
Shelf life of 24 months
4. Earth Breeze
Laundry Sheets 1 pack, 60 loads, $20, with subscription options and discounted prices
They make other cleaning products as well
100% biodegradable laundry sheets
Vegan & Cruelty free, plastic free