12 Fashion Life Hacks to Make Your Clothes Last Longer

Making your wardrobe last a little bit longer, and look a little bit better, might sound like magic. Fortunately if you know a few tricks then pretty soon you'll have a truly sorcerous fashion sense.

Break In Your Running Shoes

Getting new running shoes can be a pain on your feet, but you can stretch them out overnight. Put a Ziploc bag full of water in each shoe, and put them in the freezer. The water freezes and expands, stretching out the shoes for you when you put them on next.

Use a Mesh Bag for Delicates

A mesh laundry bag will be your best friend for protecting delicate garments when you wash them. The bag will protect items, like lingerie, from getting caught or twisted around other clothes.

Spray Perfume Before Getting Dressed

Resist the urge to spritz yourself with perfume right before you walk out the door. The alcohol in perfume can stain your clothes, especially silk. The same goes for hairspray.

Sort Your Clothes

Almost every person knows this rule, but how often do you actually follow it? Sometimes it’s just easier to throw all your clothes into one load, but please don’t. Sorting out your darks, lights, and colors will do wonders in preserving the look of your clothes.

Remove the Garment Bag

You may think you’re protecting your clothes by keeping them in a garment bag or plastic bag, but you’re not.  Fabric needs to breathe.  Plastic traps moisture which could cause an odor, mildew, or color changes. 

Un-Wrinkle Your Clothes While You Shower

If your blouses or dress slacks are wrinkled hang them from the shower curtain rod well away from the water, or from the back of the bathroom door. The steam will un-wrinkle them in short order. This is a great tip for if you’re running late and still need to shower and iron your clothes.

Wearable Wool

Angora and mohair sweaters are awesome for winter, but they have a tendancy to shed. Put the sweaters in a Ziploc bag and leave them in the freezer for three hours at the least to be surethat they won’t leave any pieces behind ever again.

Don’t Whine About Wine

Red wine spills might seem like the end of the world, but you can still save your clothes. You might not believe it, but white wine is actually the perfect cure for a red wine stain.

Fight Oil Stains

If you get oil stains on your clothes lay them out and sprinkle baby powder on the stain. Leave it overnight, and the powder will draw out much of the stain.

White Vinegar to Fight Wrinkles

If you aren’t taking a shower then hang up your wrinkled clothes and spritz them down with white vinegar. It will take the winkles right out by the time you’re ready to get dressed and head out.

Stop Sweat Stains In Their Tracks

Before throwing your shirts in the wash, spray the arm pits with a bit of lemon juice. This will help pull out anything left in the fabric, and stop sweat stains from forming.

Keep Your Collar Clean

If you get makeup foundation on your collar you can remove it with a (very light) coat of shaving cream. Simply apply a little bit of the cream on the collar, and then wipe it off along with the foundation it’s soaked up.

Perfect Tights

Quickly and easily prevent runs in your tights by spraying them with hairspray to keep them strong. If you do spot a hole in your hoes, paint the edges with clear nail polish and give it time to dry. Once it’s dry the nail polish will hold the fabric together and keep the holes from unraveling.

Wash Jeans Inside Out

Turning your jeans inside out before you put them in the washing machine will reduce the wear on the visible surface and keep them from deteriorated as quickly.

Use A Dye Bath

Bathing your clothes ina simple dye bath using Rit Dye will breathe new life into them. If you notice the color fading from a black shirt or you want some more blue in your jeans, you can spend a few bucks on dye rather than buying a completely new outfit.

Don’t Hang Everything

Only certain clothes can survive long periods of time on a hanger. Knit fabrics should never be hung as their weight will stretch them out over time, and suits and other heavy items require wooden hangers as plastic or wire ones will stretch out the shoulders.