Extend the Life of Your Clothes – Ten Ways That Work

Lifespan is decided by care – not just quality

It is easy to think durability sits in the price tag, but how you treat the garments matters at least as much. A lot of the wear – fading, pilling, stretching and shrinking – happens in the washing machine and the dryer, not when you wear the garment. The ten steps below are sorted by where the most wear happens: washing and drying first, then storage, then the surface, and finally repair.

1–3: Wash and dry gently

This is where the biggest gain is. Fewer and gentler washes spare the fabric most of its wear:

• Wash less often: air the garment and spot-clean a single mark instead of washing the whole garment after every wear.
• Wash cold and gentle with a mild detergent, and turn garments inside out, to spare colour and fibres.
• Dry gently: air-dry when you can, and avoid high heat in the dryer, which shrinks and wears down the fibres.

4–5: Store and hang correctly

The way garments hang and are stored decides whether they hold shape – and whether moths get to run riot:

• Hang on wide, padded hangers and fold heavy knits, so shoulders and shape aren't pulled out.
• Store clean and moth-proofed between seasons, in a breathable cover in a cool, dark, dry place – never dirty or in plastic.

6–7: Keep the surface neat and the weather out

A little surface maintenance keeps garments looking new for longer:

• Remove pilling gently with a fabric shaver or comb, and reduce the friction that creates it.
• Maintain the proofing on outerwear: a drop test tells you when the shell needs fresh treatment, so it still keeps you dry.

8–10: Repair and alter in time

Tackling small faults early is the real key to a long life – a small problem is fixed quickly, a neglected one grows:

• Repair small faults straight away: a loose seam, a missing button or a zip starting to fail is easier to fix before it grows.
• Reinforce wear zones – elbows, knees and crotch – before they turn into holes.
• Alter the fit or style when your body or taste changes, so you keep wearing the garment instead of putting it away.

When professionals extend the life the most

Many of the steps you do easily yourself. But some jobs give the most when professionals take them on: invisible reweaving of a moth hole, a new lining in a favourite jacket, a new zip, a proper clean and re-proof, or an alteration that makes a garment sit and get worn again. That is when a whole garment is saved from being put away. We repair, clean, re-proof and alter clothes by garment and task, and help your clothes last longer. You can send the garments to us from anywhere in Norway, and you see the price before you order.

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