Knowing how to properly care for your clothing can maximize its lifespan — saving you money and the heartache of throwing out your favourite sweaters.
Toronto-based fashion expert, Lisa Kisber, recently joined The Morning Show to bust some common cleaning myths and talk about how we can take better care of our clothes.
Kisber says using high heat and a lot of soap to wash our clothes can end up damaging the fabric or staining it with residue.
“More is not always more when it comes to laundry,” she says.
Kisber recommends using a quick-rinse detergent like Soak, which minimizes residue and is made to be used in cold water.
When it comes to decoding laundry symbols, Kisber says you should Google what each symbol means so you’re well-versed in clothing care.
Knowing the maximum temperature a fabric should be washed in and if it should be drycleaned, can lead to better care and preservation, she adds.
“You’re making an investment in the care of your clothing,” she says.
Though some people wash their wools by hand to preserve the quality, Kisber says it’s OK to wash them in cold water on a delicate cycle.
“The weird thing about wool is that it may seem clean, but it can actually trap quite a bit of dirt,” she says, adding that we shouldn’t avoid washing our wools.
Properly separating our laundry entails more than just sorting the lights from the darks, Kisber says. She recommends sorting by colour, soil level and fabric.
“You don’t want to put denim with your delicates because that’s going to end up damaging and eroding the actual clothing.”
When it comes to drying your clothes, overloading with dryer sheets can lead to an excess of lint and lingering smells, Kisber says.
Keep in mind that you can also use them as air fresheners — inserting them into toilet paper rolls, backpacks and shoes, she adds.
To avoid losing your socks in the dryer (a collective struggle), Kisber recommends putting your socks in a mesh laundry bag so you can keep them separate from other clothes and prevent them from getting lost.
For more information on clothing care and tips, watch the full video above.