13 Easy Ways To Make Your Clothes Last Longer

Looking to make your clothes last longer? Here are my 13 top sustainable tips to make your clothes go further – helping to save you money and the planet.

When it comes to creating a sustainable wardrobe, shopping for preloved items or from ethical brands may be the most exciting part, but it is very much the smallest part of the puzzle.

The most significant and meaningful part lies in how you care for your clothes. Make them last longer, and you need to shop less and consume fewer resources. That’s the ultimate in sustainability. Plus it helps save you money, which is always a bonus!

It might sound tricky, but in reality, it’s all about making small changes to how you care for, store, and maintain your wardrobe. Some of my favourite pieces in my wardrobe are twenty years old (or more!), so I’ve got some easy tried-and-tested tips to help you keep your clothes in tip-top shape for longer.

How To Make Your Clothes Last Longer

Ready to keep your clothes looking better for longer? Here are my 13 top tips. If you’re in a hurry, you can use the quick links to jump to a specific section of this post. If not, simply keep scrolling for the full article.

• Wash Your Clothes Less Frequently
• Treat Stains As Quickly As You Can
• Follow The Washing Instructions
• Turn Down The Temperature
• Ditch The Fabric Conditioner
• Use A Delicates Bag
• Wash Dark Colours Inside Out
• Air Dry Your Clothes Where Possible
• Consider How You Store Your Clothes
• Invest In A Clothes Debobbler
• Take Action Against Moths
• Keep A Mini Sewing Kit To Hand For Basic Repairs
• Buy The Best Quality Clothes You Can Afford

Wash Your Clothes Less Frequently

The laundry industry has made us feel like we’ll stink to high heaven if we don’t wash our clothes after every wear. But remember, these brands have laundry detergent to sell. The more you wash your clothes, the more detergent you need to buy.

The truth is, not all clothes need to be washed after every wear. After all, washing clothes too frequently can wear down the fibres, fade colours, and stretch materials – shortening their lifespan considerably.

Jeans, jumpers, and jackets can often go multiple wears before needing a wash. And most knitwear benefits from spot-treating stains rather than washing the entire item.

For garments like underwear, t-shirts and socks, you’ll still want to toss them in the wash after every wear. However, for other pieces that aren’t stained, dirty or smelly then all they generally need is a bit of fresh air or a gentle steam.

Even if your clothes have a bit of a smell, but aren’t dirty, then here are some effective ways to get any odours out of clothes without washing them.

Treat Stains As Quickly As You Can

Spills and stains happen to the best of us, but leaving them untreated is one of the quickest ways to ruin an item of clothing. The sooner you act, the more likely you are to prevent the stain from setting in.

For most stains, blotting (not rubbing!) with a damp cloth will help lift away the worst of it, before washing it. You can also try natural stain removers such as bicarbonate of soda, white vinegar, or sodium percarbonate, which can be as effective as conventional products.

Follow The Washing Instructions

Contrary to popular belief, the laundry care label isn’t just there to irritate your skin! It contains a host of useful information from the manufacturer about how to care for your specific item of clothing.

If the symbols are confusing, check out my guide to laundry care symbols to make sure you always get it right. Paid subscribers to the Moral Fibres Substack can also access a free handy printable that you can print off and keep beside your washing machine.

Turn Down The Temperature

I used to always wash my clothes at 40°C until I went to work in New Zealand for a little while in my twenties. I would pop my clothes on to wash at 40°C, and my housemate Terry would always turn the temperature on the machine to a cold water wash.

Frustrated by this, I asked him why he kept doing it. Terry explained that pretty much all Australians and New Zealanders wash their clothes in cold water, and it’s a waste of energy to wash at such high temperatures. My housemate’s clothes all looked clean, and they didn’t smell, so I gave it a go and became a cold water convert!

As well as saving energy, it’s good to avoid hot water washes where possible. Hot water can break down fibres over time, causing fabrics to lose their shape and feel rougher. Plus it makes colours fade faster. Switch to a 30°C wash or a 20°C and you’ll soon see that there’s no need to crank up the heat.

Ditch The Fabric Conditioner

Fabric conditioner may make your clothes feel soft and smell nice, but it isn’t as kind to your clothes as you may think.

Over time, fabric conditioners can build up a waxy residue on your clothes, which traps bad odours. Plus, when you repeatedly wash synthetic fabrics such as nylon, lycra, elastane or polyester with fabric conditioner, it can slow down the drying process. That can potentially lead to mould growing in your clothes. Which is not pleasant at all.

Instead consider switching to a natural alternative, such as white vinegar. Vinegar helps to soften fabrics without leaving any residue. Worried about the smell? I’ve been using vinegar for years and years, and I promise it doesn’t make your clothes smell like chips! Here’s all you need to know about using vinegar as a fabric conditioner.

Use A Delicates Bag

A delicates bag is an inexpensive investment to make to keep items like underwear, tights, knitwear, or anything with lace or embellishments from getting snagged or stretched during the wash.

Simply pop your more vulnerable items into the bag before washing, and you’ll reduce the chances of them losing their shape or developing holes.

Wash Dark Colours Inside Out

Dark-coloured clothing is best washed inside out – particularly denim. This is because the washing process can cause dyes to bleed or run. Turning your clothes inside out before putting them in the washing machine can help to reduce fading.

As well as helping to reduce the chance of dye running, this method also works in another clever way. Agitation during the washing process can cause fibres in the fabric to break, exposing the raw ends of fibres. This makes it look like your clothes have faded. Washing inside out helps to reduce damage to the fibres, making your clothes look more vibrant.

Air Dry Your Clothes Where Possible

Tumble drying may be convenient, but it’s bad news for your clothes. The high heat and all that agitation can be incredibly harsh on fabrics, especially delicates. Plus it can cause clothes to shrink, and lose their shape.

Whenever possible, hang your clothes to dry outside or on a clothes horse (not on your radiator!). This helps save you money on your energy bills, plus your clothes stay in the best possible shape for longer. Double win!

Consider How You Store Your Clothes

How you store your clothes plays a massive role in how long they last. Knitwear, for example, is prone to stretching when hung on a hanger. As such, it’s best to fold these items and store them in a drawer or on a shelf in your wardrobe.

The clothes hangers you use can also damage clothes. The thin hangers you get can damage clothes because their thin, rigid structure can stretch fabric and distort the shape of garments, especially heavier items like coats or knitwear. Wooden or padded hangers are gentler and better for maintaining the shape of your clothing.

Invest In A Clothes Debobbler

I’m not sure what it says about me, but I’m not embarrassed to admit that the best and most exciting purchase I’ve made in the last few years was my clothes debobbler.

When clothes pile you don’t want to wear them any more. But I have this Steamery fabric shaver (£45 from Dunelm). You charge it up via USB and you’re good to go. It removes bobbles and piles from knitwear and sweatshirts with ease, making worn-out clothes look like new again.

It’s such a satisfying job that I promise, it will be your best and most exciting purchase too!

Take Action Against Moths

If you love knitwear, then you’ll know just how much damage moths can do. To stop moths from munching on your best woolly items, I recommend regularly cleaning your wardrobe and drawers – wiping down or vacuuming all the nooks and crannies to remove any moth larvae.

Placing some natural moth deterrents, such as cedar blocks or lavender sachets in your wardrobe and drawers can also help deter moths without harsh chemicals. They also smell a lot better than moth balls!

Outside of winter, store your knitwear in sealed containers of bags, alongside cedar blocks or lavender sachets. Freezing your wool clothing for a few days before you pop them in storage can also kill any hidden moth eggs.

Learn Basic Repairs

Small rips or missing buttons don’t have to consign your favourite pieces to the bin. Learning how to make basic repairs like sewing on a button, fixing a hem, or patching a small hole can give a whole new life to your damaged clothes.

Even if you’re not confident with a needle and thread, the internet is full of beginner tutorials to help you get started. Try my beginner’s guide to fixing your clothes for heaps of tutorials and resources to help get you on your repair journey.

If you’re really not confident, or you need a more polished fix than you could possibly muster, then I recommend taking your worn-out items to be professionally repaired. It can be much cheaper than replacing your damaged item, and it keeps your clothes wearable for longer.

Buy The Best Quality Clothes You Can Afford

Finally, clothes from fast fashion brands aren’t designed to last. They’re designed to chase the trend of the minute. The cheap fabrics and hurried construction can mean shorter lifespans for your fast fashion pieces.

By saving up for fewer but better higher-quality garments, you should find that they stand up to regular wear and tear, and look better for much longer.

However, just because an item is more expensive, doesn’t mean it is built to last. To help you navigate this maze, there are a few things you can look out for when shopping for clothes. Here’s the checklist I mentally work my way through when buying anything new:

• What is the item made of? Natural fibres, such as cotton, hemp, wool, or linen tend to wear better over time compared to synthetic fabrics.
• Check the fabric’s weight and feel. Heavier, tightly woven fabrics tend to last longer.
• Look at the stitching; it should be neat, with no loose threads or skipped stitches. Reinforced seams, especially in high-stress areas like shoulders or cuffs, are also a good sign.
• Check any buttons or embellishments are securely attached. Loose embellishments or buttons can be a sign that not enough care was taken when making the item or that poor-quality threads were used.

Taking a minute to run through these checks before buying an item can be the difference between an item that lasts a few wears and one that lasts a good few years.

Your Top Tips?

That’s all of my top tips to prolong the life of your wardrobe, but if you have any more then I’d love to hear them. Pop them in the comments below to share them with the Moral Fibres community.