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How To Extend The Life Of Your Clothes

“The most sustainable garment is the one already in your wardrobe.” – Orsola de Castro, Fashion Revolution Cofounder

So, how can we make sure our garments last as long as possible? We’ve gathered some tips on garment care from Good On You and The Green Edition that will help extend their useful life:

Wash your clothes less, at a lower temperature, and air or line dry when possible. Not only does this reduce energy and water consumption, but it is easier on your clothes as well. The heat and agitation of laundering can cause fibre loss, colour loss, and stretching. American Cleaning Institute recommends garments worn close to the body (socks, underwear) be washed after each use, but items such as jeans, pajamas, and outer garments (e.g., dress shirts and pants) be washed after 3 or 4 wears.

  • Do laundry when you have a full load but be careful not to overload your washer as this can prevent a thorough cleaning and causes excessive rubbing.
  • Wash garments according to their care label instructions and follow the directions of your laundry detergent. Different fibres have different requirements for washing, drying, and stain treatments. What might work for one fibre may just damage another (e.g., bleach is OK for white cottons but damaging to wool and other protein fibres). 
  • Separate clothes based on colours or use cold water to prevent colour loss and dyes from running. 
  • Reduce the amount of detergent you use as it can build up on your clothes over time. This goes for fabric softeners as well which can change the absorbency or moisture properties of the fabric. Reusable wool dryer balls are a great replacement for softeners and can reduce drying time too!
  • Treat stains immediately so that they don’t set. Blot the stain with cold water, rather than rubbing it. 
  • Store your clothes properly. Fold heavy knits rather than hanging them as they can stretch out and store clothes in a cool, dry environment, away from direct sunlight. 

Mend clothing when damaged and alter clothes as needed. Stay tuned for future posts on basic mending techniques and what to look for in a quality garment!

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An Introduction to Cotton

A close-up photo of cotton

Today, we’re talking about the most abundantly produced natural textile fibre on the planet, cotton. If you take a look at the fibre content labels in your clothing and linen closets, we bet you’ll see a whole lot of cotton in there!

Cotton is a plant fibre, and like all plant fibres, is made from cellulose. Cotton comes from the boll or seed capsule of the plant, where the fibres are attached to the cotton seed. Cotton grows in tropical and subtropical climates, including North/South America, Africa (including Egypt), and the world’s largest producer, India. Cotton is very commonly blended with other fibres such as polyester, to produce textiles with desired properties and to reduce cost.

Pros: 

  • Absorbent, is stronger when wet, feels nice against the skin, and can withstand high temperatures. 
  • Used for bedding and towels, hospital fabrics, undergarments, denim, and warm weather clothing.

Cons: 

  • Wrinkles easily, prone to shrinkage, can cling to skin if it gets too wet. Can take longer to dry.
  • Covers 2.4% of arable land, but accounts for 6% of global pesticide use. 
  • Cotton is a “thirsty” crop, and requires a LOT of water. It can take over 2,500 litres of water to produce one t-shirt! Climate change is increasing the need for irrigation in some areas, potentially causing water shortages.
  • Monoculture crops can be vulnerable to pests and disease. Workers can be negatively affected by long-term exposure to pesticides and fertilizers, and these chemicals can have negative environmental impacts as well.

But for such a commonly-used fibre, what is being done to reduce the environmental impact of its production? Here are some methods:

Genetically-modified (GM):

  • One method to reduce the use of insecticides is to use “Bt cotton”, where the plant is modified to produce a type of bacterial toxin that kills caterpillar pests (Lepidopterans). Unfortunately this is not effective against all types of insect pests, and has caused some disagreement in the scientific community as to whether or not it’s more effective than conventional methods. [1,2]

Organic:

  • Requirements can vary by location, but generally organic means no use of synthetic pesticides or herbicides, and no genetic modification. This encourages practices such as crop rotation, biological control (e.g. beneficial insects), and reduced water use [3]. The Global Organic Textile Standard is a 3rd party certification body for organic textile fibres, which can help ensure the fibres come from an organic farm, but also that only safe chemicals are used in the fibre processing and fabric production. 
  • Becoming an organic grower can be inaccessible for some, and can take a number of years to achieve. The folks at Better Cotton work with cotton farmers to grow cotton more sustainably and improve working conditions. You can learn more and see who their members are on their website.

Recycled:

Anything else you’d like to know about cotton that we didn’t cover here? Let us know in the comments! 

Sources: 

  1. https://web.archive.org/web/20121012044920/http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/July06/Bt.cotton.China.ssl.html
  2. Wang, Z. J., Hai, L., Huang, J. K., Hu, R. F., Rozelle, S., & Pray, C. (2009). Bt cotton in China: are secondary insect infestations offsetting the benefits in farmer fields?. Agricultural Sciences in China, 8(1), 83-90.
  3. Delate, K., Heller, B., & Shade, J. (2021). Organic cotton production may alleviate the environmental impacts of intensive conventional cotton production. Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems, 36(4), 405-412. doi:10.1017/S1742170520000356

Image by Tony Webster on Flickr (https://www.flickr.com/photos/diversey/44325730752)