How to keep your clothes looking good for longer

Have you ever gone to wear your favourite jumper, only to find it stretched, discoloured or full of holes?

While splurging on new clothes is often tempting, keeping the items you already own in good condition saves you money and protects the planet.

Below, we highlight the best tips for protecting your clothes, including the best ways to wash and iron them and remove stains. And, when your clothes have reached the end of their life, we look at how you can recycle old clothes or even make some money from them.

Make changes for the planet and your pocket. Sign up for our Sustainability newsletter; it's free monthly

1. Read the care label

Washing symbols can be confusing but it’s worth getting to know what they mean.

They outline the manufacturers’ recommendations for how to care for your clothing. This will help to keep them fresher for longer and avoid damage in the wash. 

See our guide to washing symbols explained to find out what they mean. 

2. Don't wash too often

Keeping your clothes sufficiently clean is obviously good for hygiene and comfort, but over washing can cause unnecessary wear and tear.

Swimwear and underwear should be washed after every use, while our experts say you can get up to 10 wears out of your jeans before throwing them in the laundry basket. 

If you don't want to commit to a full cycle in the washing machine, you can refresh some items with a quick hand wash. For instance, you can help towels to regain their fluffy feel by hand washing them in white vinegar. Rinse off the vinegar and machine wash at 40°C, making sure the load is no more than three quarters full so the towels have enough room to move around.

We reveal more washing guidelines in our dedicated guide on how to wash clothes.

3. Sort your laundry

Use our tips below to stop colour from fading or bleeding onto other clothes:

• White clothes Separate them from darker colours - particularly if your whites or light-coloured garments are new. The darker dye is likely to bleed onto the lighter garments during the first one or two washes, especially if it’s on a hot cycle.
• Black clothes Wash them separately from lighter colours and turn them inside out for washing to stop them from fading. Opting for a cool temperature will also help, as hot water can cause fading and make it more likely for the dye to bleed. Avoid drying them in direct sunlight, too.
• Multiple colours You should hand wash striped and multicoloured tops in cold water the first time and then wash on a low temperature with similar colours.

In our hunt to find the best laundry detergents, our experts found that different detergents get better results depending on whether you're washing colours or whites.

If you really don’t have time to sort your clothes, try to keep the temperature on your machine low when washing. Some washing machines also have helpful features, like special cycles for mixed loads, to reduce the risk of ruining the colours on your clothes.

Colour catcher products can be helpful too, and they're often available in supermarkets. We don't test them yet, so can't say for sure which work the best, but some popular branded options include:

• Dylon Colour Catcher sheets Available from Morrisons (£4 for 40, 10p per sheet), Tesco (£4.90 for 40, 12p per sheet), Sainsbury's (£5 for 40, 13p per sheet), or Waitrose (£5.25 for 40, 13p per sheet)
• Dr Beckmann Colour Collector 3-in-1 sheets Available from Tesco (£2.50 for 30, 8p per sheet), Amazon (£4.17 for 50, 8p per sheet), Dr Beckmann (£4.50 for 50, 9p per sheet) or Waitrose (£5.50 for 50, 11p per sheet)

4. Don't use too much (or too little) detergent

It may seem counter-intuitive, but using too much laundry detergent can shorten your clothes' lifespan. 

At the same time, using too little may result in your clothes remaining stained and dirty, even after a thorough spin in the washer. When we tested different laundry hacks, we found that using half as much as the recommended dose cleaned to some degree, but not completely.

If you find measuring the correct amount of detergent tricky (or just don't feel like doing it yourself), you could buy a machine which has auto-dosing functionality and measures out the detergent for you the next time your washing machine needs replacing.

Head to our washing machine reviews to compare the most high-tech and affordable options.

Here are 10 things our washing machine expert would never do

5. Skip fabric softener

Fabric softener can leave a residue on clothes that builds up over time. This can make it harder for detergent to penetrate and clean your clothes, reduce the absorption of towels and irritate sensitive skin.

Looking for an alternative? You can use distilled vinegar as an effective and wallet-friendly option. Don't put it in the washing machine, instead, hand wash your clothes with some diluted water, then rinse well and and wash as normal.

Baking soda can also help soften your washing - just add a cup of it to the dispenser tray before your wash.

6. Don't dry your clothes on a radiator

Avoid putting your clothes on the radiator to dry. Not only does this add to your heating bills and increase the risk of mould and damp in your home, it can also damage the delicate fibres in your clothes and wear them out faster.

Air dry your clothes outside if you can, or use your tumble dryer if you're in a pinch. If you don’t have any alternative, particularly in winter, consider using a dehumidifier to help speed up the drying process, as well as helping to keep mould at bay.

Hang as much of your laundry as you can in one room and then close the door with the dehumidifier and radiator on inside.

Keep your energy costs low with the best energy efficient tumble dryers and speed up drying with the best dehumidifiers.

7. Tumble dry with care

The best and cheapest way to dry clothes indoors for you will depend on your home and lifestyle. Using a heated airer is best and cheapest for small loads, but in some instances, such as if you need something dried quickly, only a tumble dryer will do.

Take care, however, as tumble drying can cause pilling and bobbling on your clothes. Make sure your items are dryer-safe by checking the label.

For fast drying see our pick of the best tumble dryers and for smaller loads see our best heated clothes airers. 

Our experts reveal the essential items to never scrimp on: see the 7 everyday household items it pays to get right

8. Iron inside out

Your iron can sometimes leave heat marks on your clothes, so it's best to err on the side of caution and iron them inside out or cover them with an old (but clean) pillowcase when you iron. You can reduce the risk of iron marks by knowing how to clean an iron.

The excess heat from your iron can also cause your clothes to have a slight sheen if you don't turn them inside out first, which is far from ideal.

You're less likely to damage your clothes if you use a clothes steamer to get rid of creases, but for more delicate fabrics such as silk, flip the garment inside out before steaming to help protect it.

Our experts have found the best steam irons, best ironing boards and best clothes steamers to help make doing laundry less of a chore.

9. Watch out for moths and mould

Keeping your wardrobe and drawers clean is essential to improving the longevity of your clothes, as it ensures things like moths and mould are prevented early. Sort through your clothes regularly by taking them all out and getting rid of anything you don’t think you’ll wear again.

While your wardrobe is empty, check for signs of anything that might damage your clothes. If you spot any clothes that have been significantly moth-damaged, get rid of them, wash the rest on a high temperature and thoroughly vacuum your wardrobe.

For machine-washable fabrics affected by mould, such as towels and clothes, take the affected pieces outdoors if possible and brush away any loose mould with a paper towel or dry cloth.

Add a few drops of laundry detergent to the area and rub in; then wash the pieces on the highest temperature possible for the fabric (check the label for this).

It's important to air dry rather than tumble dry until you're sure the mould has been completely removed. 

If you're finding mould elsewhere in the house, follow our tips on how to prevent and get rid of mould.

Once a week? Every other week? We tell you how often you should wash your bedding

10. Make do and mend

Scuffed up your favourite jeans? Dress strap come loose? It might be worth investing in a sewing machine to repair minor wears and tears on your clothes.

Our tests have found machines that are easy to use, even for beginners who are simply seeking to do some basic mending. Find out the models that impressed our experts in our guide to the best sewing machines for beginners.

Alternatively, you might be able to save by re-dying some old jeans or customising a shirt or t-shirt.

What to do with old clothes

If your clothes are still in reasonably good condition, but you no longer wear them, seek to pass them on. You can:

• Take them to charity shops They won't accept worn out clothes, but for items in good condition, giving them to charity is a good way to keep them out of landfill.
• Sell them online According to eBay, which has recently scrapped its fees for people selling pre-loved clothes, the average person is holding on to £400 worth of clothing they don’t wear, which equates to £16.3m nationwide. 
• Donate them to an animal shelter If your clothes are extremely worn out, animal shelters may like to repurpose them for things like bedding.
• Compost them Many natural materials will compost, although synthetic ones won't. Always check the label to see if your items are compostable.
• Recycle them You can recycle many items of clothing at a textile recycling point. Or, some stores such as Dunelm will take your old clothes - even worn and ripped - through their Textile Takeback service.

Green brands: how sustainable really are they?