LENGTHEN THE LIFE OF YOUR CLOTHES

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30560, 1 October 1964, Page 2

LENGTHEN THE LIFE OF YOUR CLOTHES

It’s not just an economical business girl or a thrifty housewife who likes to save money by making clothes last longer. Everyone likes to see their favourite coat, suit or frock last through another season. As spring is a good time to start giving clothes that extra care to make them last that extra bit longer, here are a few suggestions from the Department of University Extension, University of Otago.

Clothes spend most of their life on hangers in the wardrobe. Flimsy wire hangers drop ■with the weight of the garment, and let the fabric sag out of line. Make sure these are firm and in good shape. Sturdy wooden hangers, the width of the garment’s shoulders, are best for coats and jackets.

Don't tuck skirts, slacks, ori pants over the cross bar of an ordinary wire hanger. It will distort their shape and they will have to be pressed before every wearing. Instead use hangers with clips attaching the skirt by the waistband or pants by the cuff. These hangers can be made from firm wire hangers and snap-on clothes pegs. Each time you put clothes on a hanger (which should be as soon as you take a garment off), do up the zipper, fasten the belt, and button the top button. Put plastic bags over the “out of season" clothes to keep them free from dust

Sweaters need extra care. Brush them after each wear. Fold them neatly in plastic bags and store them in drawers or boxes. The elbows of sweaters always seem to wear out first, so reinforce them by lightly stitching to the inside an oval piece of matching nylon. This will reduce the strain and keep the elbows from coming through. If they do eventually come through, as particularly on children’s sweaters, take the sleeves out and reverse them. Wash blouses and shirts frequently, especially if they are the drip-dry kind. Always keep white shirts white. Ordinary white shirts without

resin-treated finishes can be bleached with chlorine bleaches. However, yellowed drip-dry resin-finished shirts are whitened by soaking them in a solution of one teaspoon of sodium hydrosulphite in one gallon of water. Rinse well. If the blouse or shirt has old perspiration stains, remove them by sponging with one tablespoon of white vinegar in one half cup of water. This will very often restore the colour. Hang blouses and shirts on individual hangers, preferably of plastic or cloth covered wire so that there’s no chance of rust getting on the blouse. Care Of Shoes Good shoes are expensive, so they need extra care to make them la;t longer. Polish your shoes before- wearing them the first time. Use a good quality shoe polish which contains nourishing oils and protecting waxes. The oils lubricate and soften the leather and this makes the shoes easier to break in. Stains are prevented from penetrating the pores of the shoes by the wax in the polish. Change your shoes as often as possible. Two pairs of shoes worn alternately will last more than twice as long as one pair. Use shoe trees or tissue paper to hold the shoes in shape. This also helps to eliminate “toeing” in pointed-toed shoes. Never store your shoes on the wardrobe floor. If you use a shoe bag, clean the shoes before putting them in it. Otherwise the pockets will accumulate dust and dirt. A shoe rack is better, because then the shoes can air while they are not being worn.