How I Take Care of My Clothes

This week we are talking about clothing care: specifically delicates. I'm such a strong advocate for men and women dressing up on a daily basis. Many times people don't dress up because a.) they don't want to "ruin" their nice clothes and b.) they don't want to spend lots of money at the dry cleaner. Well, I'm here to help. Yes it is possible to wear nice clothes on a daily basis, prevent them from getting ruined and launder them at home. I know because that's what I do! All of those silk blouses and dresses in my ten-item wardrobe? I wash them at home and this week I'll share my secrets with you.

Of course, I would like you to use discretion and common sense when deciding on how to care for a garment. Don't go sticking your prom dress in the washing machine! I don't wash all of my clothes... some of the more formal dresses I have always go to the dry cleaner. I'm talking about those everyday clothes, flowy tops, summer dresses, etc.

Mesh laundry bags

Mesh laundry bags are wonderful and I think everyone with a washing machine should own them. They prevent your clothes from getting stretched and ruined by getting caught on the column during the spin cycle. They are also the only way to wash your undergarments when using a machine.

Detergent

It's important to pick the right detergent for the type of clothes you're washing. Delicate wash for delicates and wool and cashmere shampoo for sweaters. But no need to get carried away. You'll be surprised to know that I wash many of my clothes (even silks) with good old fashioned Tide.

Drying racks


When washing delicate clothes it's important to avoid the tumble dryer at all costs. It will shrink your nice clothing, so I always hang my wet laundry on drying racks and iron them once dry. When you iron your clothes, make sure your iron is set to the proper setting (silks will be a different setting than linen, for example).

Stain remover

Keep a good stain remover on hand. They even make travel sized stain removers for your purse (although I haven't quite got it together yet to purchase one of those). Take care of stains as soon as possible so they don't set in.

For a more comprehensive discussion, check out this week's video. If you are unable to see the video above, click here, look in the sidebar of the blog or visit my channel www.youtube.com/TheDailyConnoisseur


Madame Chic Inspiring Thought



Of course the best way to deal with stains is to prevent them entirely and I like to do that by wearing aprons whenever I am doing housework that could compromise my clothes. I love aprons and think they are a chic addition to any outfit when at home. This pretty Cath Kidston apron was a gift from my mother-in-law, Jane. Thank you!

This week I would love to know... how do you take care of your clothes? Do you have any tips and tricks for us? What do you think of these methods? Are you more likely to wear your nice clothes around the house now?

See you soon! xx

MUSIC: Mozart's Marriage of Figaro (I couldn't get enough so I used it in this video too!) :)
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