Here's How You Can Make Your Clothes Last Longer

Laundry. Yuck. It’s my least favorite chore EVER. It never ends, does it? I mean, I empty the laundry basket, turn around, and it’s full again!

I usually have so many piles — whites, darks, colors, reds, towels, leggings, etc. Turns out that, even though those piles are still valid (you should always wash like fabric s together ), you should be washing MOST clothes in colder, shorter cycles.

According to a study funded by Procter & Gamble, colder shorter cycles cause your clothing to break down less, which means less lint, and those very small pieces of fabric that come off your clothes when washing, from getting to oceans and beaches through the washing machine drain.

Every load of washing releases hundreds of thousands of microfibres – tiny strands that are flushed down the drain. Many reach beaches and oceans where they can remain for many years and be swallowed by sea creatures.
University of Leeds

This study also talks about the fact that shorter, colder cycles will help the colors stay bright and bold in fabrics much longer.

“[T]here is significantly greater colour loss observed for the 40 °C Cotton Short (85 min) cycle in comparison with the Cold Express (30 min) cycle. These observations provide evidence that in a ‘real’ situation increases in washing time and washing temperature increase colour loss over repeated laundering.”
ScienceDirect

But, what about germs and bacteria in clothing? That is why we are using detergents. The combination of the gentle agitation of the clothing, the quick cold punch of the wash, and the detergent, help get those clothes nice and fresh!

Dr Lant, a Procter & Gamble Research Fellow, added: “Advances in detergent technology, especially in sustainable ingredients such as enzymes, are allowing consumers to get excellent cleaning results in colder and quicker washes.
University of Leeds

So, the bottoms line, to make your clothes last longer — both in color and fabric — you should be washing your clothing in a more gentle cycle, colder water, and for a quicker cycle. Your clothing will thank you.