It’s finally the weekend after a crazy week, and for many of us, our heads are still spinning and we’re looking forward to a weekend of calm, trying to switch off from the barrage of bad news and find some balance.
With things out there seemingly out of control, one way to find that balance is to take control of our home and tidy, organise and declutter. Research shows that tidying and organising can reduce stress and anxiety and increase feelings of calmness and wellbeing. This is the perfect time to do those tasks that you never normally get round to: clean out your fridge, do some DIY, and organise and detox your wardrobe.
We all want to do a better job of caring for our clothes, but in our busy lives this often gets forgotten in favour of snapping up something new we’ve seen online. A wardrobe detox isn't just about rediscovering those old favourites, but about making the space work more efficiently for you, to bring a sense of calm and positivity, every time you look inside.
To help you with this we've compiled 5 ways to detox your wardrobe and find your happy place.
1) Wardrobe Review
The best way to kick-start a wardrobe detox is to pull everything out from our wardrobes in order to review what we've got; whilst this may seem counterproductive, this will allow you to assess your wardrobe in its entirety. You'll probably find some items in there you haven't seen (or worn!) in a while.
Image by Marie Kondo
Now it's time to ask yourself some questions. When was the last time you wore the item? Or take the Marie Kondo approach and ask yourself whether the item sparks joy. If not, why not? Is it a little something that's not quite right? Or something fundamental? If it's the latter, it might be time to say goodbye!
When clearing out or reshuffling your wardrobe, it can be really helpful to create three piles - keep, in need of attention, and to go - this will make sure nothing finds its way back into your wardrobe unless you really want it there.
2) Eco Clean
The golden rule of any wardrobe detox is to make sure your garments are clean, refreshed and revitalised! Although your clothes may look clean, you would be surprised at how easily any food, hair, skin particles and toxics attached to the surface of the fabric can cause damage when left over a period of time.
Lingering dirt can oxidise and discolour fabric, and also attract clothes moths – so save yourself hassle later by keeping them clean!
According to Fashion Revolution, up to 25% of each garment’s carbon footprint comes from the way we wash and care for our garments.
Simple changes like hand washing instead of dry cleaning where you can, and using eco-friendly locally sourced products like Clothes Doctor's Eco Wash range can go along way to detoxing your wardrobe and extending the life of garments. Made with plant-based ingredients and infused with natural fragrances, these will leave your clothes wonderfully refreshed!
Divide your items in need of cleaning into piles: hand washing, machine washing and specialist cleaning. You can follow our guide for what can and can't be washed at home, and also how to hand wash wool, cashmere and silk to help with this. For specialist cleaning, have a look at our Cleaning and Restore services.
3) TLC
Now it's time to get creative with those items off of some attention. It's only natural that there are going to be times when our clothes are in need of a little TLC. There's no better time than a wardrobe detox to give those items in your 'in need of attention' pile a little love.
According to WRAP, the average lifetime of a garment in the UK is just 2.2 years. So providing our wardrobe with some love in the way of repairs, alterations, and restyling can go a really long way to helping to extend the lifespan of our favourite pieces.
Image by Clothes Doctor
You might be unsure whether to keep those items that are damaged, no longer fit or are out of style: but instead of ditching these, what about giving them a new lease of life? We are excited to have launched our first online mending tutorial series, starting with repairing knitwear! Tune in on Thursdays at 7pm.
You can also find every repair and alteration solution available for your favourite garments and choosing a non-contact shipping method that suits you - just check out our services.
4) Swap, donate, & recycle
Now it's time to address the 'to go' pile. It's important that these do not end up in landfill, so store these away for now, but for future consider hosting a clothes swap with friends or family, donate to charity, or dispose of responsibly at a textile recycling centre. Remember to make sure these are clean (browse our selection of Eco Products that best suit your items) before waving goodbye...
Hopefully somebody else can get just as much enjoyment out of your old clothes as you did!
5) Store
Now it's time to restore some order to your wardrobe! Start with a clean, cool, dark, dry space - this will protect our clothes from humidity, sunlight, and damp.
Invest in decent wooden hangers and leave plenty of space between garments to allow them to breathe. T-shirts, jumpers, and anything heavy or beaded generally prefer to be folded. You could even line your drawers with tissue paper for extra protection.
Empty luggage bags or plastic boxes with lids are perfect for storing those special items or those no longer in season. Line these with acid-free tissue paper to protect your garments and add our Natural Fragrance Bags to keep clothes smelling good (whilst keeping clothes moths at bay!).
Finally, remember to organise by garment type and colour code to ensure your wardrobe is as easy to maintain as possible!
Happy spring cleaning! We hope you feel inspired to achieve a happy, healthy wardrobe, and enjoy wearing your favourite pieces.
Please contact us if you have any questions about wardrobe maintenance, or how to use our products.
