Like the age-old question, 'what came first, the chicken or the egg?', the question of what clothes to fold and what clothes to hang is certainly a tricky one, but we're here to finally and definitively answer that question (the clothes one.. not the chicken one). Who knew hanging clothes could be so confusing?!
How you store your clothes can be a big factor in determining how well they last, as hanging clothes can stretch or warp some fabrics, and folding clothes can cause creasing catastrophes on others. Wonder no longer - here's what to hang and what to fold.
Folding clothes - cashmere, wool, and knit jumpers
Short answer - you should probably be folding your knitwear. Cashmere, wool, angora, mohair, and most other knit fabrics are highly prone to stretching when hung. Hanging clothes like heavy knit jumpers will, more often than not, stretch the shoulder and neck area, and your jumper will warp out of shape.
As such, you should fold your knitwear and store it on shelves or in drawers. If you absolutely must hang your jumpers, for example, if you have no storage space for folded clothes, hang on a wider, ideally padded hanger.
Is your favourite jumper smelling a little .. funky? Want to wear it out tomorrow but got no time to wash it? Try our Knitwear Mists!
In floral Lavender and Thyme or rich Cedarwood and Vanilla, our Knitwear Mists help refresh and rejuvenate your knits between washes. Plus, the cleaning agents actually help clean your clothes! Think of them like dry shampoo for your wardrobe... and next time you're folding clothes you'll be greeted with a gorgeous fragrance, not the smell of yesterday's meetings.
Folding clothes - everyday cotton t-shirts and jeans
Cotton is a very durable fabric, and denim, which is made from cotton, is very happy sitting in storage folded. However, the 'rules' are less strict here - most cotton, depending on the garment itself, can be hung or folded. Some cotton t-shits or jumpers may become misshapen if hung, but not to the extent that knitwear might. We recommend folding clothes like jeans or durable trousers along the seams, to give them a crisp, fresh look when worn, but the fabric is so thick that folding isn't likely to cause any unwanted creases.
Hanging clothes - formal wear or office wear
Our rule of thumb with your more formal pieces is that you should store the garment the same way you'd wear the garment.
Often this means you'll want to hang them up - hanging a shirt on a hanger replicates the way the shirt will look when it is on, so you won't have any annoying creases. Similarly, dresses and skirts will happily be hung, as this is the way they'll sit on your body when worn.
However, the 'store the way you'd wear' rule might mean that you end up folding your smart trousers to store them, as you may want the crisp folds along the seams in your smarts.
Hanging clothes - silks, satins, and linens
If there's one thing you definitely want to be hanging to store, it's linen. Linen is notoriously prone to wrinkling, so it's advised you hang any linen shirts, trousers, or any other linen garments.
The same goes for delicate fabrics like silk and satin; very easily wrinkled, you'd best be hanging these garments.
Our top tip: if you find any unwanted wrinkles on your garments, give them a quick steam. This should remove the creases and help refresh your garments between washes too. Add a dash of our Steamer Water in Blue Lily and Bergamot for a top-up of floral freshness that really lasts.
Phew, your wardrobe is saved! Now you know whether you should be hanging clothes or folding clothes, and you can say goodbye to saggy sweaters and creased camisoles.
Want to hear more of our wardrobe organisation tips? Take a look through our journal page, where we give our advice for anything from how to refresh your wardrobe space to how to kick your unsustainable fashion habits.
Shop the whole Clothes Doctor range to make clothing care a pleasure, not a chore.
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