The ultimate garment care guide: how to make your clothes last longer

The most sustainable garment is the one you already own. But in an era of fast fashion, we have lost a lot of the traditional knowledge about how to properly care for our clothes.

At Sellpy, our manifesto is about moving from "wear and tear" to "reuse and repair." By treating your clothes right, they will look better, last longer, and fetch a much higher resale value when you eventually pack them into a Sellpy bag. Here is our ultimate guide to garment care.

1. Wash less, air out more

We wash our clothes far too often. Machine washing breaks down fibres, fades colours, and uses massive amounts of water. Unless a garment is visibly dirty or smells, skip the washing machine.

• The fix: Hang your worn sweaters, jeans, and jackets outside or near an open window overnight. Fresh air is a powerful, natural deodoriser!

2. Drop the temperature

When you do need to run a load of laundry, turn the dial down.

• The fix: Wash at 30°C or colder. Cold water gets your everyday clothes just as clean, prevents shrinking, protects delicate dyes, and significantly reduces the energy consumption of your washing machine.

3. Invest in a fabric shaver

Do you have a favourite wool sweater that looks old and worn out because of little fuzzballs under the arms? That is called pilling, and it is completely normal.

• The fix: Instead of throwing the sweater away, use an electric fabric shaver or a cashmere comb. In 60 seconds, it will shave off the pills and make the garment look brand new.

4. Fold your knits, hang your wovens

Improper storage can ruin the shape of your clothes.

• Never hang heavy sweaters: Gravity will stretch out the shoulders and distort the fit. Always fold your knitwear.
• Hang your woven items: Linen shirts, trousers, and blazers should be hung on sturdy (preferably wooden) hangers to maintain their structure.

5. Master the basic repairs

A missing button or a small seam tear is not a death sentence for a garment.

• The fix: Learning to sew a button takes five minutes and requires no special skills. If the repair is beyond your abilities, take it to a local tailor—the small repair fee is always cheaper than buying a brand-new winter coat.

The most sustainable garment is the one you already own — and the next most sustainable one is the garment somebody else already owned. When a piece is genuinely past saving, replace it with something pre-loved that was built to lxast rather than something new. Browse pre-loved pieces on Sellpy.