~Rural Style~ Tips for New Thrifters.... Part 3...Washing, Cleaning Thrifted Clothes....

Monday, November 28, 2011

This post is on how  I care for my thrifted clothes once I get them home. Everyone has different ways of washing and caring for clothes. I was never taught to wash clothes...even in college...I drove my clothes home an hour away to get washed. It wasn't til' I graduated and had my first apartment with no washer or dryer and I lugged my clothes to the laundromat  that I learned to wash clothes! Crazy, right? lol!


So...Unless it says "Dry Clean Only" or is a vintage piece...I wash everything. Even things with original tags still attached.


I pretty much follow washing instructions on the tags. I wash by temperature not by color anyway, so it works for me. I love the fresh scent of "good" detergent. When it comes to detergent, there's a difference in the cheap and the pricey in my opinion. The value stuff just half cleans and half softens. I currently hoard and stalk coupons for Tide, my Granny's favorite. She was too serious about washing with only Tide and she was right!! My clothes get clean and are void of any smells. Tide with Downy adds a softening boost to clothes and I don't have to buy dryer sheets.



Another product that I LOVE but is pricey is Downy Unstopables. If I have a washable vintage piece but it has that old smell to it, I add a sprinkle of this to the wash and it rids the smell automatically.




I rarely send my things to the cleaners. I just can't break off the coins for that. I use to back in my single-no kids days...everything went to the cleaners! However, I've found that dryer kits actually work well. I use them for blazers and jackets I get at the thrift store. I don't take chances with "Dry Clean Only". I once bought a cashmere sweater that was Dry Clean Only that I tried to hand wash....$175 down the DRAIN.

The only thing with the dry cleaning kits is that you must get a new one far more in advance than it tells you to or it will not work as well.

I hope these tips help! Let me know if you have any questions!!







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