How do I stop clothes fading, bobbling and losing shape?
Washing inside out, cooler and less often — the three changes that most extend the life of clothing.
- Difficulty
- beginner
- Time
- 20 min
- Read
- 2 min
Short answer
Wash inside out, at a lower temperature, and less often than you probably do. Most clothing wear happens in the machine rather than while wearing it, and reducing washing frequency is the single biggest change.
Clothes are damaged mainly by agitation, heat and friction, all of which happen during washing and drying. Wearing them causes far less wear than laundering them, which is counter-intuitive and consistently true.
What you'll need
- Mesh laundry bags (optional)
- Fabric shaver (optional)
Step by step
- Wash less often.Jeans, jumpers and outerwear rarely need washing after one wear. Airing overnight is enough for most garments that are not visibly soiled or smelly.
- Wash inside out.It protects the outer surface from abrasion, which is what causes fading and bobbling. It costs nothing and makes a visible difference over time.
- Wash cooler.30°C is sufficient for most laundry with a modern detergent. Heat fades colours and shrinks fibres, and cooler washing also uses far less energy.
- Do not overload the machine.Clothes need room to move for the detergent to work. An overloaded drum also increases friction between garments, which causes bobbling.
- Use mesh bags for delicates and anything with fastenings.Bras, tights, anything that can snag. Zips and hooks damage other garments as much as themselves.
- Do up zips and fasten hooks before washing.Open zips act like a saw against other fabric in the drum. It takes seconds and prevents a lot of damage.
- Air dry rather than tumble dry where you can.Tumble drying is the harshest thing that happens to clothes. The lint filter is literally full of your clothing.
- Remove bobbles with a fabric shaver.It restores the appearance of knitwear considerably. Bobbling is friction damage rather than poor quality, and shaving is the correct fix.
Tips
- Dry dark clothes inside out and out of direct sunlight. Sun fades colours quickly, particularly on the shoulders.
- Fold knitwear rather than hanging it. Gravity stretches the shoulders permanently over months on a hanger.
- A shorter, cooler cycle is gentler in every respect. Long hot cycles are rarely necessary for ordinary household laundry.
Common mistakes
- Washing after every single wear — Laundering causes more wear than wearing does. Airing overnight is sufficient for most garments that are not visibly soiled.
- Tumble drying everything — It is the harshest process clothes go through. The lint filter contents are fibres removed from your clothing.
- Leaving zips open in the wash — They act like a saw against other garments in the drum, causing snags and pulls across the whole load.
Questions people ask
Why do my clothes bobble?
Friction, mostly during washing and drying. Washing inside out, not overloading the machine and avoiding the tumble dryer reduces it substantially. A fabric shaver removes existing bobbles.
How often should I wash jeans?
Far less often than most people do — after several wears, or when visibly dirty. Frequent washing fades them and breaks down the fabric faster than wearing them does.