Why not make time for a wardrobe audit, where you can tidy and declutter your outfits?
We’re a nation of overflowing wardrobes, with the average adult in the UK owning 118 items of clothing. What’s more, over a quarter of our clothes haven’t been worn in the past year.
Extending the lifecycle of clothes has been identified as the single largest opportunity to reduce the carbon, water and waste footprints of clothing in the UK. Just by doubling the life of clothes, greenhouse gas emissions can be lowered by 44%.
There are things we can all do to make more conscious choices and ensure that we’re doing our bit to contribute to keeping items in circulation rather than adding to waste.
As well as shopping less new and more preloved, we can also rediscover, take care of and pass on what we already have, meaning that we can save clothes from being forgotten at the back of the wardrobe or thrown away.
Here are some tips to help you prolong the life of your clothes:
CARE
Follow the care instructions on the label of your clothing carefully, wash sparingly if clothes aren’t dirty and try natural stain removers such as lemon juice to keep your whites dazzling.
REPAIR
You can easily fix some common wear and tear challenges with a trusty needle and thread. Search out tutorials online if you’re new to sewing, or many dry cleaners or clothing alterations services can help too.
REPURPOSE
When you can’t wear your clothes anymore, you can put them to a new use. Fabric can be turned into cushion covers or quilts, hair bands or even cloths to help with the housework.
UPCYCLE
Giving your old clothes a makeover is not only a fun project but a win for the planet. Try cutting your trousers into a new pair of shorts for the summer or sew on some beads or stones for a glitzy new look.
For clothes that are still perfectly wearable, but no longer fit, just aren’t your style or are simply taking up too much room, passing these garments on to a new home is a great choice. Remember, your no-longer-needed could be someone else’s new favourite.
When you donate your preloved clothing to Shelter shops, you’re giving your garments a new lease of life, and fighting against waste and over-consumption by prolonging their lifecycle. By donating to our shops you can feel good about helping the planet and also helping the fight against the housing emergency.
We’ll be collecting preloved donations at the Clean & Tidy Home Show at the Excel in London on 19 & 20 October 2024. Come along to learn tips and tricks to declutter your home, fashion and furniture upcycling inspiration, sustainable styling plus talks from a host of experts including tidying guru Marie Kondo. Get tickets here.
We’ve also got an action-packed schedule of events throughout Sustainable September and beyond. Find out more.