Clothing Care: General Tips and Guidelines for Helping Your Wardrobe Last

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Invest in three key tools: a lint tape roller, a clothes brush, and a steamer. After each wearing, remove lint, hair, and surface dirt with the lint roller (you can also use a lint brush, but it's slightly more stressful on the fabric).

Napped fabrics, such as flannel, will perk up after a light once-over with a clothes brush, and a shot of steam will remove wrinkles quickly and effectively. Stores often use steamers to freshen clothes after they've been tried on.

Don't jam your clothes together in your closet, either. If you have a big wardrobe, rotate it seasonally, storing your out-of-season clothes in a separate closet (if you're lucky enough to have one) or in special clothing containers (I used to use old suitcases).

Store out of season hanging clothes in cloth bags (never use the plastic bags from the drycleaner; they trap odors and mildew and the plastic attracts dust).

Padded or plastic hangers are gentler than wire ones.

Care for your clothes regularly, and unless you have a spill, you should only have to dryclean them once, at the end of the season--a real benefit since drycleaning is so expensive!