How Do You Make Inexpensive Clothes Last Longer?

How you care for clothing can make a big difference in how quickly it fades, stretches, pills, or wears out. You can make inexpensive clothes last longer by washing them less often, using gentler wash and dry settings, treating stains quickly, repairing small problems, and storing garments correctly. 

You don’t need to baby every T-shirt you own, either. A few changes to your laundry and storage habits can help you get more wears out of your clothes, whether they came from a fast-fashion store, thrift shop, discount retailer, or somewhere else.

Key takeaways

• Always check the care label before washing, drying, ironing, or treating a garment.
• Don’t automatically wash clothes after every wear if they’re still clean and fresh.
• Wash clothes inside out to help protect the outer surface from friction.
• Use cooler water and gentler cycles when the care label allows.
• Treat stains promptly instead of letting them sit until laundry day.
• Avoid using more detergent than you need.
• Air-dry clothing when possible, especially pieces prone to shrinking, fading, or stretching.
• Fix loose buttons, small holes, and falling hems before the damage gets worse.
• Fold clothes that may stretch on hangers, and don’t cram clothing tightly into your closet.

Read the care label

That tiny tag inside your shirt isn’t just there to make your neck itchy. If the tag says to wash cold and line dry, throwing the garment into a hot wash followed by a high-heat dryer cycle probably isn’t going to help it live its longest life.

Check the care label before you wash, dry, iron, bleach, or otherwise treat a garment. Two shirts that look almost identical may require completely different care because of their fabric, construction, or embellishments. Following the manufacturer’s instructions can help you avoid preventable shrinking, stretching, fading, and other damage. 

Don’t wash everything after one wear

Not every garment needs to go straight into the hamper after you take it off. Fewer trips through the washer and dryer mean less exposure to friction, water, detergent, and heat.

If something isn’t dirty, sweaty, stained, or smelly, you may be able to wear it again before washing it. Vests, sweaters, jackets, and some other garments can often go longer between washes than clothing worn directly against your skin. Underwear, socks, workout clothes, and sweaty or dirty clothing are another story. Wash them every wear.

Steaming jackets and other outerwear can get rid of smells and wrinkles without washing them. Just make sure the fabric doesn’t get too damp.

Wash clothes inside out

Turning clothes inside out before washing is an easy habit that may help protect the visible side of the fabric from some of the friction that happens during a wash cycle.

This can be especially useful for:

• Graphic T-shirts
• Printed clothing
• Dark clothing
• Embroidered garments
• Jeans
• Clothes prone to pilling, like sweaters

Tip: Zip zippers and fasten hooks before washing, too. An open zipper or hook can snag another garment while everything tumbles around together.

Sort your laundry

Sorting isn’t just about preventing one red sock from turning your white shirts pink. You should also separate items that could damage each other. Heavy jeans, clothing with zippers, and rough fabrics shouldn’t tumble around with lightweight tops and delicate fabrics.

If something is particularly delicate, a mesh laundry bag can give it another layer of protection in the washer.

Use a gentler wash when you can

Your clothes don’t need to experience the laundry equivalent of a hurricane every time you wash them. Check the care label and choose the gentlest cycle that will still get your clothes clean. Less agitation can mean less friction on the fabric. Friction keeps getting repeated in these tips, but it really does wear down your clothes.

Cooler water can also work for many everyday loads when the care instructions allow it. Save hotter settings for situations where they’re actually needed (like for really grimey clothes) and safe for the fabric.

Don’t use too much detergent

More detergent doesn’t automatically mean cleaner clothes. Pouring in extra detergent just because a load looks particularly ambitious isn’t necessarily doing your clothes any favors.

The amount you need can depend on the detergent, washer, load size, water conditions, and how dirty the clothing is. Follow the detergent manufacturer’s directions and your washing machine’s instructions. 

Also, don’t use bleach unless your load is only whites and the labels say the fabric is bleach-safe. Not only can bleach change the color of a garment, but it can also eat through certain fabrics.

Treat stains right away

Treat stains as soon as you reasonably can. A coffee splash is much easier to deal with when you notice it than after it’s been sitting in your laundry basket for a week. Check the garment’s care instructions before applying a stain remover, though.

Don’t put a stained garment in the dryer, either. Check whether the stain came out first. Heat can set stains, making them almost impossible to remove.

Be careful with the dryer

Your dryer is convenient, but heat and tumbling can be hard on some clothing. Check the care label before tossing a garment in. When machine drying is allowed, use the recommended temperature and don’t continue running clothes long after they’re dry.

Consider air-drying garments that are prone to shrinking, fading, stretching, or other damage. A drying rack can be useful if you don’t have outdoor clothesline space.

Dry and hang knits  the right way

Don’t automatically hang every air-dry garment. Wet sweaters and other heavy knits can stretch under their own weight. Reshape the garment and lay it flat to dry. The same idea applies when you put it away. Heavy sweaters keep their shape better folded on a shelf or in a drawer than hanging from their shoulders.

Don’t leave clean laundry in a pile

Finishing the laundry doesn’t count if your clean clothes spend the next four days living in a basket. Put clothes away once they’re completely dry. Hanging or folding them promptly can help prevent wrinkles and keep them from being crushed underneath other laundry. It also reduces the temptation to throw an entire load back into the dryer just to get the wrinkles out.

Learn a few basic repairs

A missing button doesn’t mean a shirt has reached the end of its life. Learning a handful of basic repairs can keep minor damage from turning into a reason to toss a garment. 

Learn how to:

• Sew on a button
• Fix a loose hem
• Close a small hole
• Repair a minor seam opening
• Trim loose threads correctly
• Replace a simple fastener

Deal with damage as soon as you notice it. A tiny opening along a seam is usually much easier to fix than a large rip after you’ve worn and washed the garment several more times.

Handle pilling before it gets out of control

Those little balls of fiber that appear on clothing are called pills. They often form where fabric experiences repeated friction, such as under the arms or where a bag rubs against a sweater. A fabric shaver can remove pills and make an older piece look fresher.

Use care when removing pills. Aggressively pulling pills off with your fingers or dragging a fabric shaver too roughly can break threads in the knit.

Inexpensive clothing FAQ

How can I make cheap clothes last longer?

Follow the care label, wash clothing only when needed, use gentler washing and drying methods when allowed, treat stains promptly, repair minor damage, and store garments correctly. How frequently you wear and wash an item can also affect how quickly it wears out.

Does washing clothes less often make them last longer?

Yes. Less frequent washing reduces the friction, detergent, water, and heat clothing experiences. 

Is it better to air-dry clothes?

Air-drying can reduce the heat and tumbling clothes experience in a dryer, but always check the care label. Some garments should be laid flat rather than hung to dry to prevent stretching.

Should you wash inexpensive clothes in cold water?

Cold or cool water can work for many garments, but follow the clothing’s care label and your detergent and washing-machine instructions. Some laundry situations may require a different water temperature.

Does turning clothes inside out make them last longer?

Turning clothing inside out can help reduce friction against the visible outer surface during washing. It’s particularly useful for dark clothing, printed designs, denim, and some garments prone to pilling.

How do you keep inexpensive clothes from looking cheap?

Proper care can help. Remove pills carefully, treat stains, repair loose hems and missing buttons, iron or steam garments according to their care instructions, and store clothes so they aren’t constantly crushed or wrinkled.

Is expensive clothing always better quality?

No. Price alone doesn’t tell you how well a garment is constructed. Inspect the fabric, stitching, seams, closures, and other details before buying, regardless of the price tag.

When should you stop repairing a piece of clothing?

Consider the extent of the damage, repair cost, condition of the rest of the garment, and how much you actually wear it. A loose button or small seam opening can be an easy fix, while extensive damage to already worn-out fabric may not be worth repairing.