There are two reasons why I want to take better care of my clothes. First, clothes can be expensive and second, the fashion industry is one of the larger polluters of the environment. The term “fast fashion” has been coined and describes the practice of cheaply made clothes that respond to a new trend every week. Basically, it’s become a wear and toss industry and I’d like to not subscribe to that process. I’ll write more on this in future posts, but this one is about what I can do to keep the clothes I’ve got.
There are a few reasons for getting rid of clothes:
- They no longer fit.
- They have holes and frayed spots.
- The style is no longer relevant.
- They are stained.
I’m sure that there are others you might have, but this is my initial short list. Given the shape of my figure and my particular style choice (classic and a general avoidance of trends) I find it very hard to find clothes that fit me well that I also love.
Now, plain t-shirts may not fit into that category very well, given that they are usually found about anywhere, but over the past couple of years there has been a trend for t-shirts to be made more like “tent-shirts”. What do I mean by “tent-shirts”? If you look at a shirt, it generally has an A-shape to it with it being wider at the bottom than at the shoulders. I think the purpose of this is to provide a little swing to it, but I’ve got a fuller bust line and that particular shape just makes me look pregnant or fat. I actually need and like a shape that fits more like an hourglass. I also like fabrics that will generally keep their shape as well.
I don’t spend a lot on t-shirts in general, which unfortunately means I probably end up contributing to the fast-fashion industry and it’s something I want to change. A good way to do that is to keep, and wear the clothes I already own for many years. But I also need to wear clothes that are in good repair and free of stains. Well, when it comes to many of my t-shirts, several years of wear also means a decent dark deodorant spot under each arm. Which means they have become pieces that end up layered under something else – and I want them back!
Several years ago I looked up how to remove deodorant from clothing underarms and found it helpful when I tried it out on a sweater. So this summer I’ve been using the same technique on my t-shirts with pretty darn good results. It’s also simple and cheap!
- I use an older towel and spread it out on a counter, floor or other solid surface.
- Turn the t-shirt inside out and lay flat over the towel.
- Mix up a paste of water and baking soda. I make it about the consistency of a runny peanut butter.
- Grab an old toothbrush, but make sure it’s clean.
- Use the toothbrush or a finger to spread a decent layer of paste on the area where the stains / dark spots are located.
- Once I have a layer on, I typically just let it set for about 20-30 minutes. It’ll dry some during this time, but just leave it be.
- After 20-30 minutes, add a little water to the paste to get it more like a mixture than dried crumbles. Use the toothbrush to scrub the paste into the stained area.
- Rinse the paste off the area completely.
- I then use a pre-wash stain remover and spray the area I just scrubbed as a second layer of cleaning solution. My favorite stain remover is Amway’s PreWash.
- Wash the shirt as directed on the tag. Most of my clothes require cold wash and line dry.
- Check if the deodorant is gone when it’s dry! If not, repeat the process one more time to see if it just needs another round of scrubbing.
And then I get my t-shirts back!! I’m at a point in my life where I’m starting to enjoy being able to spend a bit more on my clothes and/or buy a little higher price point. I’m also looking for better fabrics and fabric blends. So I’m starting to really pay attention more to caring for my clothes so I can enjoy them for many years. Sure sometimes a new outfit is just what you need, but old favorites that always make me feel like me are equally as important!
