Caring for Clothing

1. Caring for Clothing

2. Discussion • How can organizing your clothing help make a little space seem like a lot more? • What household items can be used for storage?

3. Routine Care • Open all fasteners ( buttons, zippers, snaps) when dressing to help prevent rips and tears • Take your shoes off before getting in and out of pants • Check for stains right after taking clothes off • Remove stains as soon as possible • Check for needed repairs • Put dirty clothes in a laundry basket away from clean clothes • Hang up or fold clothes that don’t need washing

4. Storing Clothes • Drawers • Keeps smaller items in place • Clothes will be less likely to wrinkle when you have ample storage space • If you don’t have a lot of drawer space, use plastic containers • Closets • Organize clothes: • Color • Seasonal • Long sleeve/short sleeve/ sweaters

5. Family Activity • What is your family technique for sorting and pretreating clothes? • If you don’t know, watch tonight and ask.

6. Washing Clothes • Care Labels • Label will tell you steps to follow to wash and dry clothing • Also tells you what not to do with clothing • Sorting Clothes • Helps to prevent colors from running together • Keeps garments in good condition • Separate clothes into the following piles: • Delicate fabrics that require warm water and a gentle cycle • Sturdy white and light-colored clothing • Permanent press and knit fabrics • Dark-colored clothing • Heavily soiled garments that should be washed separately

7. Washing Clothes • Pretreat clothes • Any special attention you give a garment before laundering • Helps to remove stains and heavy soil • Necklines and cuffs need special attention • Follow label directions • Sometimes extra scrubbing with undiluted liquid can help the stained area

8. L.A. • Read laundry-product labels. • What does each term mean?

9. Washing Clothes • Choose Laundry Products • Detergents- primary job is to remove dirt • Bleaches-used to remove stains, brighten clothes, and whiten • Fabric softeners – reduce static cling , make fabric softer, and reduce wrinkles

10. Select Cleaning Action • Avoid overloading washer • Hand washing • Use a sink or container large enough for clothes to move freely • Choose a soap or detergent to suit clothes • Put water in the sink, add detergent, mix, and add clothes • Soak clothes 5 to 30 minutes, depending on the amount of dirty clothes • Drain the sink and add fresh water, gently squeeze sudsy water through garments. Use at least two rinses to remove both suds and soil

11. Math Activity • Read the Energy Guide label on a dryer. • Find the cost of drying one load of clothes. • How much energy does it use? • What would be the annual cost? • Annual amount of energy used?

12. Drying Clothes • Clothes can be air dried or dried in a dryer • Generally, if it can be washed together it can be dried together • Check information on care labels • Shake out clothes before putting in a dryer • Helps to dry faster • Avoid overloading dryer-increases dry time and wrinkles • Avoid over drying clothes- can cause shrinkage • Clean lint filter- improve circulation and avoid a fire • Air drying is an energy saver

13. Pressing and Ironing Clothes • Pressing- process of lifting and lowering the iron onto areas of fabric • Ironing involves moving the iron back and forth over the fabric • Knits and wools should be pressed to avoid stretching • Woven fabrics can be ironed • Temperature depends on the content • Check care labels • If it is a blend, set it on the lowest setting • Press dark and wool fabrics inside-out to keep them from becoming shiny

14. Ironing Discussion • Convenient times to iron? • Think of two times where you could be ironing while doing something else.

15. Dry Cleaning • Dry clean- to clean with chemicals rather than with water and detergent • Garment is then cleaned and steamed to remove wrinkles • Not all fabrics can be dry cleaned • Check care labels • Professional dry cleaning • More expensive, but can remove more spots • Coin operated machines • Cost less, but don’t always provide special treatment for spot or stain removal. You must do your own pressing

16. Clothing Repair • Rips and Tears • Easy to repair. Use thread that matches the color of the fabric • Make a new line of stitching by hand or with a sewing machine • Begin and end just beyond the ripped section • Iron on mending tape can help repair clothes • Can be repaired with patches • Buttons • Two types of buttons: • Sew-through • Comes up and through the button • Should make a shank when you sew this button on • Shank • Underneath to hold the thread • Snaps, Hooks, and Eyes • Use black snaps for dark fabrics • And silver for light ones • Hooks and eyes- found on necklines, waistbands, or neck edges • Colors for hooks and eyes- same as above