Nothing brings down the spirit like the frayed edges of a beloved shirt. Perhaps there was a charm to its particular blue shade, since it won you many compliments. Or maybe it just reminds you of your first date. Clothes do hold a special meaning and place in one’s heart. They are valuable, as after much deliberation, you picked them off the rack to reflect who you are. Even though it is not a surprise when these clothes inch towards the finish line, a part of you still wishes to keep them longer. After all, how often do you find a skirt that fits you perfectly, or a shirt that takes you down the memory lane.

Think of treating your clothes, like you would treat your... plants. They need air, water and attention. While water slakes their thirst when thrown in for a wash, air helps in disinfecting the fabric and getting rid of any bad odour. Air also lets the weave resume its natural shape, making your clothes wrinkle-free. The sun, too, is an important source to maintain your clothes as it disinfects your clothes and evaporates the moisture. Unzip zippers, open up the buttons and air-dry your workout gear right before you toss it in the laundry bag. There is a lot you can do to increase the lifespan of your favourite outfits.

It just takes five minutes

In all, take five minutes out of your routine each day to give a longer lifetime to your precious fashion finds. The trick is to start at the sorting. Get a couple of laundry bags as opposed to one and label them according to colour and fabric. Put them right next to the shower or the closet so that as soon as they are taken off, they go into the right basket and are washed appropriately. You can either label your whites, darks and bleeds or separate according to fabric: light, heavy and delicate. Come weekend and all you need to do is empty that bag into your machine

Know your clothes inside out

Read the care labels attached to your clothes. While these tags often stick out, itch and can be a nuisance, they contain important information on how to treat your clothes right. Hand wash or machine wash, cold, warm or hot water temperature, tumble dry or air dry — the labels are right there to help you navigate the maze of ‘how to show your clothes some love’. The more you go with the correct options, the better your favourite white shirt will look.

There is also a way to know the age of your garments. Just check for the lint residue after the machine is done with a wash. The amount of lint translates into the rough exposure the threads have been exposed to.

Think of the larger picture

If making your favourite outfits last longer isn’t incentive enough, think about the larger impact of the contents of your closet have on the environment. Conventionally, the manufacturing of a pair of denims use 10,000 litres of water. By using our owned clothes for longer and buying less of new clothes, we can reduce the negative impact of manufacturing clothes. Wash clothes sparingly and rotate the clothing items in your closet. This way all your clothes will be worn once and get some breathing time.

An intelligent approach to doing laundry is a win-win situation for the planet as well as for the individual with a rejuvenated closet.

In that context, the machine you pick can be a real game changer. Bosch has a range of eco-friendly machines ensuring that there is minimum water and energy spent on washing your clothes. Their ActiveWater technology senses the load in the washing machine and calibrates the water usage to achieve efficiency. The VarioDrum design reduces creasing by giving more space for your laundry to move around. Bosch’s range of front load machines ensures clean laundry and retains the quality of the fabric, making your favourite clothes last longer. Read more about the range here and choose from a range of Bosch washing machines here.

This article was produced by the Scroll marketing team on behalf of Bosch and not by the Scroll editorial team.