Caring for ClothingCaring for Clothing

DiscussionDiscussionHow can organizing your clothing

help make a little space seem like a lot more?

What household items can be used for storage?

Routine CareRoutine CareOpen 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 offRemove stains as soon as possibleCheck for needed repairsPut dirty clothes in a laundry basket away

from clean clothesHang up or fold clothes that don’t need

washing

Storing ClothesStoring ClothesDrawers

◦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 containersClosets

◦Organize clothes: Color Seasonal Long sleeve/short sleeve/ sweaters

Family ActivityFamily ActivityWhat is your family technique for

sorting and pretreating clothes?If you don’t know, watch tonight

and ask.

Washing ClothesWashing 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

Washing ClothesWashing ClothesPretreat 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

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

Washing ClothesWashing ClothesChoose 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

Select Cleaning ActionAvoid overloading washerHand 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

Math ActivityMath ActivityRead 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?

Drying ClothesDrying ClothesClothes can be air dried or dried in a dryerGenerally, if it can be washed together it

can be dried togetherCheck information on care labelsShake out clothes before putting in a dryerHelps to dry fasterAvoid overloading dryer-increases dry time

and wrinklesAvoid over drying clothes- can cause

shrinkageClean lint filter- improve circulation and

avoid a fireAir drying is an energy saver

Pressing and Ironing Pressing and Ironing ClothesClothesPressing- 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 ironedTemperature depends on the contentCheck care labels If it is a blend, set it on the lowest settingPress dark and wool fabrics inside-out to

keep them from becoming shiny

Ironing DiscussionIroning DiscussionConvenient times to iron?Think of two times where you

could be ironing while doing something else.

Dry CleaningDry CleaningDry clean- to clean with chemicals rather

than with water and detergentGarment is then cleaned and steamed to

remove wrinklesNot all fabrics can be dry cleanedCheck care labelsProfessional 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

Clothing RepairClothing 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