Women all over the world would agree that some of their most treasured possessions are actually housed inside their closets – with shoe collections topping the list.
So how do you take care of these investments in self-expression and style?
One of the first things to do is to let them breathe. Natural fibers and fabrics need air. So don’t keep your dry cleaning in the plastic bags that you bring the items home in. Not only do the bags not allow the fabrics to breathe – but they keep the cleaning chemicals “locked in” – which makes the clothing deteriorate more quickly.
And speaking of plastic, don’t keep your shoes in plastic boxes either for the same reasons.
And don’t wear the same pair of shoes every day – day in and day out. Your feet sweat and the leather absorbs that. As a minimum, give them 24 hours to “breathe out” the smells. At best, put them in cedar shoetrees that absorb the sweat and help maintain the shape.
Another tip that will save you money and time is to actually have your clothing dry cleaned less frequently. Unless the garments are next to your skin and become stained from food or sweat – you really only need to dry clean garments once or twice per season.
And since you don’t want the pants/skirt of a matching suit to ever be darker than your jacket, you should dry-clean both garments at the same time. It’s very common for garments to change color shades when dry-cleaned.
And if you’re interested in more time and money saving tips – sign up to follow our blog and we’ll keep you in the know.