Since coming to college just eight short months ago, I have lost or ruined more items of clothing than I did in all four years of high school. I left Matthews after the Relay for Life with a swipe of blue paint on my jeans. I ruined my brand new Urban Outfitters shirt because I ignored the “hand wash only” label. My also brand new black H & M skirt is probably somewhere in the state of New York, courtesy of negligent spring break packing. My favorite coral v-neck and a brown Columbia zip up: both M.I.A. Here’s how to avoid the mistakes I made and keep all your clothes looking fly.
Read the label:
Read the washing instructions before you wash any new clothes. I thought I had such a good grip on the whole doing-your-own-laundry thing that I didn’t need to read the washing instructions. I was wrong. My new favorite shirt, which was apparently hand wash only, came out of the dryer a shrunken, shriveled mess.
Buy a Nice Iron:
I feel like I don’t wear half the clothes in my closet just because they’re never ironed. Don’t do what I did. Don’t buy a $6 iron, which is called “The Toastmaster” from Target in your freshman year dorm shopping frenzy. Also, remember to bring an ironing board.
Keep Your Drawers Organized:
You know how every morning you find yourself up to your elbows in a pile of shirts, looking for that one you haven’t seen since winter break? Don’t do that either. I didn’t notice that one of my favorite t-shirts was missing until weeks after it was gone because I assumed it was lost in my drawer somewhere. Take the time to occasionally reorganize and refold all the clothes in your drawers. You’ll find shirts and pants you forgot you owned, or you’ll get rid of the clothes you never wear.
Remember Who You Lend Your Clothes To:
Luckily, none of my clothes have disappeared after I lent them out, but it’s extremely easy to forget who borrowed what last Friday. I encourage borrowing and lending clothes (my roommates and I practically consider each other’s closets our own) but keeping track of your clothes is important to not losing your clothes. It’s too easy to forget that your friend’s jeans don’t actually belong to you.
Keep a Tide-To-Go Pen on You at all Times:
As someone who is admittedly a very messy eater, it helps to keep one of these in your purse at all times. It may save your clothes from being ruined forever by that one tiny ketchup stain.
Photo courtesy of alreadypretty.com.