After the petroleum industry, the textile industry is the second most polluting industry in the world. Although there’s no exact figure regarding the amount of clothing produced each year, it’s estimated that the number is somewhere between 80 and 100 billion. And though clothes are almost 100 percent recyclable, millions of clothing pieces all over the world are sent to landfills. 

The growing culture of fast-fashion i.e. to wear things a few times, or even just once, and then move on immediately to the next trend, has proved to be hugely detrimental to the environment. For us to combat textile pollution, this mentality must be reversed and taken back to a time when clothing lasted decades because it was made well and cared for properly. It may not be possible for a single individual to stop billion-dollar textile industries but one can be careful about the little things in order to bring about a change. So, here are a few tips to make your clothes more sustainable. 

Buy durable fabrics
Clothes that are mass-produced and cost cheaper than others are usually made with toxic dyes as well as weak fiber. And, in many cases, companies that sell flimsy, seemingly cheap clothes don’t provide their workers proper care or payment. So, make sure what you buy is ethical and from a brand that is recognized for treating their workers with care. Moreover, clothes like this tend to look all shiny and nice but after a few washes shrink and become almost unusable. Therefore, it is important to invest in good, durable fabrics. The expensiveness of an item of clothing isn’t the only thing that determines its durability, however, in some cases, it’s better to spend a little extra on clothes that you know is going to last a long time.

Know when to wash clothes
Over-washing clothes doesn’t mean that you are taking an extra, important step for their cleanliness, it just means you are wearing them off quicker than normal. Thus it’s important to know after how many uses does one have to wash their clothes. In case of your underwear, socks, swimwear and gym wear, washing them after one use is a must. However, in the case of bras, dress shirts and shorts, we recommend you keep them a day longer. Clothes like pajamas, skirts, and sweatshirts can be worn up to four or five times before washing. And in case of shoes, jeans or suits, in order to make them last for a longer time, wash them only when they are dirty. If you tend to sweat a lot or have issues with your skin, your washing days can vary, but on average this technique can help you keep your clothes clean and make them last long at the same time. 

Sun dry all your clothes
Sun drying clothes have a lot of benefits. If you make use of the sun to dry clothes instead of a dryer, it reduces the cost of electricity and saves energy. Moreover, using a clothesline will avoid overheating and potential shrinking of garments in the dryer. This is particularly relevant for intimate apparel and active-wear as the elasticity in garments can break down and cause unwanted stretching if they are exposed to artificially heated conditions like that of a dryer or a washing machine. Also, the ultra-violet rays of the sun help to bleach and disinfect laundry. This is particularly beneficial for white sheets, towels, and cloth diapers. 

Learn basic repairs
How many pieces of clothing have you thrown away after a strap came loose or a button fell off? Instead of tossing it or taking it to your local dressmaker, learn a few basic mending tips that will save your garment and money as well. For mending fabrics, it’s helpful to have these items in your sewing kit: mercerized-cotton thread, button twist thread, heavy-duty thread, beeswax), marking pencil, six-inch ruler, needles, thimble, pins, and scissors. Be it repairing a seam or mending a patch, knowing these little things can go a long way to make your clothes last long. You can turn to helpful Google or YouTube to learn some basic but important tricks of mending and sewing.

Wash them at a lower temperature
In case you are using a washing machine, as much as 60% energy can be saved by choosing to wash clothes at a lower temperature. Many clothing tags instruct us to clean our clothes at a higher temperature than is needed. You can simply change the temperature on your washing machine dial, and get your laundry clean on cool or even cold. One thing you can do is to experiment with the temperature yourself. If you’ve been washing on warm this whole time, give cool or cold a try and see if your clothes seem as clean as they did when you washed them at a warmer temperature. Washing on a lower temperature also causes less strain on the fabric (as hotter temperatures tend to expand and loosen the grip between the threads) making your clothes last longer. 

 
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