The Mommyhood Chronicles

Product Reviews, Giveaways and Everything Mommy!

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Tips for Making My Family Clothes Last Longer and a Family Dollar $25 GC Giveaway!

* I am working with P&G in promotion for their products. I received the same prize pack as the winner will receive. All my opinions are my own and not swayed by outside sources.*

FD-LogoOne thing I absolutely hate is when I buy new clothes and they ultimately get dirty. I decided to compile a list of tips to help our clothes last longer, in the hopes that they help someone out. I hope you enjoy these tips!

1. Make sure you buy quality clothes. A lot of times, I tend to buy cheap summer clothes which inevitably backfires on me. I like to call these clothes a one wash wonder and by the end of the week, the shirt has so many holes and grass stains in it, that it needs to be tossed.

2. Instead of throwing away clothes that have a small hole, use a patch to cover it up.  No reason why a perfectly good pair of pants with a small hole, can’t be covered up with some fabric you have stashed around your house.

3.  Make sure if clothes do get dirty, that you have spare clothes with you in your diaper bag or pocketbook. Nothing is worse than kids eating a messy meal out in public and then have a shirt full of stains.  By having an extra set of clothes, you can do a quick change and go to your next destination.

4.  Be sure to use quality laundry products like Tide and Gain. Here are some of the great, new products on the market:

 Gain Flings

An easier way to use Gain. These three-in-one single-use flings include 50% more scent, an oxi boost and the freshness of Febreze, for long-lasting freshness and cleaning power.

 Tide Simply Clean & Fresh

Offers a dependable clean and superior mal-odor removal

 Tide Plus Collection

Tide + Coldwater Clean

Coldwater cleaning with whitening ingredients

  Tide + Febreze Freshness

Provides long lasting freshness with an upgraded scent

Tide + A Touch of Downy

Makes clothes feel soft & fresh with an upgraded scent

   Tide + Bleach Alternative

Removes dinginess and gets whites whiter

 Tide + Febreze Sport

Removes body soils, odor and sweat stains

Tide + Ultra Stain Release

New Tide Ultra Stain Release will help remove 99% of everyday stains

  Ultra Stain Release is specially formulated with stain removal ingredients that work at the fiber level and has a new pre-treat stain Zap! Cap that lets you use Tide as both a detergent and a pre-treater on tough stains.

Family Dollar shoppers take pride in making their families’ look and feel their best, and clothes are an important part of that equation. Family Dollar offers the latest innovations in fabric care to assure your family has an affordable clean – a better clean for every dollar. The new P&G products will help keep your family’s clothes cleaner and are part of a regimen to keep them looking newer and lasting longer. Be sure to check out Family Dollar today for their  new and convenient fabric care options. 

Win it: One winner will receive the following gift pack:unnamed

$25 Family Dollar Gift Card, Downy Unstoppables , Gain Flings , Samples from the Tide Plus Collection.

For this giveaway, simply leave me a comment and tell me your #1 tip for making clothes last longer. For an additional +2 entry, tweet about this giveaway mentioning @dentistmel and @FamilyDollar. This can be done daily. Giveaway ends  April 15, 2014. Good luck! 

 

Comments

  3. John Joseph says

    I keep them clean and put them away neatly and follow labels if special needs to make them last

  5. Amanda says

    I take my 81/2 month old twin girls shirts off before I feed them, helps them stay stain free and they love being messy!!

  6. McKim says

    I change into old clothes when I get home from work. That way my work clothes last longer and don’t get stained in the kitchen.

  7. heather brothers says

    keep seperate hampers for dirty clothes going in the wash and clean clothes coming out of the dryer

  15. Emily Wells says

    We have a HE front loader washer. It doesn’t agitate/beat the clothes–it tumbles them gently, and that’s a HUGE help for helping them last longer!

  19. Carol L says

    I follow care instructions and happen to use Tide already.I don’t let soiled clothing sit for long. Thanks for this chance .
    Carol L

  21. Emi says

    If it has only been worn for an hour or so, it might not need to be washed so I just hang it up in the sunshine (to get rid of smells).

  23. DESIREE H says

    I make clothes last longer by washing the colored in cold to avoid the colors from fading. I also use stain remover on anything that has stains!
    Thanks

  29. Brynn says

    Cold water and low cycle. Cold water kills bacteria just as well and saves money as well!

  37. AmySD says

    I wash our clothes in cold water and hang them up to dry, to prevent fading. Thanks for the opportunity.

  39. wild orchid says

    My tip is to air dry clothing whenever possible to make clothing last longer.

    Thanks for the chance to win!
    wildorchid985 at gmail dot com

  41. stephanie says

    I like making my own detergent. Seems to make my clothes feel fresher and like they last longer!

  42. Allison Downes says

    My tip is to use cold water to help with the colors not to bleed.

    Thanks for the nice giveaway!

  47. Dawn Ganey says

    I use tide & downy to make my clothes last. I also have an HE washer & dryer that helps too.

  58. Carrie Phelps says

    My best tip is to use Tide detergent. It keeps the color in my fabric and I wash all loads in cold water.

  60. Jennifer Rogers says

    I always wash in cold water and go lihjt on the detergent to make clothes last longer!

  62. Marilyn Nawara says

    Clothes will last longer if you wash in cold water. Colors will also stay brighter.

  67. JulieK says

    I didn’t realize Family Dollar carried so many name brand products – I wish we had one a bit closer to me, but next time I pass one I’ll have to stop in!

  68. Beeb Ashcroft says

    My #1 tip for making clothes last longer is to wash them in cold water, so that they don’t shrink. Also, if you hang on to vintage clothes long enough, they’ll come back into style again. LOL! Thank you for the giveaway!

  72. Michele says

    Tide (original) is one of the only laundry detergents I can use without it making my skin all itchy! It ois the only pone I will buy!

  74. Rosey says

    My #1 tip for making clothes last longer is to wash them in cold water. I also want to throw in the fact to treat stains instantly (we use OxiClean) when you know one is there.

  78. Christina Arceneaux says

    I love tide, I will only use tide. It just feels wrong to use another brand. You’re so right about buying quality clothes. Sure the cheap ones are cheap..at first, but then you end up paying again when you have to replace the one that is all holes and tears. Garage sale clothes from a quality store work good for me too. Great tips!

  79. Petro Neagu says

    What a coincidence! When I was in US I used to use ONLY Tide and Gain, I just couldn’t go with some other product and I can testify they are pretty awesome.

  81. Debra Pauley says

    I use the Tide + Febreze Freshness and it is amazing! It always leaves my clothes with that freshly washed smell.

  83. linda w. says

    I never put the kids clothes in the dryer to avoid shrinkage and air dry them. I also use cold water in the washer.

  84. Cynthia R says

    I make clothes last longer by hang drying my jeans and sweaters, I think it makes them last longer and keep their shape.

  88. Susan Robbins says

    My mother taught me a lot of tricks when growing up as she was very frugal: 1. spot clean something rather than wash the entire garment just because there is only one spot on it, 2. Hang clothing outdoors on a hanger to give it a fresh scent if it isn’t dirty and just have a little smell to it. 3. Always zip up the zippers when washing clothes so you don’t pull the zipper out of shape and it will last longer. 4. It is a nice day, hang laundry out to dry or inside in warm place. 5. If something is just a little wrinkled or needs freshening, dampen lightly, put it in the dryer with a dryer sheet for a short period. You can also just use a dampened but not soaking washcloth. 6. Steam wrinkles out by hanging the item you wish to get the wrinkles out of by hanging in the bathroom when someone is taking a steamy shower or bath.

  93. Mary Beth Elderton says

    I use the delicate cycle for light weight, lightly soiled items even if they are not marked “delicate’–it save time, money, and wear on the fabrics.

  103. Ashley M says

    I have had to stop buying white clothing because I’m constantly staining them. We love the tide brain through.

  104. Sheila says

    totally agree with the first tip. buy quality saves you money than buying cheap that won’t last longer. quality and branded clothing is comfortable to wear. Thanks for this tips

  112. Theresa Jenkins says

    follow care labels…1st, I sort my laundery,pretreat stains;wash;dry according to label and properly store my laundry so I can find them again.

  116. Karen T Gonyea says

    Don’t wash everything every time you wear it !!! Some items, like jeans, can go more than one wear between washes (as long as you didn’t get them too dirty) !!

  127. heather s says

    wash with similar colors and try to use cold water if you can (to keep the color deep).

  136. Denise B. says

    Wash clothes with prints or pictures on them inside out. This will keep the image from wearing away as quickly.

  139. Kaitlin Collins says

    I always try to get free samples and use as little as possible. It is crazy how much shampoo/toothpaste/olive oil you actually NEED to use and how much the average person does! Also I try to avoid eating out… but if I do, then I try to split my dinner into three meals and take the leftovers home!

  149. Cori Westphal says

    The only tip I really have is to wash in cold water, and dry on a low setting, or better yet outside on a line!

    coriwestphal at msn dot com

  155. Sarah VM says

    My #1 tip to make clothes last longer is to use good laundry detergent and don’t put things in the dryer.

  156. Elle says

    My tip is to follow the labels on the clothes. If it says, cold water, use cold and if it says gentle cycle, use the gentle cycle, etc..

  157. april yedinak says

    My number one tip is to sort clothes into like loads and follow the care instructions for each type.

  159. Jerri Davis says

    My number one tip for keeping clothes and making them last longer is to take them off as soon as your done and hang them back up put them away. Take good care of them and use the right detergents. Thank you, Jerri Davis

  170. Valencia says

    Cold water washing seems to make to make everything, especially color, last longer.

  181. Angela Kinder says

    One way we make sure the clothes last longer is not to use a dryer. Ours doesn’t work anyways, but unless it has to be dry immediately (in which we take it to the laundry mat), we had the clothes outside. They don’t shrink or wrinkle, and just gently dry in the breeze.

  185. Leann says

    I have play clothes I wear frequently around the house. I preserve my good clothes by wearing them only in public, rotating them often and not wearing the same thing over, and I follow the inside label for laundering.

  186. Bethanne says

    I put on the same clothes every day during the weekdays for a week when I get off work.

  189. Wendy R. says

    I haven’t really noticed a problem with my clothes not lasting, but I do always make sure to wash with a good quality detergent!

  190. Casie K. says

    Be gentle with them! Don’t use hot water or rough detergents and make sure to fix holes, remove stains, and deal with other problems when they happen.

  193. Helen Keeler says

    My number one tip is to keep my cloths out of the dryer as the dryer takes the life out of them.

  197. Monica Eggleton says

    The first thing is to buy kid friendly clothes, comfortable cotton is high on the list. To keep the life in the clothes is to keep ahead of stains. I pretreated all stains as soon as the clothes are removed from the children. Milk and formula both are subject to growth of mold and mildew, which both stains and breaks down the fibers in the clothes. Pretreat in gallows you to wait a day or two to wash the clothes.

  213. Sa'lyn Knowlton says

    My number one tip for making clothes last longer is washing them on a “quick” cycle instead of a normal/full cycle. It cleans them the exact same way but it doesn’t leave them to sit in the detergent and water, causing them to dull and wear out.

  214. Mendy Dinsmore says

    If I wear a shirt only for a few hours, I will just hang it back up. Saves wear and tear on washing so often.

  219. Lori Hudson says

    I only dry my clothes for 20 minutes on low heat and then hang them the old fashion way!

  220. Alice F says

    When washing, I always turn my clothes inside out to prevent color fading. Also, I only dry clothes in the dryer for about 20 minutes and then complete drying on hanger. This helps to reduce fading and helps with electricity as well.

  226. Darlene Carbajal says

    My number one tip to keeping clothes last longer is to wash them only when they are really really dirty, especially with jeans.

  230. Debbie says

    Don’t wear the same group of clothes all the time;rotate with other clothes in your closet.

  235. kelly Nicholson says

    well..if you have favorite clothes that you like to where anytime..i say wear em till they fall apart…just dont over wash the real good clothes..i have no idea as you can see…my secret is garage sales..

  241. priscilla anderson says

    i commented, tweeted and shared on Facebook. Thanks and i wash all my clothes with tide to keep them clean smelling.

  244. Michelle G says

    I keep my clothing looking their best and lasting longer by using the correct laundry soap, following label instructions. Washing/drying jeans, shirts inside out to help reduce fading. I also include fabric softner in each wash cycle. And I use washer garment bags to prevent garments from being damaged or causing damage to other clothing being washed. And I also use BOUNCE dryer sheets they are another must for my laundry routine.

  252. gayle gildehaus says

    i wash in cold water and do not use a dryer..everything gets hung out to dry

  264. Sharon says

    My Number One Tip for making clothes last longer is washing more smaller loads of clothes of the same colors, like delicates or newer items that you really want to last. I don’t just throw a lot of clothes together in a load unless they are old and worn. I also use a water softener since we have hard water, that helps to get the clothes cleaner and keep them brighter longer. I also hang dry some shirts and then put them in the dryer on low with a fabric sheet for 20 minutes to soften them and keep them looking new or shrinking, especially 100% cotton items!

  266. lisa says

    I wash dirty clothes regularly and don’t let that one cat walk on me and stab me with her claws and snag my clothes.

  283. kelly tupick says

    my #1 tip is to add a good stain remover to the clothing before washing and sometimes it helps to pre-soak an item before adding it with other clothes.

  291. Angela Cisco says

    I change out of my good clothes when I get home and rehang to wear again if not dirty.

  303. Wanda McHenry says

    My secret to longer lasting clothes is to turn shirts inside out before cold washing and also hang dry your clothes instead of putting them in the dryer.

  311. Diana Mahnke says

    I keep clothes lasting longer by pretreating stains as soon as they appear, and making sure to follow the care labels exactly.

  313. Jena says

    I use Fels Naptha (I know, Grandma’s generation right?! But it is crazy amazing stuff!!) to treat stains and the rinse, rather than washing the entire garment.

  316. Brandy Fisk says

    Spray them with stain remover right after we take them off if there are stains.

  320. Diane L. says

    My daughter always wants to throw her clothes in the hamper after she’s worn them, even if she only wore them for an hour. I remind her that washing them so often will wear them out more quickly, and that will cost her money!

  323. sarah jerome says

    for one I only wash in cold water N I usually wear my pants for more than one day before I wash them as I don’t do anything to get dirty.. I also hang them outside to dry if weather permits… love the fresh air clean smell…

  325. KELLY MCGREW says

    always take care of stains as quick after they happen as possible! also take the time to separate the clothes so they don’t dye each other!

  326. Mary V says

    I like to sort my families clothes and wash them according to the worst stains and smells I tweeted @racegirl1022

  338. Lynette says

    I love using a bleach pen especially for the little kid clothes. That way a stain doesn’t ruin an outfit.

  340. Tina W says

    I wash everything but my towels on cold. I also hang dry most of my clothes when the weather is warm.

  345. Tamra Phelps says

    Don’t wash your clothes after EVERY wear–if you just wear them normally, don’t get them very dirty, no need to wash them so often! Washing wears clothes out quicker.

  348. Yona says

    My tip for making clothes last long is stain removal as soon as you notice it….and not to wash in hot water.

  361. Jenna Z says

    I find that buying good quality clothes makes a huge difference. I shop GoodWill and resale shops but only buy long-lasting, quality brands.

  378. Elizabeth says

    One way I like to extend the life of clothing is to use my clotheslines instead of the dryer whenever possible. All the lint that builds up in the dryer is little pieces of the fabric that has worn off from the clothing. My clothes are getting thinner and more worn out just from tumbling in the dryer! Plus, the clotheslines are environmental and help save money on the electrical bill. 🙂

  379. Allyson Bossie says

    I rarely use the dryer for my clothing which helps them last longer. If drying on the clothesline, I hang inside out so they don’t fade in the sun. Otherwise, I hang in the house to dry and it really helps the clothes keep from breaking down!

  381. Leah Shumack says

    My best tip is to use cold water as much as possible when you are washing your clothes!

  385. Amy Honious says

    I air dry as much as possible, turn jeans inside out and use quality detergent! Thanks for the great giveaway 🙂

  387. kathy f says

    My best tip for making clothes look great and last longer is to wash in cold water and hang to dry.

  392. Kathy Hanley says

    I wash regular clothes in cold water, pre-treat stains, use vinegar in with the detergent and hang them up to dry. I hand them outside in Spring, Summer and Fall and have extension hooks in my laundry room to hang them in Winter.

  406. Crystal Gibson says

    Number one tip… Put a bit of Pine Sol in the wash (just a capful for so) and turn the clothes inside out.. it helps preserve the look, feel, and color!

  409. Nicole S says

    My secret is to wash things only when they truly need washed. I will wear jeans twice or more if they are clean!

  410. Nicole S says

    My secret is to wash things only when they truly need washed. I will wear jeans twice or more if they are clean!

  411. Deb C says

    If clothes are only lightly soiled, use only a small amount of detergent and a short cycle. This saves wear on clothing.

  420. Aimee Fontenot says

    I turn most of my clothes inside out, and I wash with cold water except for my whites.

  424. heather says

    I try to keep them clean and wash them less often and only wear my good clothes when I am out of the house

  434. Evelyn Driver says

    Everyone in my family has their own mesh bag for socks and underwear. That way the wash doesn’t eat them and they are easy to mate and get to the right person’s room.

  435. Derek Timm says

    I really don’t do anything different except always wash with cold water and hang dry.

  436. Brenna M says

    I don’t wash my clothes every time I wear them, esp. if it’s only for a short period of time, and I turn bright and/or bold colors and/or shirts with decals on them inside out- both when I wash them and when I dry them. I also don’t put certain things in the dryer.

  448. yana ryjova says

    By best tip is to not wash it when it doesnt need to be a washed. a shirt I wore for an hour or two does not need to be thrown into the laundry

  449. Karen Drake says

    My tip is I wear my jeans more than once between washing unless they are actually dirty, I wash all my clothes in Tide and it saves on clothing costs because it cleans better and takes out stains other brands don’t.

  465. Sherry Eckman says

    I make sure I pre treat stains as soon as possible and I have my kids change their school clothes after school.

  466. Kathleen Richardson says

    I make sure to clean clothes immediately after they get dirty or stained. I also always separate clothes by colors and materials.

  470. Terri says

    I wash all our clothing in cold water. The colors stay brighter and I don’t have to worry about shrinkage.

  474. Jane Squires says

    On shirts with printed pictures and wording, turn them wrong side out before washing. Keeps pictures looking new a lot longer

  486. Jessica says

    Pretreat! Quality clothing and good detergent! I love the added bonus of good smelling clothing , I use the unstoppables in every wash!

  492. Danielle Jones says

    To make my whites last longer and look good I skip the bleach and opt for hanging them on the clothes line. The summer sun will brighten them.

  499. Angela Ash says

    I have separate old clothes I keep for dirty projects like painting, gardening and deep cleaning. It helps keep my nicer clothes nicer longer.

  515. toddy says

    I always washn in cold water to prevent shrinkage and turn jeans and graphic tee’s inside out to prolong fading.

  519. Amanda K says

    We re-wear certain articles of clothing (if not dirty or smelly, of course), wash only in cold water, and hang on the clothing line whenever possible. Thx!

  523. Samantha says

    Mine is to hang dry as many clothes as possible. Saves colors from fading and less energy!

  526. Jenny says

    I think the one thing to keeping clothes lasting is making sure you soak stains, and having your kids or you use older clothes for messy projects.

  530. Heather Giovannitti says

    I don’t wash my clothes after each wear, unless they got something on them. I wash every other wear so they will last longer. I also wash in cold water the majority of the time. I think the hot water tends to make clothes get worn out faster.

  531. Marcy Strahan says

    NEVER WASH TOWELS WITH CLOTHING! I also only half dry my clothes & tehn hang them to line dry the rest of the way.

  533. Heather Silver says

    My #1 tip – We freshen up our clothes, when they are not dirty instead of the full wash which can wear and tear on favorite clothes over time.

  540. Anna H says

    I’ve learned to use the right setting first with laundry. read the labels, cold water is usually best, and low to medium heat. I dry 90% of the way for items like jeans and things I don’t want wrinkled, and hang to finish drying.

    Also, it’s been recommended not to wash certain items of clothing after every use!