Bargains—consignment stores
Consignment shops are everywhere these days and are a wonderful source for previously owned clothing. These shops are many cuts above a thrift store and offer wonderful merchandise for a fraction of the original retail price. Look for specialty consignment stores just for kids. And don’t be just a buyer but also a seller. Typically you will share 50/50 with the store’s owner when your items sell. Call ahead to learn of the store’s policies regarding the condition of acceptable garments and other guidelines.
Bargains—debit merchandise
Make friends with the managers of your favorite stores, and you might be able to tap into a gold mine. Ask if their “debits,” or used merchandise, are for sale. These are the items that have been returned for one reason or another but can’t be put back on the floor or returned to the manufacturer. Typically these items are sold for pennies on the dollar.
Bargains—unclaimed dry cleaner or repair shop goods
Ask your dry cleaner or neighborhood repair shops to let you know when they have unclaimed goods for sale. This is a great way to find terrific clothing bargains.
Boots—stretch them
If you have boots that are too snug, try this: Place a strong plastic bag (test first to make sure it is watertight) in each boot, and put enough water in the bags to fill the foot areas. Tie the bags closed, and place the boots into the freezer. As the water freezes it will expand and stretch the boots at the same time. This technique works well for shoes too.
Boots—stuff them
Instead of using expensive boot stuffers to keep your boots from flopping over, use one of those long, dense-foam pool toys called “noodles” that kids play with when they are in the swimming pool. They’re cheap, help your boots retain their shape, and are cleaner than rolled-up newspapers.
Buttons—on jeans
If the metal button on your jeans comes apart and falls off, it is impossible to sew it back on. Instead, use some super glue to affix the knob and back stud through the fabric. Let it set for a few days, and then wash and dry. Your jeans should be perfectly wearable again.
Buttons—on new clothes
Buttons on new clothes often fall off after just one wearing and washing. Before you wear a new item, cover the thread on each button with clear nail polish or a drop of superglue. Just be careful not to get any on the fabric.
Buttons—rescue
A button hanging by a few threads can be rescued by wrapping a narrow strip of clear tape around the threads on the back of the garment to hold them until they can be reinforced.
Buttons—sewing in some slack
Place a toothpick between the button and fabric as you sew. When the button is secured, remove the toothpick. This gives the button a little slack and will make it easier to operate.
Buttons—sewing in spares
Sew extra buttons into the seams of jackets and pants. If you need a spare, you’ll always know where it is.
Buttons—sewing in to stay
When attaching a four-hole button, stitch through two holes, then knot the thread before you sew through the other two holes. If the thread breaks on one side, the button won’t come off.
Buttons—sewing with floss
Dental floss makes a sturdy thread for securing buttons on heavy fabric. You’ll never lose a button from your winter coat again.
Buttons—sewing with nail polish
Before sewing, place clear fingernail polish on the center of a button, on the side toward the fabric. Once the button has been securely attached to the garment, place another dab on the top center. This will help keep that button from going anywhere for a long, long time.
Closets—a place for slacks
Install towel racks on the backs of closet doors for hanging slacks.
Closets—dust protectors
Convert extra pillowcases (king-size are extra long) into garment bags to protect the clothes hanging in your closet, especially those that are out of season. Just cut a hole into the end of the pillowcase and insert the hangers.
Hang a length of chain from a strong hanger. Each link can hold one hanger, which takes up much less space and effectively doubles or triples your closet space.
Dry cleaning—don’t leave in car
When taking clothes to the dry cleaner, be careful not to leave them in the car or its trunk for any length of time, especially if they’re stained. This is particularly important in hot weather when the heat in the car may bake in the stain, making it difficult, if not impossible, to remove.
Dye your darks for longer wear
Use Rit Dye to revitalize navy and black cotton T-shirts and turtlenecks—even stretch pants—when they start to fade. You’ll be able to get a few more seasons out of items you might have considered too far gone.
Earring back temporary replacement
If you lose the back piece of a pierced earring, cut the eraser off a pencil and insert it on the post for a temporary fix.
Gloves—double up
To keep your hands warm and dry while playing or working in wet, cold weather, wear thin latex gloves under your gardening gloves or woolen mittens.
Hanger marks—removal
If you have pointed hanger marks in the shoulders of a knit top, put on the top and relax the hanger bumps with your handheld blow dryer. It’s amazing how quickly the hanger bumps disappear.
Hangers—don’t store clothes on wood
Don’t store clothing on wooden hangers. Over time, the acid in the wood can react with the fabric. Pad wooden hangers with unbleached muslin or cotton.
Hangers—slipping pants
Put a piece of adhesive-backed weather stripping on the bar of a hanger to keep slacks from slipping off.
Hangers—slipping straps
Fasten unused shoulder pads to the ends of hangers to cushion fragile clothing and keep thin straps from slipping off.
Hemlines—remove with vinegar
When you lengthen a garment and want to get rid of the original hemline, dampen a washcloth with white vinegar, place it on the crease line, and just iron the crease away. The vinegar odor will dissipate quickly. This works well on new clothing. With older clothing, results will vary, but for best results, let down the old hem and clean the garment according to the care label before ironing.
Hemlines—remove with vinegar and foil
To remove the permanent press line from a hem that has been let down, dampen the crease with white vinegar and press with a piece of aluminum foil between the material and a clothes iron.
Hemming
When hemming a skirt or pants, knot the thread every 3 or 4 inches. A small break in the thread won’t mean an entire rehemming job.
Hosiery—avoid snags
Fine hosiery, pantyhose, and tights will be easier to put on and less prone to snags and tears if you slip on a pair of latex or vinyl gloves before starting the process.
Hosiery—increase longevity
According to the Morton Salt Company, your pantyhose and other hosiery will last longer and snag and run less if you perform this little longevity trick before you wear them the first time: Mix 2 cups salt with 1 gallon water, and immerse pantyhose in the solution. Soak for 3 hours. Rinse in cold water, and drip-dry. Apparently one of the properties of ordinary table salt is that it toughens fibers. That’s true for pantyhose—and broom bristles!
Hosiery—manage holes
To keep small holes in pantyhose or other hosiery from turning into nasty runs, rub a glue stick over the hole. It’s less sticky and works better than nail polish.
Hosiery—wear pantyhose times two
Instead of throwing away a pair of pantyhose with a run in one leg, match it with another pair in the same shade that has a run in one leg. Simply cut off the “injured” legs about 6 inches below the crotch. Wear both pairs of one-legged pantyhose at the same time. Yes, you’ll be wearing two panty tops, but that will simply create the equivalent of industrial-strength, control-top pantyhose, for which most of us would pay a premium. To make use of this technique more often, always buy the same brand, style, and color of pantyhose to avoid the embarrassment of LDCS (legs of different colors syndrome).
Jeans—make them soft
To soften new jeans, place them in a sink filled with cold water and 1 cup of liquid fabric softener. Let the jeans soak overnight, then wash as usual.
Jewelry—bracelet assist
Here’s an easy way to put on a bracelet without assistance. Place the bracelet across the top of your wrist and secure one end to the inside of your wrist with clear tape. Now that the bracelet isn’t sliding around, it should be easy to secure the other end and close the clasp.
To keep silver jewelry tarnish-free and shiny, slip the pieces into a small resealable plastic bag. Before sealing the bag, squeeze out as much air as possible.
Jewelry chains—prevent knots
Prevent chains from tangling and knotting in your jewelry box this way: Cut a drinking straw to half the length of the chain, slip the chain through it, then fasten the catch.
Jewelry chains—remove knots
Lay the chain on a flat surface and, with a straight pin in each hand, gently work out the knot. If the knot is really tight, apply a single drop of baby oil or cooking oil to the offending area and repeat the procedure.
Kids—big tees for kids
Buy a three-pack of all-cotton, white T-shirts to use as pajamas or beach cover-ups for small children. Select a size large enough so the bottom edge is just below those cute little knees.
Kids—jeans knee patches
When your kids’ jeans require a knee patch, simply remove a back pocket, open the inside leg seam with a seam ripper, and sew the pocket over the hole. Close the seam. Since the pocket has been washed as many times as the jeans, the material always matches perfectly.
Kids—patches on new pants
When kids’ pants are new, apply iron-on patches to the inside knees.
Kids—remake boy clothes for girls
Revamp little boys’ clothes for your little girl by sewing lace around the hems, necklines, and sleeves. Use fabric paint to draw little hearts and flowers around the necks of solid-colored shirts and onesies.
When first lacing up kids’ new shoes, tie knots in the laces after the first two sets of holes have been threaded to prevent the laces from coming completely unthreaded through active play.
Kids—sleepers and tube socks
Instead of throwing out children’s sleepers that are either too small or have worn-through feet, cut off the part just below the elastic at the ankle. Next, get an adult-size tube sock and cut off all but about 3 inches of the leg part (more or less depending on your child’s size). Turn the sleeper and the tube socks inside out and sew a sock to each leg of the sleeper at the elastic (right sides together). Turn right-side out.
Kids—sweat shorts
Save children’s sweatpants, even if they have holes in the knees. When summer rolls around, cut them off and hem them by machine to make comfortable, cheap shorts for the kids.
Kids—telling right from left shoes
Put a sticker inside your children’s right shoes or sneakers. They will begin to learn right from left and also get their shoes on the correct feet all by themselves.
Kids—trade clothes
An alternative to making your children always wear their siblings’ hand-me-downs, trade with neighbors or friends who have children of the same sizes. The kids get a new look, and the price is right.
Kids—tube socks save time and money
Buy tube socks for your kids rather than the traditional type of sock. Tube socks last longer since the heel is not always wearing in the same spot. Get in the habit of always buying the same brand, same style, all-white tube socks, and you won’t have to spend half your life matching socks into pairs.
Kids—upgrades optional
When buying kids’ clothes and shoes, set a budget figure, and if the child wants to upgrade to a trendier brand or style, require her or him to pay the difference.
Label scratching solution
If back-of-the-neck labels cause irritation, don’t cut them out. That just produces a scratchy raw edge or a lump, and removes important care information you’ll need in the future. Instead cover them with iron-on bonding tape.
Odor—cigarette smoke
To remove cigarette odors from a blouse, skirt, or pair of pants, place a fabric-softener sheet on the hanger with the garment and cover with a plastic bag. The cigarette odor will be gone by morning.
Odor—mothballs
Remove mothball odor from clothing by placing garments in the dryer with a couple of fabric softener sheets. Run on the “air only” setting for fifteen minutes.
Odor—preventing in shoes, boots
To keep shoes and boots from developing an unpleasant odor, make your own odor eaters. Pour a few teaspoons baking soda onto a small piece of cotton fabric. Tie the ends of the fabric together and secure them with a rubber band to make a sachet. Set one sachet in each shoe overnight. The sachets can be used again and again.
Odor—removing in shoes, boots
Stuff some newspaper into your shoes and boots to remove unpleasant foot odor. The paper absorbs odors.
Odor—smoke in clothes
To remove smoky odors from clothes, fill the bathtub with the hottest water available. Add 1 cup white vinegar. Hang garments above the steaming water and close the bathroom door.
Padded cases for many uses
Surprisingly some eyeglass cases fit a cell phone or digital camera better than they do spectacles. Even more amusing, some padded cases created for cell phones or digital cameras are much better suited for eyeglasses. Just another way to use “this” for “that.”
Repairs—collar and cuff turn
Save money on men’s dress shirts. If the collar or cuffs wear out first, take the shirt to a dry cleaner or tailor (or learn to do it yourself) and have them turned over. It will cost about $5 to $10, which of course is much less than the cost of a new shirt.
Repairs—frayed collars
Use an old electric razor to “shave” the collars of men’s cotton oxford dress shirts when they begin to pill. Men’s neck whiskers chew up collars, and the “shaving” actually helps to slow the wearing process. They come out looking like new.
Repairs—handbags, backpacks, luggage
Don’t throw out that handbag, backpack, or piece of luggage because of a broken strap, tear, or busted zipper. Have these items repaired at your local shoe repair shop. You’ll be amazed at the low cost and high-quality service you’ll receive on the repair of all kinds of things—even belts, gloves, bags, and so on.
Repairs—shoes
Repair, resole, and reheel shoes. You can easily double or triple the life of a good pair of shoes with simple repairs. Even expensive sneakers and athletic shoes can be resoled and repaired at some shops using new techniques and products. Check with your local shoe repairer or sporting goods store to see if they offer these services.
Rest your clothes
Your clothes will last longer if you allow them to “rest” between wearings. Clothing should hang for at least 24 hours between wearings to allow the fabric to return to its original shape.
Shoes—and driving
Ironically, the enemy of many good shoes is not walking but driving. While working the gas and foot pedals, the back of the shoe repeatedly scrapes dirty, abrasive carpet. Wear sneakers when driving, then slip into your good shoes upon arrival.
Shoes—heel shields
Protect high heels from wear and tear by having your shoe repair shop cover them with heel shields, a thin protective plastic wrap that goes around the heel. If the shields get scuffed, they are easy to remove and replace.
Shoes—leave them at the office
Leave your good business shoes at the office. Change into an older pair for the trip up and down steps and out to the parking lot.
Shoes—polish
Out of shoe polish? Spray dull, dirty-looking shoes with furniture polish, then buff lightly with a soft cloth. Self-polishing floor wax works particularly well on patent-leather shoes.
Shoes—rotation
You’ve heard of rotating your car’s tires to make them last longer, but how about rotating your footwear? Research shows that your feet produce about ½ pint of water every day. If you wear a particular pair of shoes no more than once every 3 days, three pairs will hold up as long as four pairs worn more frequently. Shoes need 48 hours to rest, dry out, and resume their normal shape.
Shoes—shining
Save and use your fabric softener sheets to shine shoes to a high gloss.
Shoes—slip ’n’ slide
When the soles of new shoes are too slippery, rough them up with a piece of sandpaper.
Shoes—stretching leather
To stretch leather shoes that are a bit snug, pour rubbing alcohol into a fine-mist spray bottle. Spray inside the shoes, and then wear them immediately; the alcohol evaporates quickly. This technique works beautifully, but only on leather shoes.
Shoes—suede
Rub very fine sandpaper on suede shoes to remove stubborn scuff marks.
Shoes—trees
Shoes should be stored with cedar shoe trees in them. Cedar absorbs moisture that damages the leather.
Shoes—white sneaker protective coating
Before wearing a new pair and after each wash, spray white canvas sneakers with a fabric protector like Scotchgard. They’ll be sparkling white till the day they wear out.
Shoes—white sneaker quick restore
To keep white canvas shoes looking new, apply white shoe polish after they are washed and while they are still wet. Allow to air-dry. You won’t believe the results.
Shopping—dry-clean only?
Think twice—or three times—before buying something that says “dry-clean only.” This kind of expensive maintenance will double or even triple the cost of a garment over the years.
Shopping—girls in boys’ department
To cut down on clothing costs for girls and young women, shop for T-shirts, shorts, jackets, and other accessories in the boys’ and men’s departments.
Shopping—high-maintenance materials
Think twice about leather, suede, and silk. They are lovely but very expensive to maintain.
Shopping—outlets
Try on more than one size when shopping at outlets. Think about it: All of these items landed in this store for some reason. Maybe they were mislabeled.
Shopping—remnants for making clothes
Keep a list of yardage and notions needed for your favorite clothing patterns in your purse. When you’re out shopping, stop by the yardages store or sewing department and check out the remnant table. If you find fabric you like, check your list to see if it works for any patterns you have. This is an easy way to add a cute skirt or blouse to your wardrobe for hardly any cost, and keeps you from buying fabric or notions that won’t work with the patterns you like.
Shopping—shoe selection
When trying on shoes in the store, walk around in them on a hard surface. Standing on a carpet is deceiving. It makes the shoes feel more comfortable than they would be on hard floors or other surfaces.
Shopping—women in men’s T-shirts
Ladies, buy men’s white T-shirts to wear under jackets. They’re cheap, easy to dye or trim, machine washable, and quite fashionable.
Ski pants
Take an old pair of jeans or canvas overalls and turn them into cheap and comfortable ski pants. Simply spray them with good waterproof fabric protector available at fabric, sporting goods, and hardware stores.
Socks—all alone
Uses for widowed socks: (1) Slip one over your hand to use as a waxing, dusting, or shoe-polish mitt; (2) put one over the top of the bathroom powdered cleanser can when not in use to avoid spills; (3) when you travel, slide one over each shoe to keep the clothes in your suitcase clean.
Stains—perspiration
“Dry-clean only” garments that are stained with perspiration should be taken to the cleaner as soon as possible. The longer the salts from perspiration remain in the fabric, the greater the chance of permanent damage.
Stains—winter coats
Try spraying stains on your winter coat with oven cleaner and allow to dry overnight. This is a tried-and-true trick used in some used clothing stores to get coats ready for sale.
Storage—belts on a hanger
For a great belt holder, install a row of big cup hooks along the bottom of a wooden hanger.
Storage—shoes in socks
Store your off-season shoes inside socks to keep them scuff- and dust-free.
Storage—winter outerwear
To pack away your winter scarves and hats, store them inside a handbag or purse that you don’t plan on using during the spring and summer. The winter accessories will help the purse keep its shape.
Static cling—use fabric spray
Mix 1 part liquid fabric softener and 20 parts water in a spray bottle set to spray a fine mist. Use as you would commercial aerosol antistatic spray by spraying on clinging petticoats, pantyhose, socks, and dresses.
Static cling—use hand lotion
Annoyed by static cling? Massage a small amount of hand lotion into your hands. Then lightly rub your palms over your pantyhose, tights, or undergarments.
Swaps—clothing
Arrange a clothing swap with friends. Ask everyone to bring at least five items in good condition that no longer meet their needs. One person’s disaster could be your delight.
Swaps—neckties
If the man of the house wears ties often and easily tires of his favorites, find another such person to participate in a tie swap. Twice a year the swappers should go through their ties and get rid of the ones that have become boring or were unwanted gifts. Make sure the items are freshly cleaned, and then do a tie-for-tie swap. Donate anything left to a local charity.
Swimsuits
To prolong the life of swimsuits that are exposed to harsh chlorine, buy a bottle of chlorine remover, sold in pet supply stores for removing chlorine from the water in fish tanks. Add a few drops of the liquid to a pail of cold water, pop the suits in when swimming is over, and rinse with cold water.
Tailoring
Someone skilled at alterations can take in, let out, take up, let down, and redesign any classic or well-made garment.
Wool
To clean and soften new, washable winter woolens, add ½ cup of hair conditioner or creme rinse to 1 gallon of lukewarm water and soak. Rinse the woolens thoroughly with tepid water.
Wrinkle-free
Throw wrinkled clothes into the dryer along with a wet towel. Turn it on for a few minutes and all the wrinkles will steam themselves away while you’re getting ready.
Zippers—jams
Paint those fraying threads that constantly get caught in a zipper with clear nail polish.
Zippers—tab replacement
If the tab on your zipper is lost or broken, replace it with a safety pin or paper clip. Paint or wind fine yarn around it in a color that complements the garment.
Zippers—trouble
You can do several things to get that stubborn, sluggish, sticking metal zipper back into tip-top shape: Run the lead of an ordinary pencil along the metal teeth to lubricate them. Or with a cotton swab, apply a bit of lubricating spray such as WD-40 to the teeth. Be careful to wipe away any excess so it won’t soil the garment. Another solution: Rub the edge of a bar of soap or an old candle up and down the teeth and along both sides of the zipper.