How to keep clothes looking nice?

[Notatotalslob]

A colleague dresses in clothes from (higher-end) high street shops but she always looks impeccable. She often has a white sleeveless cotton top under a blazer or cardigan. Cardis are good quality. But it's the top that gets me, it's always spotlessly clean and looks like it's just come off the factory line and creaseless. She is older, no small children, and her husband has a well-paid job. But what is the secret? Even for reasonably good quality clothes (100% cotton from a good brand), mine always look a bit bunged up after just one wash and run through the tumble dryer.

I also buy things on Vinted, sometimes they've been worn once or twice and they're still in excellent condition, and when I wear them they look a wrinkled mess.

I use Ecover liquid detergent and have a new energy efficient washer and a separate tumble dryer. I have young DC (2 and 4) and wash their clothes separately from mine. Any tips?

There's always the possibility that your colleague purchases several white tops because they do look better when new.
I find that any blend of cotton and polyester does not retain its whiteness when laundered.
Even when I use a whitening stain removing powder, 100% cotton comes out bright and new while cotton blend will always have a tinge to it eventually.
I never use the tumble dryer, ever.
After laundering and being spun, I hang my tops (and everyone else's) on a shaped hanger outside on the line to dry and they dry straight and new looking, and I never need to iron them.

Cold wash only. Line dry only on a hanger. Use a liquid for woollens. Wash on a gentle cycle.

Don't tumble dry. Never wash whites with anything but other whites. Dont mix darks and lights in a load. Line dry on hanger if possible. Iron if needed.
Don't just chuck everything on the same washable learn what the different programs are for. Get a bobble remover to remove bobbles. Buy natural fibers.

As pp said, only wash whites with other whites.
I bet your colleague irons her clothes too, this makes a tremendous difference in my opinion.

Tumble dryers are not friendly to your clothes. My mil in Spain dries everything outdoors on an airer and irons them. When we’ve stayed there on holiday, any new clothes I’ve bought for the dc stay pristine. Back home, one round in my dryer and they all shrink a bit, and twist on the seams.

My lifestyle doesn’t really lend itself to not using a tumble dryer, though I do have a few bits myself that I take better care of. Even the washing machine can be too hard on delicate fibres.

With whites, you can only wear them once. You need to wash with other whites only (not whites with a dark stripe, creams or even off whites) and be especially careful of deodorants and sunscreen that can stain. Remove any stains before laundering.

Tumble dryers are bad for fabrics, line dry only and ideally on a hanger if you can.
Separate not only by colour but also by fabric, use a gentle cycle for some fabrics.
Iron, it makes a huge difference in the look.

I had a colleague who basically only wore dry clean only items, expensive brands but they also looked always impeccable. You can't wash a blazer or dresses easily yourself.

Also, people by basics in bulk.

I’ll also add that today’s “reasonably good quality 100% cotton” is pretty poor quality compared with pre-Covid clothes. I came home from a shopping trip in 2021 and retrieved some of my clothes from the donations bag, and I haven’t been inspired yet to part with them. It could be that your colleague, being older, has better quality basics though if they’re still pristinely white that is remarkable.

My guess is that she irons her clothes.

I say it every time on these threads, it makes a huge difference.

I buy new white tees & shirts frequently think that’s the hack.

Gentle, cold wash. NO tumble drier.

She sounds like a friend of mine. She washes whites on their own and some she handwashes. She irons everything and also has a clothes steamer that she regularly uses. I think her figure also helps.

She probably buys really good quality possibly French or Italian brand t shirts. I have one from a French brand Maison Labiche and the quality is insane. It sits so well.

ps Agree with all above about washing on gentle cycles and no tumble drying- also wash inside out!

Do not tumble dry, learn what the wash programmes do on your machine, iron/steam everything. Tumble dryers destroy clothes, particularly natural fibres.

Most summers I buy all new white vests and t-shirts. Not expensive, but M&S and Next.

I look after clothes but white tops in particular never stay nice for long.

I have yet to perfect crease free clothing coz Im crap at ironing. I feel like things look worse after Ive finished sometimes!
This is something I would def pay to have done 'when I win the lottery'.😄

Agree with PPs on delicate cycle, cold-water wash, line-drying, ironing.
I also use a little (less than recommended amount) laundry booster like this one.
https://www.sainsburys.co.uk/gol-ui/product/vanish-gold-oxi-action-powder-fabric-stain-remover-470g

Wash everything inside out. Avoid tumble drying. Separate colours into lights and Darks
I love linen and instead of ironing I hang and use my handheld steamer
I take care of leather boots and shoes by cleaning polishing and conditioning definitely before winter

Ironing 🤷🏻‍♀️
I think folk kid themselves that it’s not ever needed, life’s too short blah blah - but sometimes, it just is 😂

In our house we wash whites with lights, never tumble dry clothes (underwear only) and iron everything. My clothes always look nice and I wear a lot of white!

Ironing
No tumble dryer
Well sorted laundry

I agree with what others have said. I cold wash white cotton garments, never tumble dry clothes (I’ve only used my tumble drier twice in the last five years) and I iron absolutely everything apart from underwear.

Always. Always separate colours when washing. Inside out. Don’t tumble dry. Iron. MN seems to think you don’t need to iron. Well if you want to look smart you do. Oh and the golden oldie - be slim. Which I’m not, but I do all the other things.

I think the secret to ironing is unfortunately having a really good iron. You get what you pay for, and the cost of a good iron is truly eye watering.

I don’t wear white because it’s too hard to keep clean. If I so much as look at white clothing , I spill something down the front of it, or it would rain and splash up my legs muddily!
I use an apron every time I cook, and and am pretty vigilant about sponging marks from clothes so that they don’t need washing so often. I don’t use the tumble dryer, and line dry outside when possible.
Ironing is necessary for some clothes, like shirts, so I don’t wear them that often!