Clothes and shoes: we all own them! So why don’t we know how to take care of them properly? Most of us are probably still trying to figure out which fabrics are good for an easy, quick machine-dry and which ones aren’t (RIP to all the early winter sweaters we lost to careless shrinkage, may we all learn from our sad mistakes). Well, luckily for those of us still trying to figure out to to organize our closet the easiest way possible, there are millions of people out there sharing their favorite clothing hacks and secrets. What’s a clothing hack, you may ask? It’s just a shortcut designed to make a task more efficient when it comes to:
- Time
- Space
- Money
In the end, don’t we all want to become that wise and handy mom (or dad) with an easy, creative solution to a problem that seemed best left unsolved and ignored? If you answered “no” to that question, you’re probably lying to yourself.
To help you get started down the path to become the ultimate clothing and shoe hacker, here’s a handy list with some of the most helpful tips out there:
Attach shower curtain hoops to a clothes hanger. This creates additional hanging space in your closet that you can use for your belts, shorts with belt loops or scarves.
Put an elastic band around the button of your jeans, and the other end on the zipper for those pants that just won’t close around your waist anymore.
If you want to hang something heavier using hoops, go for binder hoops. Binder hoops are metallic and less likely to snap from the weight, so use those to hang things like purses.
Stretch your tight shoes using thick socks and a hair dryer. Put on a pair of thick socks, put the tight shoes on and then blow hot air onto your feet while you wear your shoes. Do this for as long as you can, making sure you wiggle your feet around.
Use permanent marker to cover up bleach stains. It’s almost impossible to find a more permanent solution to a bleach stain, but this one does the job well. Find a permanent marker that matches the color of the item of clothing you want to fix, then draw over the stains one layer at a time, allowing each coat of ink to dry before you apply the next one.
Use shaving cream to get rid of make up stains. It happens to the best of us: you wait until the last minute to get dressed, or you’re at a store trying something on but you forget that you put foundation on that morning. Then you notice the stain around your neck and you panic, because you only have 10 minutes to finish getting ready. Instead of soaking your clothes in water and hand soap, try shaving cream next time. Let it soak for as long as you can on the stain then, using a wet toothbrush, gently buff out the stain.
Use nail polish to get rid of scratch marks on shoes made out of glossy material. Shoes made out of a glossy finish are stylish and chic, but they scratch easily. Take some nail polish that matches the color of the shoe and dab it on the scratch marks. Put as many layers as you need until the scratch marks disappear completely.
Use a nail file to buff out stains from suede shoes. Suede is a wonderful thing, but a pain to take care of properly. This technique only works on dry stains, and nothing that gets too deep under the suede. Gently bring the nail file to the stain on your suede shoes and rub until you start seeing the stain come out.
Tape your third and fourth toes together before you put on your high heels. Doing this might look silly, but it actually helps lessen the pain associated with wearing heels for a long time. If you’re going to a wedding or a long formal event, this might be worth a try.
Use labelled Ziploc bags when packing your clothes for a trip. Put your outfits for each day of travel in a labelled Ziploc bag and that way you’ll avoid the dreaded messy suitcase of clothes. This also makes it easier to find things.
