How To Care For Your Clothing & The Household Items To Invest In | AD

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I’ll admit that clothing cleaning methods haven’t occupied my mind too much over the years. When Mark and I first moved to our rented flat in London it came with a washing machine that had special features that included a thick coating of the previous occupants luscious locks and the ability to make whatever we put in it smell like we’d smoked 50 cigarettes in a window-less room when it came out. Nice. When we moved here we just bunged in the cheapest washing machine that we could find and didn’t think too much of it. It didn’t make our clothes smell like fags and so we counted that as a win.

But here’s the thing. We spend so much time pouring over new purchases and investing money into our wardrobes, perhaps it’s time to start being mindful of how we care for it all too? I’ve shared tips for washing traditionally tricky fabrics here, but what about the gear you need to actually do it? Over the years I’ve bought fabric combs (WHAT A PURCHASE!), fancy detergents and sprays, steamers and a sturdy set of clothing hangers that don’t buckle under the weight of one pair of jeans, but we’d never thought to make the biggest and best purchase of all. That was until the LG F4V910WTS Freestanding Washing Machine  (gifted) came into our lives and now all my clothing care stars have aligned. Want the deats on the most important companion to your capsule wardrobe and the other accessories that come in so darn handy when cleaning it all? Look no further…

THE MUST-HAVES FOR CAPSULE WARDROBE CLOTHING CARE

A DECENT WASHING MACHINE. Invest in a high-quality washing machine that will not only last for years and years to come, but also extend the same courtesy to your clothing. The latest range of LG Washing Machines have been designed with this goal in mind and have a whole slew of cycles and spins that care for your clothing in the long run. I can’t lie, my favourite feature is TurboWash 360 that can finish the laundry in 39 minutes flat. 39 MINUTES. That’s almost half the time of the quickest wash on our old machine. It’s fast, but gentle with tiny jets all around the drum putting in the work so it never compromises on fabric protection. Then there’s the Steam+ function that works by giving your clothing a waft of steam before the doors unlock, leaving your clothing with 30% less wrinkles after washing. It eliminates 99.9% of allergens too, so is great for thicker fabrics and household items that can trap them in, and you need to iron less. SOLD. The most robot-like ‘THIS IS THE FUTURE PEOPLE!’ piece of technology is the inbuilt AI DD, that kicks in once you close the door. It detects not only the weight, but also the softness of the fabric you’ve loaded and chooses the optimal wash setting for it. Absolutely genius. This reduces the occurrence of fabric damage by 18% and means the chance of your prized jumper coming out Barbie-size is zero.

A FABRIC COMB. Pilling happens in fabrics all the time and quite often it’s not a sign of low-quality. It’s just a signifier of general wear and tear and perhaps the fact that you like to move your arms around a lot. It’s no big deal, especially when you have a decent fabric comb or material de-bobbler around. There are tonnes to pick from and they all do a decent job of ridding your item of the excess build-ups, usually in a matter of seconds. It’s such a good tool to have because it can make something look brand new in just a few strokes. I maintain my wool and cashmere jumpers during the winter by giving them a comb down every other month or so, just to keep on top of build up.

A STEAMER. Of course if you join the LG fanclub life, then your machine’s Steam+ function should leave your clothes looking a little less creased straight out of the drum, but for those stubborn folds that just won’t go, I love to whip out the steamer in my stash. Not only is it more fun than ironing (Mark used one for the first time the other day and I don’t think I’ve ever seen him so enthused – his eyes literally lit up), it’s gentler on delicate fabrics too. It’s easy to store such a small device and there’s no need for an ironing board; all your need is a bit of hanging space. I don’t iron, but I do steam and my clothing looks and feels all the better for it.

Photos by Mark Newton