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Want Your Clothes to Last Longer? Try This Before Every Wash
Washing causes more friction than you might realize. One simple habit can help protect the visible surface of your favorite shirts from fading and wear.
- Shira Davush
- | Updated
During a wash cycle, your clothes are doing much more than simply soaking in water and detergent. The washing machine drum spins, garments tumble against one another, and fabrics repeatedly rub against both other clothes and the inside of the machine.
That friction is a normal part of washing, but after dozens of loads, it can gradually affect how your favorite shirts look.
When you wash a shirt with its outer surface exposed, that is also the surface receiving much of the rubbing and friction. Over time, the fibers can begin to wear, colors may appear less vibrant, and small pills can sometimes develop on the fabric.
The shirt may still be perfectly wearable, but it might no longer look quite as new.
Why Turning Clothes Inside Out Can Help
Turning a shirt inside out before putting it in the washing machine shifts some of that friction to the inside of the garment. The visible outer surface—the part you actually want people to see—gets a little more protection during the wash.
This simple trick can be particularly useful for black and dark-colored clothing. Even relatively minor wear on the surface of dark fabrics can make their color appear faded or uneven.
It can also help protect printed T-shirts and other garments with designs on the outside, since the printed surface has less direct contact with other clothes and the washing machine drum.
Of course, turning clothes inside out cannot prevent normal wear and tear entirely. Water temperature, detergent, fabric type, wash cycle, and drying method can all affect how quickly clothing ages.
But when it takes only a few seconds, turning certain garments inside out before washing is an easy habit that may help keep them looking better for longer.
So, before starting your next load of laundry—especially one containing your favorite black, dark, or printed shirts—take a moment to turn them inside out.
After all, if friction is unavoidable, it makes sense for more of it to happen on the side nobody sees.
