Fashion Fixer: Wardrobe Touch-up When you clean out your closet, or otherwise, you might have a few items that need touching up. Maybe you hate wearing that pilly sweater. Maybe that shirt has been wrinkled for ages. And that skirt is too staticky to wear.
Now you can make a little time for a wardrobe touchup. This is not a complete overhaul or makeover. It's just a chance for you to take a few items that need fixing and attend to them. Give them a little TLC, and you will revive them. They will surely love you back.
Your first step is to identify what needs a touchup. Go through your clothes and find everything that needs ironing, mending, defuzzing, de-staticking, fumigating, and general repair. Sort them into piles or groups if you have multiple items for one of these categories.
Start with the right tools:
ironing - iron, ironing board
mending - needle and thread, buttons, scissors
defuzzing - fabric shaver, lint remover
de-staticking - hanger, static spray, dryer sheet
fumigating - fabric odor spray, washer and dryer
general repair - see what's needed
Start with whatever you find easiest or whichever pile has the most members. You could start by ironing all the wrinkled clothes.
Ironing - Use the appropriate setting, go in one direction, press down firmly. Pull with your hands to get a taut surface to press. Use the corner of the board for sleeves and pants. Don't forget to press out collars and inside pockets.
Mending - Fix easy things to repair with straight stitches (see our old issue on how to sew). Set aside more complex things to take to a tailor.
Defuzzing - Use a large fabric shaver or a razor blade to remove pills. Use a flat, hard surface and don't press too hard with the shaver. You can use a lint remover or masking tape to remove hairs and pieces of lint and smaller pills.
De-staticking - For small spots, rubbing with a dryer sheet may work, or place a metal hanger between layers. For tough static, spray with the static spray according to directions. Don't do this near a flame!
Fumigating - Okay, we don't mean really fumigating. But you can get lots of odors out with a good warm-water wash. If a particular spot is stinky, pretreat with stain remover or just detergent. Add a dash of baking soda to the rinse water to help. Finish with a spritz of a fabric odor spray.
General repair - Other things that need repair might need to go to a professional. If there are particular stains, treat them. Always be careful about the fabric before you wash and ruin a piece of clothing (i.e. read the label!).
When you're done, put everything back into circulation. Keep it where you can see it to wear it, so that you will!