9 Tips to Make School Uniform Last Longer

The cost of school uniform and supplies can quickly add up, especially if you have more than one child. Thankfully however there are many things we can do to help your child’s uniform last longer. We share our nine top tips below:

Look for Quality When Buying

Young children grow fast and therefore need new clothes more often. However, if you find yourself buying more frequently due to wear and tear, rather than because your children are simply growing out of their clothes, it could be down to the quality of their garments. Sometimes we need to invest in quality to save on quantity. This shouldn’t mean spending a fortune though. Often times a few extra pounds will get you better quality school uniform items that are guaranteed to last the term, or even the school year. Look for garments labelled as ‘stain resistant’, ‘hard wearing’ and ‘strengthened seams’ to save in the long run.

Wash on Cool

We’re told to wash at 30 if we can to help cut down bills and do our bit for the health of the environment, but what about the health of our clothes? Well, as it turns out, it turns out washing at just 10 degrees cooler can help to make clothes last longer too! if you’re concerned about your clothes not coming out as ‘clean’ then fear not, most detergents actually perform their best at these cooler temperatures, working hard to remove stains and kill bacteria. If the thought of washing at 30 still give you concerns about ‘germs’ you can always add a laundry cleanser to your load for extra germ-killing action!

Wash Less

Many of us wash our clothes too often. We like to feel fresh and clean, so we throw our worn items in the laundry after only a couple of wears, even if they have no odour or stains. Even if they do smell a little fusty or have a few stains, you may want to think before you toss them into that laundry basket. Washing your clothes too often can not only increase your electricity bills but reduce their lifespan too. Next time you think your kids’ school uniform is ready for the laundry, try treating small stains with a stain removal solution and spraying them with an anti-bacterial fabric refresher. Hang the clothes outside and iron if needed. You may find you have a lot less laundry to do at the end of the week!

Stain Treat

Trying to tell young children not to stain their school uniform is like trying to tell teenagers not to bend school uniform rules! It’s a losing battle! Thankfully there is a solution for almost every stain, no matter how tough you think it may be. The next time you’re ready to throw away a white school shirt because regular stain remover won’t cut it, look to your friends, family and cleaning blogs for stain removal advice.

Line Dry

Tumble driers are undoubtedly convenient but they can also do your clothes more harm than good. Try to reduce the amount of tumble dry cycles of school uniform by line drying whenever possible. If you don’t have the space to line dry or the weather is not in your favour, you can also use a clothes horse indoors, just be sure to keep the windows open for ventilation and to prevent damp.

Learn How to Repair

The old days of ‘make do and mend’ seem to be far gone with today’s fast fashion and cheap foreign manufacturing. But repairing worn clothing instead of throwing it away can help to save families a fortune on school uniform costs. Repairing worn garments can also help to reduce the environmental impact of clothing waste. Take some time to learn a new skill and save yourself those extra pounds.

If you Need to Iron... Use a Damp Cloth

If you do choose to iron your kids’ school uniform then make sure to do so over a damp cloth or tea towel. This will help to protect synthetic fabrics and prevent shine. If your fabrics are protected with Teflon coating or stain resistant treatments then ironing over a damp towel will also help to keep these protectants in tact, therefore lengthening the lifespan of your clothes.

Water-Proof Bags and Accessories