As fast fashion brands have grown their market share by 69% since 2010, clothing quality has suffered. Fabric weights have decreased by 16% in the last 15 years. Of course consumers want clothing that will wear well and long. In fact, 85% say that durability is an important attribute of their clothing. In 2010, t-shirts were expected to last 2.5 years and jeans to last 4 years. The expectations for 2020 were 4.5 years for t-shirts and 5.1 years for jeans (Lifestyle Monitor, 2021). Laundering certainly plays a large part in determining durability.
In the US, the average family washes about 300 loads of laundry each year, with each load using about 41 gallons of water. Clothing dryers account for about 6% of the energy use in an average home (NPS, 2021). To help apparel last and to protect the environment as much as possible, consumers must learn to care for apparel and home textiles in a sustainable manner.
How to wash & dry textiles responsibly
The durability of a piece of clothing is determined in large part by its construction, resistance to damage (such as abrasion, snagging, pilling, etc.), colorfastness (how well dyes resist fading), functionality (fulfilling its purpose over time), and design to fit (ability to adjust to fit one’s body shape) (SGS, 2021). However, consumer care is vital to durability as well.
With clothing care making up 30% of a garment’s carbon footprint (Webb, 2020), consumers should pay attention to recommendations for sustainable laundering, such as:
- Carefully review care tags on items to learn how to properly launder them. For example, most delicates should be hand washed and air dried.
- Treat stains as soon as possible.
- Wash clothes in cold water.
- Run full loads.
- Consider hang drying clothing as an alternative to using a dryer.
- Dry heavier cottons, such as towels, in a separate load from lighter-weight items.
- Don’t over-dry clothing.
- Clean the lint screen in the dryer after each load, because this will improve air circulation and decrease fire hazards (U.S. Department of Energy, n.d.).
- Find alternatives to dry cleaning, which is not sustainable. To clarify, it relies on perchloroethylene, a solvent used in removing oil- and grease-based stains (Webb, 2020), and is considered a toxic air pollutant according to the US EPA.
Additional clothing care tips
Of course it is important to be thoughtful in making apparel purchases in the first place, considering how an item feels to the touch, how sheer it is, if it’s a good textile blend, and if one has the means to maintain it correctly. Along with laundering carefully, consumers in China and the US also extend the lifetime of apparel by mending holes and tears, wearing less often, washing less often, and avoiding activities that might cause wear (Cotton Works, 2020). Consumers can also store and rotate clothing for various seasons.
Increasing durability further
In conclusion, demands for durability will likely continue to increase. 91% of consumers value clothing that lasts, and 78% look for durability enhancement features in order to extend the lifetime of their apparel (Lifestyle Monitor, 2021, March 24). Such functional features, like antimicrobial treatments on textiles, can reduce the need for frequent laundering, therefore enhancing textile durability and improving consumer sustainability.
References
Cotton Works. (2020). Consumers & clothes: Adapting to a changing world. Cotton Inc. https://www.cottonworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Consumers-Clothes-Webinar-Slides.pdf
Lifestyle Monitor. (2021). Things to know about durability and what’s in your closet. Cotton Inc. https://lifestylemonitor.cottoninc.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Things-To-Know-About_Durability_US_forDownload.pdf
Lifestyle Monitor. (2021, March 24). Fashion & clothing durability: What’s crucial in the resale market? Cotton Inc. https://lifestylemonitor.cottoninc.com/fashion-clothing-durability/
NPS. (2021, August 11). Laundry practices and water conservation.
SGS. (2021, July 6). Durability of clothing – why it matters? SGS.com. https://www.sgs.com/en/news/2021/06/durability-of-clothing-why-it-matters
U.S. Department of Energy. (n.d.). Laundry. Energy.gov. https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/laundry
Webb, B. (2020, October 22). A new movement to reduce the hidden environmental cost of clothing care. Vogue. https://www.voguebusiness.com/sustainability/a-new-movement-to-reduce-the-hidden-environmental-cost-of-clothing-care
