It has taken me over a decade of experience dressing in all-black-everything to know a few tips to care for my dark clothes. If you find yourself struggling to keep your darkest blacks their soulless selves, read on for a few suggestions and tips to maintain their obsidian appearance. You beautiful goth babes, listen up.
- Avoid direct sunlight. This step can be tricky to do at times. I had so many black shirts fade over a few years in college while walking to classes for an hour each day. If you can wear a parasol or keep it in the shade of a tree, all the better to protect your favorite dark clothing. Above all, this is the tip I find the easiest for myself to do.
- Wash less, tumble in the dryer even less often than that. I take a few steps to wash my clothes as little as I can. Does your clothing look dirty? If it doesn’t smell bad and isn’t visibly soiled, you can probably skip a wash. Of course, I don’t recommend this approach with underwear, gym clothes, or anything sweated in. Always use cold water in the washing machine. I always use Woolite All Darks laundry detergent. If the garment has a stain, try spot-treating it. Wash clothing inside-out. Hang to dry outside (in a shady area), or hang up indoors and let the fabric breathe. The dryer will contribute to fading and breaking down the fabric, so skip it if you can. A more hands-off approach to washing our clothing helps the environment as well.
- Wear higher-quality fabrics. Clothing made better will last longer and have better dyes. When we use superior fabrics we set our dark clothes up for long-lasting success. Avoid purchasing clothing that contains synthetic materials because it will not keep in good condition.
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