Every woman loves their clothes, no matter what their style. And every woman has run into some sort of dilemma in trying to keep their favorite items functional. Here are 9 clothing tricks for fixing common problems.
1. Keep your zipper up.
So, the zipper on your favorite button up pants won’t stay closed—that’s not uncommon! Use this simple trick to keep your zipper closed. Just slide a key chain ring onto the loop of your zipper, and then loop the ring itself around the button on your pants. Best yet, the ring stays concealed under your jeans!
2. Remove deodorant stains.
If you’ve put on a shirt but your deodorant has made its mark in the process, simply take a baby wipe and sweep away those white deodorant marks.
3. Stretch tight shoes.
Here’s an easy trick to stretch out uncomfortable shoes a bit. Fill a couple of heavy duty Ziploc bags half full with water, seal them with most of the air out, and then place them in your shoes over night in the freezer. Repeat if needed for more stretching.
4. Eliminate sweat stains.
That nasty yellowing in the armpits of your white shirts — you’re not the only one. I don’t even notice that I sweat, and I still get them! Keep a water bottle handy in your laundry room full of lemon juice and spray any areas of your white clothes that are prone to sweat stains before you put them in the wash. This stuff works miracles (prevents and helps eliminate).
5. Soften up new T-shirts
This technique is super easy but requires a bit of patience. Submerge and soak a stiff, new cotton t-shirt in a salt water solution of one quart water and one-half cup salt for about three days. Then wash the shirt like normal and tumble dry to create a soft, cuddly shirt.
6. Waterproof your canvas shoes.
Just about everyone has a favorite pair of canvas shoes. But when it rains, the shoes get relegated to the closet so your feet don’t get soaked. Here’s a simple trick using beeswax to waterproof your sneakers. You’ll need beeswax (available at most hardware stores) and a blow dryer. First, rub the beeswax over the entire top of your shoes. Next, use a blow dryer to melt the wax all over the shoes. Let your shoes set for about 5 minutes to make them ready to wear. The beeswax will most likely stiffen up your shoes a bit but that will go away with a little use.
7. Make your own double clothes hangers.
Believe it or not, those little tabs from your soda cans make great double clothes hangers. Take a tab and hang one open end on the neck of a clothes hanger. Then hang a second clothes hanger on the other open end of the tab. This simple trick helps you save space in your closet and allows you to pair up matching outfits.
8. Remove chewing gum.
If you’ve got chewing gum stuck on your clothing (or more likely your kids’ clothing), simply apply ice! You want to get the gum as cold as possible to harden it and make it easier to scrape off.
9. Fix an exposed bra underwire.
Moleskin adhesive pads have long been used by hikers to prevent blisters. But you can use adhesive moleskin pads (found at most drug stores) to cover an exposed underwire in your bra. Simply apply the pad to the exposed area to prevent chafing and to save your favorite bra.
What handy clothing tricks do you use?
Photo Credit: istockphoto.com
