How to make clothes, bedding last longer From what you buy to how you wash it and dry it - each step affects how long your clothes, bedding and towels will last

Proper care can extend the life of clothes and linens. Proper care can extend the life of clothes and linens. Photo: Dorothy A. Yule, The Chronicle Photo: Dorothy A. Yule, The Chronicle Image 1 of / 3 Caption Close How to make clothes, bedding last longer 1 / 3 Back to Gallery

We all know how to keep our clothes and bedding and towels looking unfrayed and unfaded: Don't wash them and, especially, don't dry them.

Of course, then they end up looking soiled and smelling worse, and even a bad economy doesn't seem like excuse enough for that.

It's a trade-off, and that's what making things last is all about: Would you rather spend more money for a jacket that keeps its shape or shop at Wal-Mart? Buy a pricey and complex detergent or a greener one? Devote more time to sorting and prepping laundry or watch "Grey's Anatomy"? Use more water per load or meet East Bay rations? Build an extra closet to give clothes more breathing room or unload stuff? Dial up the gentle cycle and cold water or opt for the clean white look that only hot water and bleach bring?

"Just think of how many things affect the wear of a garment," said Harold Baker, the chemist and associate research fellow Clorox refers to as its Dr. Laundry. "Man, there's a ton of things that go on - from the wearing phase to the washing phase to the drying phase, I can screw it up in a lot of ways. You have to consider the variables."

We screw up when we buy an article of inferior quality. It's not so easy to judge the quality of fabrics, but here's a tip from Lori Baird and Yankee Magazine's "Don't Throw It Out: Recycle, Renew and Reuse to Make Things Last": "The more industrialized the country, the less likely it is that the garment will shrink or bleed." That would favor the likes of Italy, China and the United States over India and Moldova.

Yet the chemists behind Procter & Gamble's new Tide Total Care with Protective Fiber Complex advise against linking longevity and price.

"The higher quality garments aren't necessarily immune to fiber wear," said Dawn French, director of research and development for fabric care. "But we've worked with the $5 Wal-Mart T-shirt and the $50 T-shirt from Saks - and the new products can benefit both, especially over time."

Fibers start to wear when we put clothes on wire hangers in a crowded closet. When we pull on a sweater and move around, fibers rub against each other. When we sleep on the sheets, we begin the fraying process.

Washing, says Dr. Laundry, wears them further - between the agitation and the detergent and, especially if we've overloaded, the friction of the clothes rubbing against each other. Yet, if we can't get them clean, they'll soon look dingy and unpresentable, especially if we put them in the dryer when they're still soiled.

Dr. Laundry's company makes several kinds of bleach, which according to environmental reports is not all that un-green to use around the house. It begins as common table salt and ends that way - and though in its undiluted bleaching stages it can bore a hole through your favorite T-shirt, experts generally have concluded that it cleans and disinfects like nothing else and household use doesn't contaminate groundwater, generate dioxins or significantly harm the environment.

The latest bleach from Clorox, HE, is designed for the tiny compartments on the front-loading (high-efficiency) washing machines we'll all be using eventually. HE is thick, so it's less likely to splash when poured - and, it helps stop bacteria growing in these super-water-tight machines that don't completely drain.

The new Tide ($6.99 for 20 ounces) contains silicone, polymer and "chlorine scavengers." That's because while chlorine is good for cleaning, it's less beneficial when it comes to preservation of fiber and dyes. Tide Total Care coats fabric to protect it - and for those who think washing ought to remove substances, just think of the effect that conditioner has on hair or moisturizer has on skin, two products hardly any woman lives without today.

Women are the targets of the new laundry technology, which the company developed in response to focus groups that studied women's relationship with clothes.

"There were all of these emotional stories the women had about favorite items of clothing that ended up in the Goodwill box," French said. "A very clear pattern emerged that we called demoting: You wear something every day, then you wear it only on weekends, then you wear it only for gardening, then it's in the box."

When money's tight, it's practical to try to lengthen each phase before demoting. See the tips from the experts and decide which trade-offs suit your sensibility.

Bedding -- For comforters, choose the highest fill (American Standard Testing: the space 1 ounce of down occupies in cubic inches) you can afford. Good: 550 and up. (1, see Source list below right) -- White sheets made of cotton not treated for wrinkles look best longest. (3) -- Sateen sheets tend not to be as long-lasting as plain and twill weaves. (3) -- Tie-dye otherwise usable sheets to disguise fades and spots. (1) Towels -- Wash towels without softeners, wash colored towels without bleach, and wash white towels separately. -- If towels get stiff, add white vinegar to the wash. Shoes -- Shop for wooden heels, especially on boots - they hold up better than heels covered in leather. (2) -- Make old ones smell better by filling socks with kitty litter and letting them sit in shoes overnight, or fill the shoes with baking soda and freeze them overnight. (1) -- Help canvas shoes stay clean longer by spraying on a coat of starch. (1) Sweaters -- In the store, rub the fabric to see if it pills or loses fibers. (1,2) -- Make sweaters last by tracing their outlines on an old screen or towel and "blocking" them to dry - manipulating the fabric to fit within the outlines. -- Tighten cuffs and waistbands with a hot water soak, then blow-dry. (1) -- Use a mesh bag to protect sweaters or delicates from agitator wear. Jackets -- In the store, squeeze the fabric on the back of a wool blazer for 15 seconds, then see if it unfolds cleanly. (2) -- Restore worn leather by applying castor oil. (1) -- Spot clean to lengthen the time between launderings. (3) Clothes in general -- Look for prewashed jerseys and knits; they are less likely to lose shape. -- Find a local tailor who can help garments keep up with growth and weight changes. -- When a stain mars a favorite garment, cover the spot with decorative trim or buttons. (1) -- Read labels, follow care instructions. Sources 1. From "Don't Throw It Out" by Lori Baird. 2. From "The Lucky Guide to Mastering Any Style" by Kim France and Andrea Linett. 3. From "Laundry" by Cheryl Mendelson.