What should be done every month
Short answer: The monthly routine is three things: remove lint, run an empty hot wash and check for seams that have started to open. It takes ten to fifteen minutes once a month, and it keeps clothes looking fresh and lasting longer.
Ten minutes a month
The monthly routine covers lint, machine and seams. Together they take ten to fifteen minutes, and you can easily do them on a Sunday evening. It is not a big job, but it is the kind that gets forgotten until something goes wrong, and then it costs more time than the ten minutes.
Removing lint
Run a lint remover over knitted items. It takes two minutes per piece and makes a garment look new again, even after a year in use. Lint appears when loose fibres rub together, and that is completely normal. Start where friction is greatest, such as under the arms and at the sides. See bamboo sweatshirt for men.
Use the lint remover with care
Use the lint remover lightly and in short strokes, so you do not pull at the knit or wear the fabric. Lay the garment flat on a table so it does not stretch, and go over it bit by bit. Do not press hard, as it gives no better result. A garment without lint feels softer and looks tidier day to day.
The empty wash
An empty wash at sixty degrees removes grease and soap residue from the drum. If you always wash cold, the monthly empty wash is the only thing that keeps the machine free of smell. Set a fixed date, such as the first Sunday of the month, so it is not forgotten. See bamboo t-shirts for men.
Soap and grease in the drum
Cold washing with little detergent leaves soap residue and grease that settle in the drum and hoses. Over some months it becomes a smell that settles into all the laundry, even what you just washed. The empty hot wash loosens residue that would otherwise stay, and is far cheaper than rewashing all the clothes.
Check the seams
Check the crotch and under the sleeves, where seams take the most strain. A seam caught early takes two minutes to sew, while the same seam a month later takes half an hour. Look for loose threads and places where the seam has started to open. A few quick stitches now save you discarding a good garment. See bamboo underwear for men.
How to sew a seam
If you have not sewn before, it is easy to learn. Use thread in the same colour and sew small, close stitches across the place where the seam has opened. Catch a little of the intact seam on both sides so it holds. If you have no needle and thread, a tailor or alteration shop can do it quickly.
Bedding and towels
Check too whether bedding and towels still absorb well and whether there are holes or thin spots. A towel that no longer absorbs, even after a wash without softener, should be replaced. Bedding can have thin spots where it rubs against the mattress. Checking takes only a moment while you have the laundry in your hands anyway.
Put it in the calendar
Put three items in the calendar on the same day each month: lint, empty wash, seams. Then you need not remember, and it becomes a habit rather than a burden. After three or four months you do it without thinking, and you notice that clothes last longer and look better.
Frequently asked questions
Why every month and not every quarter
Because a seam of one centimetre takes two minutes to sew, while the same seam a month later takes half an hour. Small things should be caught early, and a month is a fitting rhythm.
How long does it take
Ten to fifteen minutes for an ordinary wardrobe. The lint remover takes two minutes per piece, and the empty wash runs by itself while you check the seams.
What about bedding and towels
Check whether they still absorb and whether there are holes or thin spots. A towel that no longer absorbs, even after washing without softener, should be replaced.
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