How to Care For

Follow these easy steps to ensure that your child's clothes keep their good looks. Keep your Fred Bare Fabulous, your Esprit Excellent and your Target Terrific! And how to tell if a seller has treated their pre-loved clothes with the same respect. Caring for your new clothes;No.1 The Golden Rule of Laundry: Turn EVERY garment inside-out before washing and drying. This makes a huge difference to wear and tear of your clothes. Ever noticed how that 'black' t-shirt is now green/grey on the outside and jet black inside? If it had been turned inside out prior to each wash the fading would not be seen. Washing machines are tough on clothes, the poor things are beaten inside a metal drum for an hour, dozens of times in their life span. Constant friction and full exposure to washing powders causes the outside of the garment to fade, threads and buttons to loosen, bruising of fabric, scratching of metals and allows pilling (fluff balls) to form. Make turning clothes inside out a habit - do it as soon as the clothes are taken off - it only takes a mo!No.1 Buying guideHas the seller mentioned wash fade? If not, use the ask seller a questionbutton and ask! Many used garments will have lost some colour. Even 'never been worn' items may have lost that 'just bought' look after one wash. How can you check once your purchased item arrives? Stretch the elastic waistband on baby pants, is the fabric colour darker in the grooves? Look under the collar of that girls top or under that flap of a shirt pocket.No.2 Open all buttons and Close all zipsSay this as your mantra while you stand in the laundry turning everyone else's clothes inside out! Leaving a shirt etc. buttoned up will cause strain on the stitching and fabric around the button. Save yourself the trouble of sewing buttons back on, or worse losing them or having a tear in the button band. Leaving zips open allows the delicate teeth to get bashed and twisted while being laundered. Closing it will keep teeth alligned and the zip in good working order. It will also prevent 'buckling' of the fly area, on jeans especially, and makes things easier to iron. No.2 Buying guideHas the seller described buttons and zips? Are there any replacements for lost originals or logo buttons? Find out if there are any nicks or tears in the fabric. Click on ask seller a questionto find out if zips are in good working order. No.3 Empty all pocketsIf you've ever left a tissue in the pocket of your overalls before putting them in the washing machine then you'll know this rule already! The same applies to pens, lip balm and that strange thing your little boy found in the garden!No.4 Check for Colour FastnessDenim, brightly coloured or black garments can all cause laundry disasters. Brand new clothes should be checked for colour fastness before adding to your wash. Fill a light coloured basin or sink with hot water. Immerse the new garment for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the item, squeeze out excess water into the basin and check for dye run. If a lot of excess dye comes out you will need to wash the item separately and check again prior to the next wash. No.3