What is your preference of handling clothes? Do you fold them and stack on shelves or in drawers or do you hang them in the closet?

The choice is often determined by our ratio of closet to shelf space, but if we care about our clothes, some care helps them last longer.

I’m a hanger. I prefer the ease of pulling clothes out of the dryer and hanging them directly on hangers as opposed to folding. I’m not a good folder and have little space for folded clothes, so they get more wrinkled when I do.

Either way, clothes should not be overcrowded. Stuffed drawers or closets will lead to wrinkled clothes. I knew a man who hung his suits precisely two fingers apart on the rods. It was a bit eccentric but showed an appreciation for what he had.

To keep your clothes in their best shape, the all-things-home expert, Martha Stewart, suggests:

  • Hang – lightweight shirts and blouses made of linen, rayon, or cotton.
  • Hang – blouses made from delicate fabrics, such as silk and satin, on padded hangers.
  • Hang – jackets, overcoats, and suit jackets on sturdy hangers.
  • Hang – skirts on skirt hangers.
  • Hang – trousers over sturdy hangers.
  • Hang or Fold – pants made of thicker fabrics, such as jeans and corduroys.
  • Hang or Fold – heavy sweaters. (If hung, fold over hangers.)
  • Fold – lightweight sweaters.
  • Fold – evening dresses, especially if they are beaded or made from heavy fabrics,  so that their shapes are not distorted.

©2014, Mary K. Doyle