11 Budget-Friendly Ways to Bring Old Clothes Back to Life

Sometimes even a small thing can spoil a mood, especially if it’s connected with one’s appearance. Like in the case of a spot on a blouse, a shrunken sweater, or a faded shirt, it might seem that everything has gone wrong and that nothing can be resurrected. However, experienced homemakers know simple and accessible secrets that will help to reanimate spoiled items and bring them back into your wardrobe.

Bright Side studied tips for restoring clothes and is excited to share them with our readers.

11. Removing grime from suede shoes

You need to rub steel wool hard against the stain. Perhaps you’ll have to do the same with the rest of the shoe to keep it even.

An ordinary dish sponge will help absorb leftover water if your shoes are wet.

10. Preventing a zipper from unzipping

When using a zipper for a long time, it might get loose and start to unzip. In order to prevent this from happening, you can apply some colorless nail polish or hairspray to it.

9. Removing the unpleasant smells from shoes

Oftentimes, the nasty smell coming from your shoes is caused by bacteria which starts to spread an unpleasant odor when it comes into contact with sweat. In order to get rid of the smell, you need to put them somewhere that has a low temperature. If you don’t have the option of leaving the shoes on a balcony or outside, you can put them in a plastic bag and into a freezer. Shoes should stay there for 12-24 hours.

8. Removing white deodorant stains from dark clothes

When using deodorant frequently, it can leave white stains on dark clothes that can be removed with regular wet wipes. Simply wipe the area of the clothes with the stains and they will disappear.

7. Restoring faded clothes

Colored clothes might look faded after several runs through the washing machine. In order to make a bright item keep its color longer, you can use white vinegar or regular salt. Vinegar will be good for synthetic fabrics while adding 2-3 tablespoons of salt to the washing powder will restore the colors of natural fabrics.

6. Preventing a sweater from itching, losing its color, and being eaten by moths

A wool sweater is a product that sometimes causes inconvenience and requires delicate care. If you place a folded sweater into a plastic bag and into a freezer, it will pill and shed less. Moreover, low temperatures kill the larvae of moths. You can get rid of itchiness by wetting the sweater and putting it into the freezer for 10 hours. After that, you’ll need to de-freeze it in warm water and dry it off.

5. Bringing back snow-white color to underwear

Boric acid can help to get rid of yellow stains on clothing and bring back the snow-white color they once had before the many washes you’ve put them through. You’ll need to use 1/2 cup along with your detergent when you wash your whites and see how it delivers.

4. Getting rid of static that clings to clothing

Static clinging can be stopped by using a metal item. In order to stop clothes from clinging to the body, you’ll need to loop it through a metal hanger before putting it on. You can also use a clothespin by attaching it to the inner part of the clothing item or rubbing a thimble against the whole area of the item.

3. Removing a mildew smell

Things that have been lying in a closet for a long time smell bad. In order to get rid of this mildew smell, you’ll need to dilute the alcohol with water in the ratio of 1: 2 and apply this solution to the clothing with a spray bottle.

2. Restoring shrunken clothes

This method works well with knitted items. Add some baby shampoo or hair conditioner to warm water. You can also add some fabric softener to it. Soak a shrunken item in this solution for at least 30 minutes.

1. Removing burned ironing stains

The damaged part of the clothes should be wiped or ironed with a cloth moistened with hydrogen peroxide.

Are you aware of some other tricks for restoring spoiled clothes? We’d be happy to hear from you in the comments!