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Clothes can easily fade in the wash. Wearing vibrant clothes adds energy to any wardrobe! Extend the life of that new shirt you just bought. Liven up those old khakis you keep hidden way in your closet. Have clothes looking like new with some simple easy steps:

1. For whites, use bleach! This really brightens up your clothes and they look fresh and clean (perfect for any season!). If there are any stains (which easily happens with white clothes), they'll disappear as well. Find a gentle bleach, not one that says you have to wear gloves because it's so corrosive!

2. For colors, use a gentle detergent that's not harsh on your clothing. There are many choices that are out in the market.

3. Don't cram your washer. You may think it's economical but not only does this hurt the washer, it also hurts your clothes! Clothes need space to move around and get clean. The detergent may not come off completely and the washer becomes rough on the clothing since it's working harder.

4. Wash clothes in cold water. Hot water fades those beautiful bright colors. Don't worry, your detergent will still do well in cold water!

5. Don't keep clothes in the dryer for too long with high temperatures. Again, the heat will fade out colors. If you don't want your clothes to still be damp after taking them out of the dryer, see if your machine has settings to decrease the temperature. Then just keep them in for a little bit longer.

6. Turn your clothes inside out. This is especially good for jeans with a dark wash. Washing is harsh on clothes. Turning them inside out keeps the outside safe from getting dull.

7. Keep loads separated by color. Have whites as one, colors as another, and finally one for darks. This ensures that any bleeding of color doesn't ruin something that's a different color (like colors onto your whites).

8. For really keeping colors bright, use the gentle cycle. Hand-washing can be an option as well.

9. Use fabric softener! Not only are your clothes nice and soft, but the colors will stay bright, too.

10. Finally, read the labels! Certain fabrics need special care. Not everything can be thrown in the washer or the dryer.

These are all really easy and simple steps to keep those favorite clothes of yours longer. Stop hiding old clothes! Bring them out and liven up your wardrobe. For really special clothing (or just because it says so on the label), try dry cleaning. If that's too expensive, find dry cleaning bags that you can put in the dryer. It's inexpensive and can be found easily. It may not be as effective as regular dry cleaning, but it does the job!

Learn more about this author, Suhani Sharma.
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