How to Fix Clothes

Do you want to rescue a favorite old garment? Do you need to make the clothes in your closet last a little longer? Mending old clothes is a skill worth practicing, and it's not that hard.

1. 

    Recommended reading.
   Take care of your clothing. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
   • Wash the clothing according to the instructions on the label. It's also important to read these labels prior to purchasing a garment, so you're sure that you're happy to do the type of washing or dry cleaning it requires. If not, don't buy it.
   • Close zippers and clasps when machine washing clothing.
   • Keep a set or two of older clothing around for messy or strenuous activities, such as gardening.
   • Wear an apron or smock if you're doing something messy, such as cooking or a hobby such as painting.
2. 

    Oops.
   Treat stains immediately. The specifics depend on what stain you are trying to remove and what fabric you're removing it from, but it's generally best to treat the stain as soon as you can.
   • Find your stain removal answer quickly in wikiHow's Stain Removal category.
3. 

    Buttons are easy to reattach.
   Learn to sew a button. You will need the button or a passable replacement and a needle and thread. The process only takes a few minutes, and it is one of the simplest and most common things to fix. You can even do it in front of the TV if you have to!
   • When you are given button and thread on the purchase of a new garment, get into the habit of keeping these in one single place for easy retrieval when needed.
4. 

    One arm hole too many.
   Repair seams that have torn or come undone. If a hole develops along a seam, you can usually just sew it closed again. The repair will be invisible and straightforward.
5. 

    Decorative patches.
   Patch a hole. If a garment has a large hole that's not on the seam, you may have to apply a patch. Patches are not always the most attractive repair, but they can extend the usable life of an old garment by closing up a hole or covering over an irreparable stain or snag.
   • Make the patch decorative, so it becomes a feature rather than a flaw.
   • Make the patch blend in as much as possible by using matching material.
   • If the patch will show and won't look decorative, you may wish to "retire" the garment to around-the-house duty.
   • Iron-on patches do exist, but sewn on patches are likely to be sturdier.
6. 

    A simple, straight hem.
   Learn to sew a hem. It is relatively simple to hem pants and skirts, and it will allow you to adjust the length of a garment to fit you. You can also make pants a little shorter to give them a new appearance if the bottom edge is worn.
7. 

    Darned socks.
   Darn it. Darning is the process of rebuilding a worn fabric using a needle and thread or yarn in a process similar to weaving. It may take a bit more skill than the other techniques listed here, but it is still a good option for mending small holes and reinforcing worn spots.
   • Socks and thick denier tights made from wool, cotton, or cashmere can be made to last a lot longer with darning.
8. 

    Zippers should zip and unzip.
   Troubleshoot zippers. Follow the links to take care of your problem:
   • How to loosen a stuck zipper or How to stop a zipper from unzipping.
   • How to repair a broken zipper slider or How to replace the zipper slider completely.
   • How to sew in a zipper, How to replace a zipper, or How to eliminate the zipper.
9. 

    Cut-off shorts.
   Rebuild the garment or make it into something else. The classic example is making jeans into cut-off shorts when the knees are worn through, but if you areresourceful, you could restyle all sorts of worn clothing, or make bags, quilts, leg-warmers or mittens. There are many, many options.
   • For a few ideas on restyling clothes, see wikiHow's suggestions on fabric and clothing reuse and sewing clothes.

• For torn garments, try to repair them before the hole grows. As the saying goes, a stitch in time saves nine.
• Dry cleaners and tailors can offer mending assistance if you feel that a repair is beyond your ability.
• You can use a sewing machine or sew by hand for most repairs.
• If an item of clothing is completely ruined, cut off all salvageable material and pop it into your sewing box.

• If using extremely sharp needles when sewing or knitting, be careful not to scratch or stab yourself.
  

   This may be a result of dropping a needle while sewing!
• If you drop a needle, find it immediately! Or else you or someone else could get hurt.

• Small sewing kit
• Place to keep spare buttons
• Patches
• Stain removal equipment