Care Of Family Clothing And Household Linen

Home Economics
Topic: Care Of Family Clothing And Household Linen
Contents

• Clothing Repairs
• Methods Of Mending Or Repairing Clothes
• Storing Clothes
• Methods Of Storing Clothes

Objectives
At the end of this article, readers should be able to:
1. List the methods of storing family clothing
2. List the methods of repairing clothes
Clothing Repairs And Maintenance
Repair and maintenance of clothing ensure that the clothing article will be useful and durable over a longer period of time. Clothes like any other articles need care and maintenance, which if properly carried out provides better service to the user. Clothing repairs involve mending tears, replacing lost buttons, stitching loose seams, darning or patching tears and holes on clothes, replacing spoilt zippers, slacked elastics, among others. It is very necessary to mend clothes as soon as the tear occurs for it saves time and energy. There are different methods of mending or repairing clothers which include the following: darning, patching, re-stitching and re-placement of loose fastenings.
1. Close Split Seam
a. Turn the wrong side of the garment.
b. Cut off any loose threads.
c. Replace the seam line stitches with hasn back stitches or machine stitches.
d. Sew through the original holes.
e. Press the seam back to its original position.
2. Replacing Buttons
a. Thread your needle and double it over.
b. Start on the back of your fabric where the button will be placed.
c. Pass through the button several times with your needle and thread.
d. Make the final pass through the back of the fabric.
e. Make sure that knot is tight against the fabric. Tie the thread.
3. Repairing A Zipper
When the runners slip off the teeth, take the following steps to repair:
a. Pull the runner down to the button, cut the zip tape between the teeth on the disengaged side.
b. Pull the runner up pass the cut in the tape, working the teeth into the runner above the cut.
c. Just above the cut, sew overcast stitches to hold the two sides together and form a new button stop.
4. Darning
This is a method used to strengthen weak or worn out areas of clothes, fabric or household linen. Darning is mostly used in knitted fabric e.g. Sweaters, Cardigans, Stockings, Towels, Akwete Clothes, among others. It can also be used to amend tear in a household articles or garments which are torn by objects. For all types of darning, the thread used must be of the same fabric, colour as the article to be darned. Darning can be carried out by hand or using the sewing machine. Note, darning is mainly carried out on a knitted fabric which is difficult to patch.
Types Of Darning
There are different types of darning which include the following:
1. Hedge tear darn
2. Hole darn
3. Cut across darn
4. Stocking darn
5. Machine darn
1. Hedge Tear Darning: This is mostly caused by accident either through contact with a very sharp object like nail. Such tear does not have weak area surrounding it.
2. Hole Darning: This is done on a clothing article that has hole as a result of tear.
3. Cut Across Darning: This method can be used on table linens and towels.
4. Stocking Darn: Stocking darn can be done on all fabric types.
5. Machine Darn: Machine can be used in darning. There are special machines for darning. However, the straight sewing machines can be used in darning with care by running several lengths of stitches on the area to be darned either in one direction or both depending on the types of tear.
Storing Clothes
Clothing are the things we wear to beautify and protect the body, such as dresses, trousers, jackets, shoes, hats and jewelries. Clothing are very important to family members because of their major role. It is important to provide proper storage space for our clothes to last longer and maintain the original characteristics.
Steps On Proper Clothing Storage:
1. Good storage space should be provided.
2. Ensure that the pockets are empty and everything that is not part of the garment must be removed before storing.
3. Fasten buttons and close zippers and hang the garment straight.
4. Clothes for special occasions should be given extra storage care.
5. Mend and clean clothes before storing.
6. Do not overcrowd the storage space, example bags, boxes and closets.
7. Do not store stained or soiled clothes, they must be washed.
8. Keep the storage space clean.
9. Regular checks should be made to ensure that clothes are safe.
10. Dress and undress properly and air clothes when you remove them before storing.
Methods Of Storing Clothes
Storing is important in the care and maintenance of clothing. The following are the different methods of storing clothes:
1. Hanging: This method prevents clothes from rumpling. Clothes can be hanged in the wardrobe or closet. This is the best way to store clothes like suits, shirts, skirts, jackets and trousers to avoid them losing their original shape.
2. Flat Storage: This involves the folding and storing in a non-hanging condition. Folded clothes can be stored in a box, bag and drawer. It protects clothes from dust and heat.