How to Keep School Uniforms Looking New for Longer

It's another school year for your kids, which means one thing: school shopping (and expenses). While it's a must to buy new school supplies like books and pens every year, there is one item that moms can get savings from: uniforms. 

When given the proper care (and barring a growth spurt), there's no reason for uniforms to be replaced year on year. Here are some tips to get the most out of your kid's daily school wear:

Teach your kids to change out of their school uniforms during their after-school activities.

How many times have you seen your child use his uniform to attend after-school activities, be it for tutoring classes or for playing with friends? While this may seem harmless, this practice can greatly increase the wear and tear on school uniforms. You can influence your kids by reminding them to make it a habit to change out of their uniforms as soon as they get home. This will help them avoid uniform accidents such as spills during their after-school merienda and rips when they play with the neighbors outside.

Extra tip: Pack a set of extra clothing for them when you know that they'll be staying in school after class hours. Tell them to change into their extra clothes and to pack their uniforms in their bags.

Wash similar colors together.

When the household chores are just too much or when you’re in a hurry to attend to your kid's needs, it is tempting to just throw everything in your laundry together in the basin or the washing machine. But this is a big no-no. Sorting clothes by color is a golden rule of laundry, especially as it keeps the quality and color of your clothes better for longer. Always wash your child's white uniforms with other white-colored clothing and keep all your family's dark clothing in the same wash load. 

Extra tip: You (or your kids) can set up separate laundry hampers for whites and colored clothes. Doing this will save you the time that you spend on sorting clothes into different piles come laundry day.

Pre-treat stains especially in the collar and armpit areas.

The toughest part of doing the laundry is removing the tough stains from your child's uniform. But there is one trick that moms can do to lessen the stress: pre-treatment! Soak the stained uniform in a basin filled with water and stain remover or laundry detergent, and leave it for at least 30 minutes before you proceed to the main part of the washing process. You can opt to leave it longer (even overnight) if the stain is stubbornly clinging to the fabric.

Extra tip: You can dab hand sanitizer or a baking-soda-and-vinegar solution on the stain before soaking the clothing or placing it in the wash.

Keep wear and tear at bay.

For a mom who does everything to make sure her kid's uniforms are presentable every single day, there's nothing more frustrating than wear and tear. If the uniform is emblazoned with patches or embroidery, turn it inside out during laundry to keep them from fraying. You should also air-dry as much as you can, as using a machine dryer excessively might cause clothes to shrink or stretch.

Ironing is such a taxing chore, and it would be easier to just keep your iron at a high setting to press those pesky wrinkles away. However, high heat can damage clothing, so adjust your iron to the correct heat setting that will best suit the type of fabric that you're pressing.

Extra tip: Using high heat while ironing can damage your clothing; instead, start with the lowest heat level and work your way up if needed. Use lengthwise strokes instead of circular ones to avoid stretching the fabric.

Know your laundry detergents.

With a wide array of laundry detergent options, it's easy to get confused when picking the right one for your kid's uniforms. Some detergents can be too harsh, while others may be too mild to effectively fight stains.

To help you choose the right product, look for a detergent that can help clean clothes thoroughly while keeping dirt from coming back. One product to try is Surf Powder with FabCon.

Extra tip: Laundry detergents like Surf Powder with FabCon come in a variety of fragrances to keep your kid's uniforms smelling fresh all day. Choose the one that suits you best.

You can buy Surf Powder with FabCon online on Lazada.com.ph. Follow Surf on Facebook to know more about its products.