CARE

Have you heard of Earth Overshoot Day? Calculated annually, the day marks when humanity's resource consumption for the year has exceeded Earth’s capacity to regenerate those resources that year. In 2024, Germany had used up a whole year's worth of resources by May 2. If everyone lived like we do in Germany, we would need three Earths! (1)

But there are no more Earths available, so we need to learn how to extend the lifespan of materials and textiles to protect our planet. By caring for our clothing, we’re taking an important step.

Here, we explore techniques for caring for our textiles and provide a bit of background information on the associated social, ecological, economic and political aspects. If you want to learn the best ways to CARE for your clothes right away you can jump straight to ourr tips.

In many areas of our everyday life it can make sense to act in a way that is precautionary and forward-looking. This is especially the case when it comes to textiles and the clothing you own. This means focussing on quality rather than quantity when choosing clothes so that CARE is worthwhile. Other forward-looking actions can also be protecting your clothing from dirt and stains, as well as treating stains, or mending tears and holes as soon as they appear.

As our clothes and shoes are made from different materials, they require different types of CARE. Therefore, always check the care label and familiarize yourself with the different detergents and washing machine settings so that you can wash your clothes gently. Clothes that are labeled dry clean only can often also be cleaned on a cold gentle cycle, thus avoiding a process that is harmful to human health and the environment.

Did you know that frequent washing damages the fibres of textiles and leads to colour loss? Check whether you can partially pre-treat small stains so that you can avoid washing or reduce the washing temperature.

Have your clothes assumed a smell but are free of stains? Air your clothes in the fresh air or hang them in the warm steam after showering.

Now it's time for the laundry. Before you switch on your washing machine, sort your laundry by colour and material. This will help you avoid discolouration and shrinkage. Load the machine as full as possible and wash at a low temperature. Even heavily soiled clothes can often be cleaned effectively at lower temperatures, as modern detergents are also effective at low temperatures.

When choosing a detergent, it is important to consider the needs of your clothes. Did you know that heavy-duty detergents break down proteins and therefore damage animal fibres such as wool? It's better to use wool detergent or, in an emergency, shampoo. Washing is even more environmentally friendly if you use highly concentrated washing powder sparingly and do not use fabric softener.

Fresh air works best when drying laundry. This is because tumble dryers can damage the fibres. Shake out the laundry to avoid creases and dry knitwear flat to prevent deformation.

Did you know that more than half of tops, trousers, and shoes are discarded after three years even though they can usually still be worn?(3) Don't worry about wear marks on your clothes. They show that you really love and live in them. With the right CARE, you'll be able to do so for a very long time.

Caring for your textiles is important for extending their lifespan, but it can also have a negative impact on the environment. A third of CO2 emissions (5) and 35% of total freshwater use (6) throughout the life cycle of a textile are caused by washing and care. According to Earth.org, we could save half of the emissions alone if we avoided one in six washes, washed half of the laundry below 30 degrees, and replaced every third dryer use with drying in the fresh air (7).

Washing synthetic textiles often produces microplastics. By choosing natural materials and second-hand fashion, we can reduce the release of microplastics during washing, as most of them are produced during the first few washes. You should also check the ingredients of your detergents. Many of them are petroleum-based, contain liquid plastics (microplastics), and are difficult to break down.

In our society, caring for textiles is often seen as a frugal and rather feminine activity. Due to fast fashion and the abundance of new purchasing options, an economical, caring approach to clothing does not seem like a necessity. It is difficult for us to realize how we are using up the resources of future generations. With CARE, you are shifting your approach to clothing from one of consumption to one of preservation, both of the clothes themselves and also the Earth. Caring for your textiles is an act of climate justice, preserving resources for current and future generations. At the same time, CARE strengthens your bond with your clothes - you feel even more comfortable and cared for in them!

It is often challenging to apply the principles of CARE in our everyday lives. We do not place the same emphasis on CARE as we do on production and consumption. Fashion brands mainly make profits with new collections rather than through caring services. With CARE, however, you can really save money By paying attention to the quality of your clothes and looking after them properly, you don't have to buy as many new items. You can also reduce your energy and water consumption by following the washing tips.

Companies in the textile industry can play a crucial role in making the CARE of your textiles sensible and feasible. Fashion brands should offer high-quality products along with useful care instructions. A comprehensive range of sustainable textile and shoe care services is also useful for implementing CARE in our everyday lives. We need local interaction between us consumers and service providers in order to preserve our resources together.

Political institutions play an important role in promoting this new form of cooperation. Through regulations and incentives, they can encourage all relevant groups to work towards the preservation of resources. CARE significantly reduces resource consumption and waste, which can help to achieve environmental and political goals such as Germany's aim to be climate neutral by 2045 (9) or Berlin's goal of being a "Zero Waste City" (10).

Wondering how legislation can help you take better CARE of your textiles?

A key part of the European strategy for sustainable and circular textiles is the introduction of the EU Ecodesign Regulation for fashion companies (expected to be made law by 2026). The aim of this is to minimise the environmental impact of textile products and promote more sustainable manufacturing. This will set standards for energy and resource efficiency, reusability, reparability, recyclability, and product transparency (11). Of particular interest to you is durability and reparability in the context of CARE. The new directive is intended to encourage companies to design products so that they last longer and can be repaired more easily. This means using high-quality materials that are robust and less susceptible to wear and tear, as well as enabling uncomplicated repairs.