So, you've bought yourself some chinos or khakis that you dear and program on wearing for a long time. Kudos! At present comes the long game: caring for them so that you tin clothing them time and time again. Equally the experts on khakis, nosotros're hither to help you avoid any laundry room missteps — and give your khakis a little extra bit of TLC along the style. The best part? Taking great care of your khakis and chinos doesn't but help them terminal longer. It saves you a bit of money, and, more importantly, it lowers your carbon footprint — the corporeality of carbon dioxide each and every one of us is responsible for producing, directly or indirectly, in our twenty-four hour period-to-mean solar day lives.

WASHING

1. Don't Launder Them Too Much.

Our good advice? Merely wash your khakis when you absolutely have to. If you're not seeing any stains or smelling anything y'all don't like, yous're good to go for round two (or three, or 4). Likewise consider that doing several loads of laundry every week ups your h2o usage, increases your energy costs, and ultimately is worse for the planet. At present we're not saying yous should never launder your khakis! Laundry is an inevitable office of properly caring for clothes. But if you're washing them after every vesture, you're washing them too much. Instead, try taking your khakis into the bathroom while y'all shower or hanging them on the line in the fresh air whenever you start to feel like they need a little option-me-up. Those small steps should deodorize them and costless reduce wrinkles between washes.

2. Attempt Spot Cleaning.

Spilled some sauce on those khakis? Spot clean them as soon as whatsoever staining occurs. Spray them with a mild stain remover and let them to soak for xv minutes, or follow the directions as instructed. If you treat stains immediately, you lot'll be much less likely to accept to throw khakis into the wash. If you take to wash them, flip them inside out. Turn your khakis and chinos inside out earlier placing them in the washing machine. This minimizes the abrasion that causes fading, and the wear that can happen along the hems, pockets and waistband. It's too important to nada zippers and spike buttons — this helps the khakis maintain their shape and prevents them from snagging and potentially damaging other items in the load.

three. If You Have To Launder Them, Flip Them Inside Out.

Plow your khakis and chinos within out before placing them in the washing machine. This minimizes the abrasion that causes fading, and the vesture that can happen along the hems, pockets and waistband. It's besides of import to zip zippers and fasten buttons — this helps the khakis maintain their shape and prevents them from snagging and potentially dissentious other items in the load.

4. Wash Them In Common cold Water.

Did you know that xc% of the energy usage associated with doing the laundry comes from heating the water that runs through the washing machine? Nosotros're here to tell you lot that washing your khakis in cold water is just as effective as washing them in hot h2o. Even better, using cold h2o and choosing the delicate setting when washing your khakis and chinos actually puts less stress on them. And when they take less of a beating, they're less likely to pill or fray.

v. Add Just The Right Amount Of Detergent.

If you've e'er accidentally run a cycle without putting detergent in, you might have noticed that unless your dress were seriously soiled, they actually came out clean. What does that prove? That a petty detergent goes a very long way. In fact, using too much detergent really makes your clothes more ho-hum and strong over fourth dimension. So don't go overboard.

While nosotros're on the subject: for minimal environmental bear upon, await for a detergent that'south plant or vegetable-based. Conventional detergents tin contain harmful ingredients that pollute aquatic ecosystems, and nobody wants that.

DRYING

1. Skip The Dryer.

Dryers are energy hogs that wear downward your apparel faster, and so skipping this step can brand a divergence — to the earth and to the longevity of your wearing apparel. Instead, try line drying. As long as it's not drizzling outside, the dominicus actually does the best task of drying chinos and khakis; and beyond lowering that electricity bill, reaching for a clothesline or drying rack eliminates the possibility of overheating and unwanted khaki shrinkage. If you lot don't accept time to hang dry your pants, cull a lower temperature setting for your dryer.

2. Rethink The Dryer Sheets.

While dryer sheets promise to keep your clothes smelling fresh and feeling soft, they oft contain chemicals and toxins that interruption down organic fibers, shortening the life of your clothes along the fashion. Plus, throwing away a unmarried-utilize sheet each time adds up quickly. We say skip the dryer sheets birthday — or choose an alternative like a wool dryer ball, which softens your garments and speeds up drying times but tin be used for hundreds of loads of laundry.

STORING & PRESERVING

i. Don't Iron Them If You Don't Accept To.

Hang your khakis immediately after the launder wheel to minimize wrinkling. And if you do need to sharpen those creases, fe them inside out. Pro tip: our Atomic number 26 Free khakis feature Never Iron® engineering then that your khakis and chinos retain their shape even after regular washing.

2. Let Everything Air Out.

While we totally get tossing your khakis over the nearest chair and leaving them for later, we recommend hanging them somewhere with skillful air circulation so that the fabric can actually breathe. This simple human action volition stop any lingering scents from setting in and reduce the number of washes you need to exercise.

3. Store Them Properly.

Apparel are just like us – they don't tend to do well when kept in bars spaces. Avoid storing your khakis and chinos in places like basements or bathrooms, where increased wet can cause bacteria to abound and ruin them. Choose a storage space that's make clean and stays absurd, dark and dry out, and be sure to properly clean garments before storing them.

REPURPOSING & RECYCLING

1. Repurpose With A Purpose.

Not feeling those khakis anymore? Reach for a scissors and brand them into something new. Taking a couple inches off the hem has a surprisingly transformative effect; or you lot can get for the gold and turn 'em into shorts. (We're then into it that we made a few of our pants with guidelines on the inside to help you effigy out where all-time to cut.)

2. Give Them A Second Life.

Whether those khakis don't fit y'all anymore or mending just isn't your forte, nosotros all have our reasons for moving on from an old pair of pants. Consider other options before throwing them abroad. There may be someone out there who would benefit from your pre-worn clothing. Nosotros recommend donating your chinos and khakis to charities or thrift stores — like your local Goodwill, Conservancy Army or American Red Cross — or passing them along to friends.

LOVE WHAT You Purchase & Alive WITH IT LONGER

The way that we collectively shop and care for our apparel has a major bear upon on the world. Outset past choosing timeless, quality clothes that won't go out of mode. (It'south how we blueprint all of ours!) So, be mindful virtually how you care for your garments. This guide should exist a large help. In the long run, you'll salve fourth dimension and money — and the earth will exist a little amend for it. So go alee and take care of those khakis, i leg a time.