Warm water, inside out and air-drying: Five ways to have longer-lasting leggings
Keep your trousers in tip-top shape with these five leggings life hacks
GOING see-through, wearing thin or simply ripping at the seams - it's endlessly annoying to feel like you're constantly having to replace your leggings.
But don't stress: these five tips will solve your Lycra losses and give your leggings a new lease of life...
Sporadic soakings
You might think that frequent washing is the way to give your leggings a healthy lifespan, but in fact it's the exact opposite.
Obviously, you should pop them in the wash after a gym session - but if you've just been wearing them around the house, there's no need to wash after every wear.
Warm water
A cycle that's far too hot can cause your slacks to shrink - stick to a temperature of 30 degrees max.
It's better for the environment as well.
Reverse remedy
Not while you're wearing them, of course...
But if your pants are patterned or printed, turning them inside out before washing them can go a long way towards preventing the designs from fading.
Chemical cut-out
Fabric softeners and washing powders are the sworn enemy of stretchy fabrics.
You don't want to damage the fibres in the material by overloading them with harsh chemicals, so stick to a small cup of washing powder, and definitely no conditioners.
Drying dilemma
Skip the tumble dryer in favour of laying your leggings flat and air-drying them.
The flat position will keep them in shape and stop the weight of the water stretching the lycra, while avoiding heat will prevent them shrinking.
