Parents will soon be waving goodbye to their little ones and sending them back to school in a couple of weeks.
But the cost of living crisis is only getting worse and, being able to afford back to school items is going to be a challenge for many households.
So in the hopes of saving you a bit of bob, Jonathan Merry - financial expert and CEO at MoneyTransfers.com - has listed seven clever tips for getting the most out of your child’s school uniform from tackling stains to repairing rather than replacing.
Read more: Save money with new back-to-school website that offers second-hand clothes
Tackle the stains, don’t avoid them
There is nothing more frustrating than when your child comes home from school with stains all over their new clothes. The best thing you can do is learn how to get rid of them.
Here are a few easy cleaning tricks to do before you throw any stained clothes in the bin:
Ink stains
Spray it with hairspray first and then blot over the area with a paper towel. If it's a biro pen you lightly soak the item in some milk.
Crayon stains
Try freezing the fabric first, this will harden the crayon and then you should be able to scrape it off. Then put a paper towel on top of and underneath the stained area and gently iron it. Hopefully, it should move the stain onto the paper towel.
Mud stains
Soak in a cold bowl of water with three tablespoons of bicarbonate of soda. Leave it for an hour and then wash as normal.
Grass stains
Dab over the area with methylated spirits and let it dry. Then you can then throw it in the washing machine.
Changing out of school uniform at home
Get into the habit of telling your child to change out of their school uniform as soon as they walk through the front door. This will stop their uniform from wearing out as fast and prevent it from getting even messier.
Wash clothes correctly
Aim for 30 degrees with your washes as this lower temperature will not only help clothes to last longer but it will cut down your energy bill too. Only use the tumble dryer if you really need to as drying your clothes out on the line will help maintain their quality better. Another positive that comes from line drying is that the sun will help to brighten any white items of clothing and keep them looking fresh.
Pass any school uniform down
Passing the school uniform down between siblings or cousins is a great way to save money each year, especially when children grow so fast. It can get very expensive so it’s also worth asking around at the school for parents who are wanting to get rid of any hand-me-downs - you could be doing them a favour. Some schools and local Facebook groups even organise uniform swaps and sales, where you can pick up uniform pieces for bargain prices.
Repair, don’t replace
Rather than throwing out any school uniform that has a button missing or a small hole, you could try to repair it instead - this is much easier than you realise and more sustainable.
Look out for deals
All major supermarkets have clothing ranges in store and offer discounts on uniforms each year, so look out for those bundles and deals.
Use name tags
The most important thing you can do next is to put name tags on every piece of clothing your child wears. This could prevent uniform items from getting lost forever and needing to be replaced.
READ NEXT:
- 7 fun things for the family to do in Dublin before the kids go back to school
-
Social welfare Ireland: When is the deadline to apply for Back to School Allowance?
- 'Fiver birthday parties' are saving parents lots of money
Customers rave about Dunnes Stores Nike Air Force dupes that cost €100 less
Sign up to the Dublin Live Newsletter to get all the latest Dublin news straight to your inbox.
