Introduction
We all love clothes. Clothes help us express ourselves and aid in making a statement. We use clothes to endorse our favorite sports teams, hobbies, locations, philosophies, bands, etc. With the invention of some computer technology, we can now make our own clothing at home. We all love clothes, but not all of us are taking the best care of our clothes.

Do you know how to wash your clothes? Is your mother, wife, or girlfriend still doing your wash? Are you at least rewarding her? She cannot do it forever; so, we are prepared to help you. The following article offers suggestions and tips in reference to caring for your clothes.


To Dry Clean or not to Dry Clean
Manufacturers will recommend dry cleaning on the care label, but that does not mean that you most definitely have to take the garment to the cleaners. If you choose to wash the article at home, one must consider shrinkage, fabric treatments, and colorfastness. A label will read “Dry Clean Only” if there is no possibility of washing without doing damage to the garment. For most garments, a good cleaning and ironing will result in equal care in comparison to that of the dry cleaner.

Hand or Machine Wash?
Labels will indicate if a garment needs to be washed by hand. It will also indicate if certain temperatures will be harmful to the garment. If the label indicates that it must be washed by hand, then it is in your best interest to adhere to the instructions or run the risk of indefinitely damaging the article of clothing.

Bleach or no Bleach?
Most commercially sold bleaches can be used in your wash unless otherwise indicated by the label. Some garments cannot be exposed to chlorine bleach, if this is the case, then the label will indicate.

Drying
The label will usually indicate whether certain drying temperatures will be harmful to the garments. It is important to read the label in order to know what not to do in addition to know what to do. For instance, if the label gives an indication of air-drying only, then that means not to throw it in the dryer!

Ironing
Ironing is always okay for a garment unless the label explicitly states, “Do not iron.” Most irons have specific settings addressed to separate garment types; pay attention to the type of garment settings.

Warnings
Watch out for warning labels. Some clothes may do harm to other garments if washed together. The label will indicate for it to be washed separately if a garment is prone to bleeding or will be dyed if exposed to other colors.


Conclusion
Most people do not look at the care label on clothes, but it is necessary. The labels are instructions on how to care for your clothes. Knowing how to put on your clothes is not enough, you need to know how to take care of your clothes as well.

Introduction
What kinds of gifts do you like to receive? What kinds of gifts are most given? How do the gifts make you feel? We give gifts for all occasions: birthdays, graduations, weddings, retirement, etc. A recent nationwide survey gives some information on favorite gifts, the givers, and the how the gift-giving is conducted.

Favorite Gifts
It seems that flowers, clothing, and jewelry are the most popular gifts to give. Each one is given for different reasons and elicits different responses. Flowers are given to express love and to say, “I’m sorry.” Clothes are given the most often. Clothes are considered to be more “intimate” gifts because you have to know something about the receiver’s style. Jewelry makes us smile and feel special.

Best Gift Givers
A majority of those surveyed stated their spouse or significant other gave them the best gifts. Mothers were ranked second and then followed by other relatives.
Most respondents said that getting a gift for “no special occasion” ranked the highest among all occasions to receive a present.

Gift cards were highly celebrated in the receiving department. Despite thoughts that they are impersonal, receivers like them because it presents multiple purchasing options.

Etiquette
25% of respondents admitted re-wrapping gifts and giving them to others. Women were more likely to re-gift than men and are more likely to expect a thank you note for giving a gift.

Over half of respondent mentioned not expecting a thank you. Hand-written notes seem to be the most acceptable form of relating a “thank you.”