20 genius quick fixes for ‘ruined’ clothes and shoes

Wait! Don’t throw out that scuffed shoe or stained shirt! It can be tempting to just toss items that look a bit worse for wear, but there’s hope!

Here’s some genius ways you may not have thought of to restore your clothes and shoes to their former glory:

1. Buff stubborn grime from suede with a nail buffer.

2. Put your jeans in a ziplock bag in the freezer to reduce odour.

3. Stop a run in your stockings by applying clear nail polish.

4. If you spill red wine on your clothing, soak it in white wine to help remove it before you throw it in the wash.

5. Use a razor to fix pilling on clothes.

6. Put dry tea bags in smelly shoes to reduce the odour.

7. Lift oil stains by leaving baby powder on the spot overnight before washing as usual.

8. Remove makeup stains from your shirt with shaving cream.

9. Whiten dirty shoes again by scrubbing them with bicarb soda and a tooth brush.

10. Spray lemon juice on sweat stains before washing to get them out. Spray shirts that tend to get sweat stains with lemon juice before you wash them.

11. Put ice on gum that’s stuck to clothing for 20-25 minutes and it will scrape off easily!

12. Stop your jumpers from shedding by popping them in the freezer overnight.

13. Use hairspray to remove a lipstick stain. Spray the fabric with hairspray, and let it sit for a few minutes. Dab the stain, and then toss it in the washing machine.

14. Tighten your sunglasses with a dab of clear nail polish. If the arm of your sunglasses are a bit loose and you don’t have a tiny screwdriver handy, paint a small bit of polish over the hinge to temporarily tighten it.

15. Fix shrunken clothes with warm water and hair conditioner!

16. Is your button up shirt or coat missing a button? Either choose a similar button or use this opportunity to upgrade all the buttons to give the item a new look.

17. Remove blood stains by pre-soaking in heavily salted cold water or detergent.

18. Set bright-coloured clothes by rinsing them with vinegar before you wash them.

19. Repair the toes of your canvas shoes by sewing on some fun fabric.

20. Use chalk to get grease stains out – simply rub on and leave, then wash.