Free Cheaper, Better, Faster by Mary Hunt Page A

because of a broken strap, tear, or busted zipper. Have these items repaired at your local shoe repair shop. You’ll be amazed at the low cost and high-quality service you’ll receive on the repair of all kinds of things—even belts, gloves, bags, and so on.
    Repairs—shoes
    Repair, resole, and reheel shoes. You can easily double or triple the life of a good pair of shoes with simple repairs. Even expensive sneakers and athletic shoes can be resoled and repaired at some shops using new techniques and products. Check with yourlocal shoe repairer or sporting goods store to see if they offer these services.
    Rest your clothes
    Your clothes will last longer if you allow them to “rest” between wearings. Clothing should hang for at least 24 hours between wearings to allow the fabric to return to its original shape.
    Shoes—and driving
    Ironically, the enemy of many good shoes is not walking but driving. While working the gas and foot pedals, the back of the shoe repeatedly scrapes dirty, abrasive carpet. Wear sneakers when driving, then slip into your good shoes upon arrival.
    Shoes—heel shields
    Protect high heels from wear and tear by having your shoe repair shop cover them with heel shields, a thin protective plastic wrap that goes around the heel. If the shields get scuffed, they are easy to remove and replace.
    Shoes— leave them at the office
    Leave your good business shoes at the office. Change into an older pair for the trip up and down steps and out to the parking lot.
    Shoes—polish
    Out of shoe polish? Spray dull, dirty-looking shoes with furniture polish, then buff lightly with a soft cloth. Self-polishing floor wax works particularly well on patent-leather shoes.
    Shoes—rotation
    You’ve heard of rotating your car’s tires to make them last longer, but how about rotating your footwear? Research shows that your feet produce about ½ pint of water every day. If you wear a particular pair of shoes no more than once every 3 days, three pairs will hold up as long as four pairs worn more frequently.Shoes need 48 hours to rest, dry out, and resume their normal shape.
    Shoes— shining
    Save and use your fabric softener sheets to shine shoes to a high gloss.
    Shoes—slip ’n’ slide
    When the soles of new shoes are too slippery, rough them up with a piece of sandpaper.
    Shoes—stretching leather
    To stretch leather shoes that are a bit snug, pour rubbing alcohol into a fine-mist spray bottle. Spray inside the shoes, and then wear them immediately; the alcohol evaporates quickly. This technique works beautifully, but only on leather shoes.
    Shoes—suede
    Rub very fine sandpaper on suede shoes to remove stubborn scuff marks.
    Shoes—trees
    Shoes should be stored with cedar shoe trees in them. Cedar absorbs moisture that damages the leather.
    Shoes—white sneaker protective coating
    Before wearing a new pair and after each wash, spray white canvas sneakers with a fabric protector like Scotchgard. They’ll be sparkling white till the day they wear out.
    Shoes—white sneaker quick restore
    To keep white canvas shoes looking new, apply white shoe polish after they are washed and while they are still wet. Allow to air-dry. You won’t believe the results.
    Shopping—dry-clean only?
    Think twice—or three times—before buying something that says “dry-clean only.” This kind of expensive maintenance will double or even triple the cost of a garment over the years.
    Shopping—girls in boys’ department
    To cut down on clothing costs for girls and young women, shop for T-shirts, shorts, jackets, and other accessories in the boys’ and men’s departments.
    Shopping—high-maintenance materials
    Think twice about leather, suede, and silk. They are lovely but very expensive to maintain.
    Shopping— outlets
    Try on more than one size when shopping at outlets. Think about it: All of these items landed