It is not sufficient if we keep our house and body clean. We have to keep our clothes also clean. Clothes protect us from sun, cold, wind and disease producing germs. If clothes are not clean, the body will be affected. The common enemies of clothes are dust and insects.

Caring of clothes:
Dust settles on our clothes when we sit at home or go out. The dust carries bacteria and other disease producing germs. The colour of the clothes also fades out. Clothes do not long if the dust is not removed from them. When we reach home we change our clothes. The clothes we wear for the day, should not be kept along with the other clothes. To protect the clothes from dust keep them in a cupboard. To remove the dust, clothes can be brushed with a soft brush. A variety of insects spoil the clothes by taking shelter in them. The common ones are the months and silver-fishes. Months settle in clothes and lay eggs, especially in woolen clothes. The eggs of the months develop into grubs and these spoil the clothes. Silver fishes eat away the clothes. Cockroaches also spoil the clothes with their excreta. To protect the clothes from insects, keep moth or insect repellants like naphthalene balls where the clothes are kept. Moths do not enter the clothes if the clothes are wrapped in several layers of news papers.

How to wash clothes:

Clothes are washed to remove dust and grease from them. Daily wear like banians and socks must be kept in hot water for some time and then washed with soap. Washing soda can also be used for washing the clothes. For washing silk clothes washing soda and chep quality soaps should not be used. These damage the silk fibres. Silk clothes should be washed with fine quality soaps. The fine quality soaps contains less caustic soda, hence they be dried in shade. Soap flakes can also be used for cleaning silk clothes. In the market, a variety of soap powders are available now-a-days. There are also soap less detergents. The soap less detergents are petroleum products. They are very effective in removing dirt and grease. Woolen clothes should not be washed with water. The woollen fibres shrink if washed with water. They should be dry cleaned. For dry cleaning liquids like petrol, carbon tetrachloride and benzene are used.

Removal of stains:
Stains give a dirty appearance to the clothes. The following precautions should be followed for removing the stains from clothes.
1. Remove the stains immediately after they have occurred. It is easy to remove a fresh stain. Removal of dried old stains is difficult.
2. Each type of stain requires a particular method of removal.
3. Do not use the same methods of stain removal for all types of garments.

For removing blood stains:When cuts or wounds occur, blood stains may occur on clothes. Apply liquid starch to bloodstain and dry it in the sun. Afterwards wash the cloth with soap. Even then if the bloodstain remains on the clothes, rub the bloodstain with warm water in which a little borax powder dissolved. Then wash it with soap and dry it in the sun. Liquid ammonia can also be used for removing bloodstains on clothes.

For removing Ink stains:
Ink stains on clothes are very common among students. If the ink stain is wet, rub it with a little of milk and wash. If the stain still persists, apply Hypo solution and rub it. Afterwards wash it with soap and dry it in the sun. Rubbing with chlorine water or tartaric acid or a solution sodium meta bisulphate also removes ink stains.

For removing stains of coffee or tea: Mix a pinch of borax in boiling water. Then wash the stain with this water. The stains of coffee and tea can also be removed by rubbing them with salt and lemon. Chlorine water or Sulphur dioxide also remove coffee or tea stains.

For remvoing of Iron stains: The stains formed due to iron rust require an acid for their removal. The most effective acid for removing these stains are lemon juice or oxalic acid. First pour boiling water on the stain. Then apply the powder of these salts with a stick like match stick. Do not use hands. After applying the powder pour boiling water again on the stain. Afterwards rinse the clothes thoroughly in water and wash them with soup.

For removing Oil and Grease stains:
Oil and grease stains on clothes can be removed with benzene or petrol. Rub the oil or grease stain with benzene or petrol. After some time, wash with water and dry the clothes. Carbon tetrachloride also can be used. All these are highly inflammable. Extreme care should be taken while using these substances. Tar stains can be removed with the above chemicals or kerosene.