It’s no secret that school uniforms are expensive. So we’ve gathered some hints to help make them last that bit longer.

Double hair tie

If your child is in cheerleading, you will know that most cheer bows have 2 hairties on them. This is to keep the bow in if one snaps. The thing is, if you put one hairtie in to hold the hairstyle and then put the bow on over the top, the tie on the hairbow isn’t stressed also holding the hair in & so it lasts longer.

Double knee

Now some school pants have this inbuilt, but if you have an active child who has a habit of going to ground a lot, then you’ll love this. Sew or otherwise patch the inside of the knee of their pants, this will slow down the wear from the inside and will help reinforce the outside. Not to mention that it saves you a job for when the outside layer is worn through, it’s already patched.

Shoes

Other than buying shoes with double toes (you and get sneakers where the rubber goes over the toe), there are a few things you can do to extend the life of their shoes.

Keep them clean

Sad but true, keeping shoes clean stops any grit in them from wearing the fibres. In the case of leather shoes it treats, protects, & moisturises the leather and that makes it more resistant.

Use a protectant

Use a spray sealant on fabric shoes and a leather cleaner on leather (not suede) to protect  the fabric of the shoes from dirt and grime.

Find shoes with removable innersoles

Some brands of shoes are designed for you to be able to remove the innersole and the foot be protected from the nails etc. This means that when your child grows and their feet are filling the shoe, you can remove the innersole and get more wear from the shoe.

Clean their bags

At the end of the week make sure any old food is taken out of the bag, then at the end of the term/year put their school bag through a wash to remove the dirt and grot that accumulates down the bottom.  Keeping a bag clean on the inside prevents mold weakening the fabric and dirt wearing away at the lining.