topic Re: Decluttering and finding....Elastic wearing out in Community Chat

Decluttering and finding....Elastic wearing out

bonnielu — Tue, 11 Aug 2020 20:13:08 GMT

I am checking out all my closets one by one. I am trying on clothes and deciding what I really need and honestly will wear. Found a strange problem

Anything that has elastic waists.... elastic made a strange sound and then pulled and no longers springs back. More than one garment. DOES ELASTIC WEAR OUT... NO WEAR JUST IN CLOSET.

Any infomation or advice would be appreciated

Re: Decluttering and finding....Elastic wearing out

geezerette — Tue, 11 Aug 2020 20:15:32 GMT

@bonnielu

Oh yes, elastic does 'wear out'. Probably a better description is that it gets old and dries out and thus loses its elasticity.

Re: Decluttering and finding....Elastic wearing out

Desertdi — Tue, 11 Aug 2020 20:23:17 GMT

I'm in Phoenix.........and I thought it was the dry climate that was killing my elastic........ya know.........especially in UNDIES. I have my panties give way.......in public........

Re: Decluttering and finding....Elastic wearing out

geezerette — Tue, 11 Aug 2020 20:32:05 GMT

@Desertdi wrote:
I'm in Phoenix.........and I thought it was the dry climate that was killing my elastic........ya know.........especially in UNDIES. I have my panties give way.......in public........

@Desertdi

I used to live in that neck of the woods, but I'll have to say I never had that happen! 😳😉

Getting dried out (from whatever cause) is the bane of elastic.

Re: Decluttering and finding....Elastic wearing out

bonnielu — Tue, 11 Aug 2020 20:32:26 GMT

Thanks I should have used the word "dried" out. Just could not think of it In any case not a problem for me since I have gained some weight and the pants are okay for now.

I am a fully retired teacher with clothing galore and am at odds what to get rid of.

Re: Decluttering and finding....Elastic wearing out

Jk9 — Tue, 11 Aug 2020 20:41:30 GMT

I have had that problem happen and yes even with panty hose and trouser socks. I also had a pair of Danskos fall apart when I wore them after being stored for a couple of years. The sole just disintegrated when I walked. Very embarrassing as I left a trail of black debris as i walked. Also with a pair of Nurture shoes. I remember my mother used to keep things forever in case the good stuff was needed and we had to discard bunches of stuff after she died. So I now use everything rather than let it "rot".

Re: Decluttering and finding....Elastic wearing out

geezerette — Tue, 11 Aug 2020 20:42:02 GMT

@bonnielu wrote:
Thanks I should have used the word "dried" out. Just could not think of it In any case not a problem for me since I have gained some weight and the pants are okay for now.

I am a fully retired teacher with clothing galore and am at odds what to get rid of.

@bonnielu

Now you're getting a pretty good idea of where to start!😉

Re: Decluttering and finding....Elastic wearing out

Big Joanie — Tue, 11 Aug 2020 21:17:32 GMT

Oh yes .. shoes often fall apart in Florida .. even with air conditioning .....

Re: Decluttering and finding....Elastic wearing out

Mz iMac — Tue, 11 Aug 2020 21:29:09 GMT

@bonnielu wrote:
I am a fully retired teacher with clothing galore and am at odds what to get rid of.

"If it has not been worn in a year, git rid of it" motto works for me!

Re: Decluttering and finding....Elastic wearing out

CelticCrafter — Tue, 11 Aug 2020 21:36:29 GMT

@bonnielu wrote:
Thanks I should have used the word "dried" out. Just could not think of it In any case not a problem for me since I have gained some weight and the pants are okay for now.

I am a fully retired teacher with clothing galore and am at odds what to get rid of.

You plan on keeping them? Don't leave the house wearing them.

Re: Decluttering and finding....Elastic wearing out

Caligurll — Tue, 11 Aug 2020 23:15:31 GMT

@Desertdi wrote:
I'm in Phoenix.........and I thought it was the dry climate that was killing my elastic........ya know.........especially in UNDIES. I have my panties give way.......in public........

@Desertdi A friend of mine used to salvage panty hose that only had a run in one leg by cutting off the leg with the run, and doing the same with another pair, then wear the two together, one on top of the other (double the panty part). It worked well for her until one day getting on the bus to come home from work, one half of this situation came down as she stepped up onto the first step and she tripped.

No harm done, except extreme embarrassment since she had to ride that same bus home, and remove the offending garment. That was the end of her saving money by getting the maximum use out of her panyhose.

Re: Decluttering and finding....Elastic wearing out

KarenQVC — Tue, 11 Aug 2020 23:20:30 GMT

I had the waist on PJs give out with a satisfying crunch noise.

Re: Decluttering and finding....Elastic wearing out

Drythe — Tue, 11 Aug 2020 23:33:25 GMT

@bonnielu wrote:
I am checking out all my closets one by one. I am trying on clothes and deciding what I really need and honestly will wear. Found a strange problem

Anything that has elastic waists.... elastic made a strange sound and then pulled and no longers springs back. More than one garment. DOES ELASTIC WEAR OUT... NO WEAR JUST IN CLOSET.

Any infomation or advice would be appreciated

@bonnielu

This is just a suggestion, I am NOT against cluttering at all...

When I stopped working in the corporate world every day, I did a Major de-clutter of my closet. I have had regrets over just one thing, several, very nice, classic blazers I wish I still had. Never thought about over jeans, as a light winter jacket, over leggings, etc.

So, just think about how you might re-use things you really like that fit.

Re: Decluttering and finding....Elastic wearing out

1Snickers — Wed, 12 Aug 2020 01:29:45 GMT

I used to travel a lot. I took things that were old and I could wear them once then throw them out. It usually worked well and I had more room for purchases and fewer suitcases.
The last day of a cruise I took an old bathing suit, I wouldn't have to pack a wet one after a dip in the pool.
After my swim as I came up the ladder I could feel the suit stretching. It was a one piece tank and it kept getting longer.
Fortunately my towel was close by on a chair. I held the suit around me until I could get my towel and beach jacket.
When I entered the cabin, I told my friend "look what happened to my swimsuit"! When I removed the towel that suit was stretched to my knees, and it was sheer in spots!

We still laugh about that, but I didn't take a wet suit home.
Then there were the Aigner shoes that the sole came off in Paris, and my toes were wet, but that's another story....!

Re: Decluttering and finding....Elastic wearing out

robbn99 — Wed, 12 Aug 2020 02:07:16 GMT

Had to laugh about the shoes. Had a pair of Clark's mary janes that were few years old, but had only wore them maybe once. They were stored in my closet in the original box. One winter I decided to wear them and on my 40 minute drive with the heater on, I felt something wrong with my foot. The entire sole fell off my shoe entirely. Too far to turn back, so luckily had my snow boots with me. Had to wear all day at work. I feel your pain. Taught me to wear my shoes and not think they will last forever. As far as the elastic post, yes, lingerie is the worst. It gets gummy feeling and stretches out.

Re: Decluttering and finding....Elastic wearing out

sunala — Wed, 12 Aug 2020 03:27:10 GMT

Oh it sure does. I was at a class reunion and was wearing a pretty short dress, pantyhose and high heels. We were in a circle doing some dance and suddenly I felt my pantyhose slowly sliding down down down. I broke the circle and ran to the ladies room with my pantyhose down between my thighs, almost to my knees.

How embarrassing! They happened to be pantyhose from QVC. I forgot the brand it was called. They were kind of costly but I loved them. I guess I kept them a tad too long (like years!!)

Talk about embarrassing!!!

Re: Decluttering and finding....Elastic wearing out

HerRoyaLioness — Wed, 12 Aug 2020 03:48:04 GMT

I discovered that it was the elastic that went bad on some of my clothing items when I went through them also this spring.

I had a pair of white shorts that kept falling down - I thought all right, I must have lost weight!!! Well, the laugh was on me - I found out it was the elastic that wasn't elastic anymore!

What are they going to do next to make things cheaper?!?

Re: Decluttering and finding....Elastic wearing out

DAD — Wed, 12 Aug 2020 16:18:27 GMT

Extreme temperature changes makes elastic disinegrate. No garage or attic storage. Over a long period of time it will anyway.