I assembled a basket of tools I frequently need to make sure I look in my best condition when I walk out the door.  This necessity was inspired by (what else?) all those times I was rushing out the door and couldn’t find the right tool I needed to take off the tags of my new shirt or to remove lint from my sweater or do a quick hem on my jeans.  Frankly, I was fed up of running around my bedroom/office/kitchen/living room trying to get my outfit in perfect order when I was already short on time.  I needed a kit that would only hold the things I needed to make my attire look its best, not a repair kit.  I have a Sewing Kit for repairs.  Here’s what I put in my Clothing Care Kit.

1. Scissors
You know how when you buy new clothes, they often come with tags attached to those pesky plastic things?  I used to rip them out with my hands until I learned how bad this habit was for my clothes.  Keeping a pair of scissors in this kit is also handy for trimming off any loose threads or those stupid fiber content tags from my scarves.  I had a pair of small ones laying around, so I designated it to the Clothing Care Kit.  I also labeled my scissors with “M Bedroom” so it doesn’t walk off somewhere else.

2. Double Stick Fashion Tape
These are great for button-up shirts at the chest area where the shirt tends to pop open.  They also work well to hem skirts or pants in a pinch.  Remember, this is a kit for quick fixes so you can get out the door quickly.

3. Lint Remover
The red one on the left is a lint brush.  The white one on the right is an adhesive lint roller.  I keep both of them because I think they each excel in different areas of the lint removal department.  I find that the lint brush is great for picking up lint, like fiber transfers, and the lint roller is great for picking up hair.  I usually use more of the lint brush because it’s a reusable tool, whereas the lint roller requires disposal of the adhesive tape that would run out and need to be refilled later.

4. Leather Hole Puncher
I have a few belts that are too big for me because I might have bought them to wear around my loose jeans, but occasionally, I want to wear that same belt around my waist (which is smaller than my hips).  I tried the cheap method of punching holes in the belt with a nail, but that only created a cheap, crappy hole.  I also didn’t like how this seemed to damage the leather of my belts.  This leather hole puncher is the trick to properly adding more holes in your belts.  It cost me $20 at a fabric shop and I don’t use it very often, but it’s completely worth it to avoid looking sloppy.

5. Shoe Inserts
This idea came from my Wedding Emergency Kit.  So many online blogs suggested including shoe inserts in the Wedding Emergency Kit that I thought it made total sense to have some in my Clothing Care Kit.  How many times have I put on a pair of heels that didn’t fit my feet perfectly resulting in my feet popping out of the shoes as I walked in them?  These heel liners solve that problem for me, so I don’t have to choose a different pair of shoes to go with my outfit.

6. Electric Lint Shaver
This is a wonderful tool to take off the pills of sweaters or shirts.  It shaves off the pills from the surface of the material, leaving it looking brand new again.  It works in a more powerful way that the lint brush and lint roller can’t do.  I’ve even used it to depill linens and my felt area rug.  I bought my electric lint shaver for $8 at Superstore, but I’ve seen them sold at other big box locations like Wal-mart or Target.

7. Fabric Softener Sheets
I keep a few sheets on hand to remove static cling.  I also use hairspray, which I keep in the bathroom.  (I always know where that is.)  The sheets are stored in a Ziploc bag so they don’t get lost in the basket.

8. Stain Remover Pen
And what Clothing Care Kit would be complete without a Tide-To-Go pen?  Do I really need to explain what this would be great for?

All the tools are corralled in a plastic basket that I picked up from the dollar store and sits neatly on a shelf in my closet, ready and waiting for me whenever I need it.  This is also a great basket to have by your side as you’re folding clothes on Laundry Day.  There’s no law that says you have to keep your clothes in good condition only when you’ve put it on and running out the door.  Maybe if I do better with keeping my clothes better cared for as I see the problem, I won’t need to freak out as much when I’m getting dressed at the 11th hour.

Oh, and I also have another basket for my shoe care.  There’s too much that goes into the care of shoes to include those tools in the Clothing Care Kit.  If you’re interested to know what I keep in my Shoe Care Kit, comment below and I’ll be sure to create a future post about it.

Have I missed anything in this basket?  Do you have any suggestions to add?