ASD: Small Habits are the Key to Cleanliness - Caring for Your Clothes
I am a mother of a daughter with a developmental disability.
My favorite household chores are ironing and polishing shoes.
Seeing things become clean right in front of me gives me a small sense of accomplishment. Since there is a lot of wool in winter, brushing is also added. I brush my coat as soon as I get home. I also do this for down jackets and nylon coats with padding that don't have a wool outer layer. (I quickly brush off dust from the collar, buttons, and zipper seams.) I let a sweater I've worn for a day rest by giving it a light brushing and hanging it up. The next day, I steam it and check for pilling. Natural materials are less prone to pilling, and even if they do, it falls off naturally, but brushing them still makes them look neat and fluffy. Since I wear wool socks, I do the same for them. (If pilling starts to form, I feel embarrassed even if no one else notices.)
My two children watch me brushing, so they started by imitating me, and my eldest son sometimes does it himself now. My daughter, although a bit clumsy, brushes her school uniform and the casual clothes she wore after coming home. Once you develop the habit of taking care of the things you wear, the way you handle things other than clothing also changes. They quickly wipe their shoes, fold their hand towels neatly, line them up in their drawers in their own specific way, and handle tableware with care.
Above all, items that have been cared for look neat, and it makes me feel good. It's a small thing, but it's surprisingly noticeable. A man in a wrinkle-free suit in an office district looks like he is good at his job, and when I see a woman at a shop handling her coat carefully after taking it off, it shows her personality and is lovely. If my children's uniforms aren't neat, they stand out in a bad way when they are in a crowd. Like their white collars. To wear your favorite clothes for a long time and feel good in them, this extra step of brushing is essential, especially in winter when they get fuzzy. Taking care of them also makes you feel more attached to them.
To make sure I can do it quickly whenever I notice it, I keep brushes in three places. (One each in the entryway, the bathroom, and the closet. There is only one brush for removing pilling and cleaning out fibers, kept in one place. In the bathroom, I also have duct tape as a substitute for a lint roller.)
My daughter with a developmental disability still needs reminders about her appearance, but because she has acquired this small habit of maintenance, the basics of fashion that I want her to value most—cleanliness—are now perfect. As a mother, I wonder if I have been able to be a good role model. As the temperature has dropped, I am comforted by the warmth and softness of wool and cashmere. Wearing them and taking care of them—I am enjoying the pleasures of winter.
