Save on clothing costs by prolonging your wardrobe

Tired of tossing clothing long before you got your money's worth because of zippers that just won't zip, stains that stand their ground and knits that sag and bag?

And speaking of bagging, if you find yourself doing that way too soon to way too many of your garments for the local Salvation Army, here's the good news: You can make your wardrobe last a lifetime -- well, nearly! 'Course, you'll want to update for style, but you can drastically reduce the number of duds you've got to write off by following some savvy rules of saving and storage.

We spoke with experts in the field of fabrics and clothing to find out how to prolong the life of everyday and special-occasion clothing. Here's what they have to say.

Out, damned stain! Tend to stains, pronto. Even those that remove easily at first can become nearly impossible to treat if left to set.

"The most important thing is to treat the stain ASAP," says internationally syndicated columnist Heloise, whose latest book is "Get Organized with Heloise."

If you are dealing with a washable garment, not a dry-clean-only item, something as simple (and free!) as plain cold water may do the trick, says Heloise.

Indeed, if you act quickly, even stains as dire as blood may be safely and completely removed this way: "Many times just soaking that in cold water for 20 minutes and changing the water once or twice will make it go away," she says.

Her rule-of-thumb: "You want to start with the mildest and safest cleaning agent first and then go to the next step," if necessary.

Heloise says that even ordinary liquid laundry detergent can work as a pre-spotter. Simply apply it to the stain, gently rub it in for a minute or two, then let it sit for another 30 seconds to a minute before tossing the garment into the wash.

Now, for the exceptions, such as those pricey dry-clean-only items that you wouldn't dare risk ruining: The good news is you needn't play daredevil with them, nor with those more stubborn and problematic stains on washables.

As Heloise happily relates, "There are very good commercial spot and stain removers on the market."

Frank Piazza, proprietor of Greenberg & Hammer, a near-century-old notions-supply store that works with the New York City Ballet and the New York City Opera to help meet their wardrobe-upkeep needs, agrees.

"There are many inexpensive, highly effective spot and stain removers. In fact, because consumers have such a wide choice, it's especially important that they read labels carefully and get the right formula for their particular situation."

He says that commercially available Dylon Stain Solutions, as just one example, offers three different formulas: "One is for dry-cleanables," he says, "while the other two are for washables."

So read all about it -- and if in doubt, ask a cleaning pro.

Quarantine tattered items. Never return a garment that needs mending to your closet or dresser. Immutable law of nature: You will never wear it again, because every time you grab for it, you'll notice it's still missing a button or has a split seam, and put it back. The ritual will be repeated as long as you and the item both shall live. If you can't mend pronto, separate out-of-commission garments from the rest of the herd, and get to them as soon as possible.

Give them air! "Don't keep clothing in plastic bags," says Wayne Edelman, president of New York-based Meurice Garment Care, where luminaries such as Elizabeth Taylor and Uma Thurman had their Oscar gowns cleaned. Just like your skin, fabrics such as cotton, wool and silk yearn to breathe free. And let's not even think about what a stain on a dress wrapped in plastic is doing: Can you say "science project"?