Sorry I've been away from the forum today: than you *Jenn* for the kindness of posting this thread. It's been fascinating (and kind of sad) reading all of the things that can befall our garments! I try to mend when I can. But dingy whites and degraded knits are a real challenge. I've find that organic cotton does better in the long term (maybe *Angie* or others have insights on why that is?), but "wear and tear" really can't be avoided entirely. Thanks again, Jenn and everyone else for your comments!