This story was originally published on Sept. 5, 2024, and has been updated. Elysia Berman remembers the moment she realized her shopping was out of control. In December 2023, she ducked into a store ...

I’ll admit it—I’ve always viewed garment care labels as mere suggestions. If I used the gentle cycle, mild detergent, and air-dried an item, I figured I was basically dry cleaning at home. Turns out, ...