Do you wear your clothes more than once before wash?

Adelicia

I wash my body regularly and don't sweat profusely so I don't feel recycling washing is a bad thing.

Since I work in an air conditioned office which I travel to in a car, I don't tend to get works clothes dirty, so they only go in the wash when I don't feel that they are fresh any more. Same with 'at home' clothes really. I don't use fabric conditioner so my clothes generally just smell neutral rather than smelling of fragrances. I think it's easy to mix up 'No longer smelling like 'Woodland Meadow' perfume for actually being dirty.

Everyone has their own preferences, but living in a house with very poor drying facilities (our garden is too small for a clothes line) and being unwilling to waste electricity on a tumble dryer, I couldn't really justify having the washing machine on every night just for the two of us.

When the baby is here that will change though. I think its 'churn, churn clunk' will be the soundtrack to my life! :rotfl:

focus888 wrote: »

I am glad i am not the only one. I tend to rotate clothes over a 2-3 weeks period so do not wear anything twice in a row, and of course change underwear regularly. Just need to sort out the clothes pile problem and it be all good. x

This can work to track things

http://naturalpapa.com/environment/green-tip-do-less-laundry-with-the-greenthreads-system/

Lunar_Eclipse

jcr16 wrote: »

i didn't think about coats. i don't wash them daily. i wash the childrens ones every weekend, and generally hubby and mines every couple of week's.

Wow; you wash your children's coats every week? I was going to ask 'why', but I can only assume the children are young and their coats get dirty.

I can count on one hand the number of times (it's 3) I've washed a coat and I don't think I've ever washed one of mine, although wool coats go to the dry cleaners once/season. Having said that, this excludes pack-a-macs that I have washed after the school residential trips they are bought for!

DH used to only wear clothes once before putting them in the wash. This used to include all his clothes, so including wool jumpers for instance; it was the way his mother ran their family laundry. Personally I think that's utterly ridiculous, mainly from an environmental, cost and time management perspective. Is it right or even better health wise to do so much laundry?

In our house, shirts and underwear get changed daily (sometimes more often; I like to freshen up), but jeans and fleeces easily last half a dozen wears or more. Sportswear is an obvious exception; that is only ever worn once by all members of our family.

oldestgnome

This is a really interesting discussion, an opportunity to compare with other people! I have to say I apply common sense to washing my clothes and other household items.

Like many others underwear like knickers and socks are only worn once, bras twice usually, if I am going out or have exercised I shower and put on fresh ones.

Tops next to the skin usually once -
cardies/jumpers 2/3 times same as trousers and jeans.
PJs 2/3 times.
Gym stuff once.
Coats/dressing gowns as and when.
Bed linen once a week or so.

Nixer

Who would have thought a laundry discussion could be so interesting?

I do the below but any smelliness or spillages result in a change. I do not sniff my pants but anything else is fair game.

Pants and inner socks (I wear 2 pairs socks most of the year): change daily
bra: 2-3 days sometimes 4 if sniff test passes (I am a bit short of bras and hate shopping for them)
outer socks: every other day
tights woollen (only worn when v cold under trousers): 2 days (bit short of tights)
tights nylon (rarely wear): 1 day
vest (only worn in winter): 2-3 days
t shirt (over vest in winter next to skin in summer): every day (illogical in winter given vest answer)
long sleeve t shirt (over t shirt): about 4 days
cardigan/jumper: about 4-5 days
work trousers: 4-5 days
jeans/any clothes that I have changed into after work: 5-10 days
large t-shirts that I sleep in: every other day
dressing gown: about twice a year
Coats: between once a year and never

Towels: weekly
bed linen: weekly although sometimes goes 10 days if still ok.

Imp

With all this washing you lot must destroy your clothes. The recommendations for my suits is to brush them down after wearing them, leave them a couple a days hung up, and avoid dry cleaning until necessary.

property.advert

RAS wrote: »

I would add that I think the economic and evironmental cost of the "wear it once, wash it immediately" brigade is unsustainable.

That is defeatist and a backward step. More efficient laundry procedures are the way forward, not descending into filth. Too many people have abominable personal hygiene as it is.

iceicebaby

I think I follow with the majority
Undies and socks - daily or more often if I am going out again in the evening
Tshirts or vest tops next to skin - once
leggings - Once cos they "knees" in them!
Outer tops - twice
Jumpers and cardis - 2 or 3 times
Jeans and trousers - 2 or 3 times
Jogging bottoms and tops I wear round the house - 5 evenings a week after work say for 3 hours an evening
Pyjamas - twice
Towels - use the same 2 or 3 for a week then they are washed
Bedding - washed every week or 2 weeks depending on how many nights I have been home compared to down OH's

onlyroz

property.advert wrote: »

That is defeatist and a backward step. More efficient laundry procedures are the way forward, not descending into filth. Too many people have abominable personal hygiene as it is.

Descending into filth? Most clothes don't actually get dirty - they just get a bit of sweat into them - and if it's something that's not actually next to the skin (e.g. a jumper) then it'll hardly get "dirty" at all unless you spill something on it. And I agree that clothes wear out much more quickly if you wash them too often.

Maybe I am a skanky mare, but I can make a work skirt and jacket last a week most of the time. Regarding coats - these get washed once in a blue moon. And pyjamas - why would you want to wash these more often than weekly?

pebbles88

ooh i always find these threads fascinating!

as mentioned earlier in the thread - i have just watched the greenthreads video, thats a really good idea! i must get myself organised with it!

ok so here's my list

trousers: 2/3 wears then washed
tops: 2/3 wears then washed - this is in winter, in summer depending on how much i have 'glowed' it can be every day
undies: pants daily, bras: 2/3 wears again depending on how the weather is. I hate bra shopping with a passion, in fact all clothes shopping!
coats: once a season unless they get stained
socks: daily
bedding: every 2 weeks, i have to change it on my own and find it very hard, plus i sleep on my own so it doesnt get too bad.
nighties: again depends on weather - but normally 3/4 wears out of them. I have pj's but i dont like to sleep in them, they are my equivalent of a nightie and dressing gown!

house clothes: try for a week - but can guarantee i end up spilling something (yes im clumsy) so normally at least one thing changed every couple of days, i layer up so sock, comfy bottoms, vest, tshirt, jumper (i hate central heating too, would rather wrap up a bit more)
towels: use 2 a week - then washed.

think that is everything. I just tend to use common sense, if somethings mucky or smells that i cant spot wash or air - then it gets washed. i dont like to wash my clothes if it doesnt need them so i try to rotate to make sure they are well aired inbetween. i have lots of vests etc for layering underneath so its normally these that get washed mostly.

DUKE

Torry_Quine wrote: »

That sounds fair enough to me.

Until relatively recently it was the norm to have a bath once a week and a wash at the sink in between.

Yeah when I was 17 I met some posh sod who actually had 2 baths a week :eek:

In them days people only changed underwear once a week too & it was white - don't bear thinking about these days.

Thank God someone else remembes the liberty bodice too, thought it was just a figment of my imagination.