A Pot of Tea - and a Stamp!

moneyistooshorttomention

Oh - so don't get me started on that one.

I wince every time someone has a 3rd/4th/5th etc child.....

[Deleted User]

I wonder, and this is not particularly palatable as an idea but I wonder if we'd cause less by way of shed fibres/plastic particles pollution if we washed clothing a little less often? most of us have the convenience of a modern washing machine and we've all got used to wearing something once and chucking it into the basket for a wash but I remember years ago when it was undies and socks that were washed every day, usually by hand and outer clothing was brushed, sponged if necessary, hung up on hangers overnight and worn for a few days before washing or being dry cleaned. Things like heavy tweeds and overcoats or tweed skirts were very seldom more than brushed and sponged. It's not what we're used to but it might cause less damage than washing all the time?

moneyistooshorttomention

Personally - I go by "realistic" standards as to how often things need to be washed. That being - obviously knickers and socks for instance need washing after one wear and, after that, things are washed as often as they need to be (regardless of both past and present day standards).

PollyWollyDoodle

I agree Mrs Lurcher. Washing clothes is what wears them out, not wearing them. Undies - yes, clean every day :eek: and if I have a shower in the middle of the day for some reason then I always put clean ones on, couldn't bear the thought of putting 'used' ones on! In this weather I'm also changing t-shirts or tops every day, but if it's cooler then I use my common sense. I've never had any complaints. I also change out of work or 'best' clothes as soon as I get home, to preserve them.
It saves water, pollution and makes your clothes last longer!

Hopeless_Case

MrsLurcherwalker wrote: »

I wonder, and this is not particularly palatable as an idea but I wonder if we'd cause less by way of shed fibres/plastic particles pollution if we washed clothing a little less often? most of us have the convenience of a modern washing machine and we've all got used to wearing something once and chucking it into the basket for a wash but I remember years ago when it was undies and socks that were washed every day, usually by hand and outer clothing was brushed, sponged if necessary, hung up on hangers overnight and worn for a few days before washing or being dry cleaned. Things like heavy tweeds and overcoats or tweed skirts were very seldom more than brushed and sponged. It's not what we're used to but it might cause less damage than washing all the time?

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

Personally - I go by "realistic" standards as to how often things need to be washed. That being - obviously knickers and socks for instance need washing after one wear and, after that, things are washed as often as they need to be (regardless of both past and present day standards).

PollyWollyDoodle wrote: »

I agree Mrs Lurcher. Washing clothes is what wears them out, not wearing them. Undies - yes, clean every day :eek: and if I have a shower in the middle of the day for some reason then I always put clean ones on, couldn't bear the thought of putting 'used' ones on! In this weather I'm also changing t-shirts or tops every day, but if it's cooler then I use my common sense. I've never had any complaints. I also change out of work or 'best' clothes as soon as I get home, to preserve them.
It saves water, pollution and makes your clothes last longer!

I agree, it's hard to get away from what we wear and use causing some form of pollution or waste, and I think general reductions, like in washing, is the way to go. I wash a lot less than I used to, it used to be everything in the wash every day, and I do it on need now, yes socks and undies every day, and everything else goes back in the wardrobe if it's fine or gets washed.

I was just having this conversation with my OH funnily enough, as we've just put a smart meter in, and we're monitoring our use, and I was saying that although we will use more power in the winter (and we haven't even tried the tumble drier out for how heavy on power it is :eek:), I think I'm definitely washing more now, as clothes tend to become sweaty and creased etc in this weather, so at the moment I am back to most things going in the wash each day, and I don't have that many clothes so I can't always hang on for a full load

[Deleted User]

Oh yes I remember it well, when Mum had to go into Nursing Home we found quite a few sheets and we could not tell her we were throwing them out (they were awful to sleep in although quilt covers were OK). My Aunt was able to buy it by the yard (YARD) and made pyjamas for the menfolk and nighties for the women. UGGGG but the thought was there, think she lived near the factory outlet.

LameWolf

Mr LW tells me his Dad used to insist that they both wore nylon shirts, which didn't need ironing (his Mum was not in good health, and his Dad's idea was to save her a task).

As soon as Mr LW was old enough to decide for himself (ie earning money) he switched to cotton shirts, which he ironed himself.

Nowadays, being retired, he lives in jeans and t-shirts; I've offered to iron the t-shirts, but he just wears them un-ironed.

GreyQueen

Ohh, that takes me back. Brushed nylon nighties and nylon sheets. If you undressed in the dark, the static electricity was sparkling blue and crackled.


Ohh yes, the 1970s - those were the daze - not!

Brambling

GreyQueen wrote: »

Ohh, that takes me back. Brushed nylon nighties and nylon sheets. If you undressed in the dark, the static electricity was sparkling blue and crackled.

Ohh yes, the 1970s - those were the daze - not!

:D:D:D:D:D:D:D

You've just described my childhood :rotfl: continental quilts from the 'towel' man in the market and bedding from Brentford Nylons in Bournemouth. I have a memory of purple, red and orange. And nylon nighties where we had to be careful not to stand too close to the fire :eek:

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

MrsLurcherwalker wrote: »

I wonder, and this is not particularly palatable as an idea but I wonder if we'd cause less by way of shed fibres/plastic particles pollution if we washed clothing a little less often? most of us have the convenience of a modern washing machine and we've all got used to wearing something once and chucking it into the basket for a wash but I remember years ago when it was undies and socks that were washed every day, usually by hand and outer clothing was brushed, sponged if necessary, hung up on hangers overnight and worn for a few days before washing or being dry cleaned. Things like heavy tweeds and overcoats or tweed skirts were very seldom more than brushed and sponged. It's not what we're used to but it might cause less damage than washing all the time?

From experience of being the manky kid with a single set of school uniform that was washed at 10.30am on a Saturday morning and things were returned to me still unwashed at 7pm Sunday night if they weren't deemed dirty enough - combined with more than one bath a week, never mind a shower or washing one's hair, being strictly forbidden because it was weird and wasteful (considering that the single flannel for washing with was never washed because 'it's used with soap and water' - nah. Washable things get taken off and they get washed, dry clean only things don't get bought in the first place - if my employment depended upon dry clean only suits, they'd get sent to the cleaners once a week as well.

If I buy something, I prefer to buy natural materials anyway, as synthetics seem to hold onto and 'cook' smells in them over just a day. They may still have an environmental impact, but at least they'll decay within the next few hundred years.