How often do you wash your clothes?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around personal laundry habits, specifically how often participants wash their clothes after wearing them. It includes perspectives on various types of clothing such as work attire, casual wear, and undergarments, as well as considerations of cleanliness and odor.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Exploratory

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants express surprise at recommendations to wear pants and shirts multiple times before washing, emphasizing personal standards of cleanliness.
  • Several participants indicate they wash most items after a single wear, particularly underwear and shirts, while allowing jeans to be worn several times.
  • Others mention exceptions for certain clothing items, like jackets and pajamas, which may be worn longer without washing.
  • Some participants note that their washing habits may vary based on activities, such as sweating or exposure to odors.
  • A few participants highlight a strong preference for clean-smelling clothes, leading them to wash items even if they haven't been worn.
  • There are mentions of a strict washing schedule by some, while others adopt a more relaxed approach, depending on the context of wear.
  • One participant humorously claims not to have washed clothes in over twenty years, indicating a unique perspective on cleanliness.
  • Several participants discuss their laundry routines in relation to work uniforms and the limited number of clothing items available.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on laundry frequency, with a range of opinions and practices presented. Some advocate for washing clothes after every wear, while others are comfortable wearing items multiple times before laundering.

Contextual Notes

The discussion reflects personal preferences and cultural differences in laundry habits, with no clear resolution on what constitutes acceptable washing frequency.

  • #31
when I was working at the slave-labour bakery I didnt wash my clothes for nearly a week of wear. what's the point? as soon as I start working all new clothes would smell of bakery anyway. and sweat is 'clean!' as long as you let it dry so no bacteria grows, its ok! actually I knew I smelled but I just didnt care anymore! grrr! they deserved to have smelly employees!

and as for jeans, I read that the really demin-obsessed/fashionable only wash their jeans every 6 months cos otherwise the 'look' of the denim would be ruined by washing. I wash mine like once a week. but it all depends on how much I sweat.

underwear every day of course.

and I wash sheets like once a month... they're clean! why would they be dirty, my body is clean! clean on clean everyday = more clean!
 
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  • #32
Topher925 said:
I don't wash my clothes. I wear them until they decay and fall off.

we will get on well together! and we have the same avatar almost! snap!
 
  • #33
When the pants are leaning against the wall, maybe that's the good time to wash them.
 
  • #34
what said:
When the pants are leaning against the wall, maybe that's the good time to wash them.

And when you attempt to wash them, if they should run away from you -- then, you have waited too long.
 
  • #35
what said:
When the pants are leaning against the wall, maybe that's the good time to wash them.

Anyone remember starch? That stufff will make clean pants stand up on their own. It used to be mandatory in the military.
 
  • #36
edward said:
Anyone remember starch? That stufff will make clean pants stand up on their own. It used to be mandatory in the military.
My dad was (is) tough as nails and quit school to join airborne in WWII. Starch and wool both bothered his skin terribly. I share his sensitivity, and can't bear to wear wool or stiff clothes.
 
  • #37
Evo said:
I was amazed when I saw this article that said that you should wear pants and shirts/blouses 4-5 times before washing. :eek:

I would *never* consider that with clothes I wear to work. Clothes pick up smells, it's not a matter of do they look dirty. After work each day, my clothes go into the dirty clothes hamper. The exception is a suit jacket which I will wear several times before sending to the dry cleaners.
This doesn't apply to mountain climbing (that is going alpine) btw. :biggrin:
 
  • #38
Shirts, socks, undies only ever get worn once per washing (unless it's a stinky pyjama day). Pants will go a couple of days.
 
  • #39
nucleargirl said:
when I was working at the slave-labour bakery I didnt wash my clothes for nearly a week of wear. what's the point? as soon as I start working all new clothes would smell of bakery anyway. and sweat is 'clean!' as long as you let it dry so no bacteria grows, its ok! actually I knew I smelled but I just didnt care anymore! grrr! they deserved to have smelly employees!

Ah. Now we have the answer to why https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=464326" was needed...
:biggrin:
 
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  • #40
lisab said:
And when you attempt to wash them, if they should run away from you -- then, you have waited too long.

In that case I'll let it go. There is plenty of new pants in the store.
 
  • #41
Jackets and sweaters, usually seasonal.

Pants, every 5 wears (I dress informally half the time).

Bed linen, every 2 weeks.

Shirts, socks, undies, hand towels, every week.
__________

Now I have hung out my dirty laundry for all PF to see!

The laundry wrinkles less if I ride along.:smile:
 
  • #42
God...I'm almost embarrased to say that I wore the same uniform for 4 weeks in basic training because I didn't want to have to refold and all that every 2 days. Frebreeze was my best friend...

Nowadays I wear my shirts, socks, and underwear once before they get washed. The only exceptions is maybe on the weekends when I'm lazy, or a shirt that I put on after work one day I'll use the next again.

Obviously, if something actually gets dirty and smelly I'll wash it before I wear it again. And I'm a firm believer that most women have better smells than men. So if that guy next to you is smelly, he probably doesn't even know about it.
 
  • #43
Loren Booda said:
Bed linen, every 2 weeks (except with a certain visitor).

*wink wink*

Wish I had a visitor in my bed other than my hairy cat... :frown:
 
  • #44
Loren Booda said:
Shirts, socks, undies, hand towels, every week.

I assume that's when you wash them, not when you change them (which is the underlying issue in this thread by the look of it)?
 
  • #45
Drakkith said:
*wink wink*

Wish I had a visitor in my bed other than my hairy cat... :frown:

(For some reasons) I just stopped sleeping on my bed.
 
  • #46
Sourabh N said:
(For some reasons) I just stopped sleeping on my bed.

Huh?
 
  • #47
Drakkith said:
...I wore the same uniform for 4 weeks...

Drakkith said:
...Wish I had a visitor in my bed other than my hairy cat...

Coincidence? :wink:
 
  • #48
DaveC426913 said:
Coincidence? :wink:

According to my ex GF she liked my "smell".

Maybe she was a sasquatch though...I'll have to investigate this...
 
  • #49
Drakkith said:
:frown:

:)))) awww...
 
  • #50
I'm a bit weird, I wash stuff when it needs washing.
Personally I think people who wash stuff after one wear are off their rocker (no offence intended :-p).
So that is a minimum of a week for most items,often months for outer garments, but they would not be worn every day. It is a waste of time and energy and damages clothes.
All those cleaning products are also bad for you I believe, making you more likely to develop stuff like allergies and asthma.

As I wash myself daily there really is no problem.
 
  • #51
I wash them when it's convenient. My 8-10 gym shirts will see more washes in their lifetimes than all my other shirts and pants combined.
 
  • #52
Daily: socks and underwear; t-shirts if I've been at the gym in them

Every other day: t-shirts

Once or twice a week: pants, outer shirts (if worn often), sheets and pillow cases, bathroom towel, kitchen hand towel, dish towel.

As required: Jackets, shoes, hats, gloves
 
  • #53
mugaliens said:
Daily: socks and underwear; t-shirts if I've been at the gym in them

Every other day: t-shirts

Once or twice a week: pants, outer shirts (if worn often), sheets and pillow cases, bathroom towel, kitchen hand towel, dish towel.

As required: Jackets, shoes, hats, gloves

Good to see you, mugs :smile:!
 
  • #54
Can you wash clothes? :biggrin:
 

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