Do you wash your children’s clothes after each ‘use’?

[CookieCrumbles23]

Like many, my washing is never ending. Sometimes I’m washing clothes my kids have worn for a few hours, it looks and smells okay. My mum believes everything should be fresh and washed after each ‘use’, new PJs each night etc. My kids have a bath each night and I think it’s okay to wear PJs two nights on the trot (okay, sometimes even 3 🙊)

What do you do? Wash because it’s been worn or fold it up and pop back in their cupboard?

Always wash.

Yep pretty much everything my 5 year old wears gets washed after one wear including pj's. She is an incredibly messy child though so there is always food, dirt, pen, glitter etc on her clothing. I found a dead worm in her school cardigan once!

For myself my bottoms get a few wears and pj's too. T-shirts and jumpers usually get one wear.

I'm genuinely curious. Why? Why wash something if it's not dirty or smelly?

Even if they’re perfectly clean still?

I would save things for a second wear but DS is one of those children that can be dressed immaculately and five seconds later looks like he's been rolling around in a farm yard. He has clean PJs every night because he gets up and has breakfast in them and invariably gets porridge/fruit etc all over them, this morning there were bright red strawberry splashes and some crusty porridge on them (it's why he gets washed and dressed after breakfast) , hopefully this will get better as he gets older!

I wash school uniform every day, get home take it off shove it in the washing machine and tumble dry it. I like Dd to have fresh clothes every day and I don’t see the point in buying 10 sets of everything.

And yes Dd wears everything once and I wash it, apart from jimjams, we do 2/3 days with those. I stick them in with her bedding. She loves a just washed bed to get into so I do hers twice a week.

You wash bedding twice a week?!

Ha no way. Clean shirts every day fir school but only washed the skirts/trousers once a week unless obviously dirty.
Regular clothes can go a couple uses at least unless again, obviously dirty/stinky.

Makes me sad to think that people think washing so much is ok, it's not!

As a 'wash everything after one wear' person, I was reading this thread and considering trialling checking clothes before washing. This comment has completely put me off!

I wash dd‘s bedding twice a week, because as I said, she likes fresh bedding!

Mine is every 2 weeks!

I wonder if this is for secondary as I have not noticed this with younger children.

Just sniff it. If it doesn't smell, you don't need to worry. Air it.

I think that's a bit excessive... Who doesn't love fresh bedding? Doesn't mean it justifies needlessly using so much energy and water.

My children are feral and their clothes get filthy every day, so they get washed after every wear. They do rewear pyjamas if they can manage not to trash those though...

Are you a pubescent teenager?

Exactly this in our house too.

My 6yo spills something on his top and/or wipes his hands on trousers daily, so I have to wash more of his stuff. My 3yo is much neater and her clothes can last 3-4 wears.

Too much washing is bad for the environment and life is too short.

No but I have one. The thought of someone thinking my kids smell has put me off even attempting to cut down on my washing.

If you yourself are clean, you'll be able to tell for yourself if your child's clothes are smelly/dirty.

I have both! They shower every day too but still, the thought of someone thinking they're smelly because they didn't have fresh uniform on! I know it's just me but still, I don't like the thought.

Absolutely not.
Most items are worn 3-4 times before they go in the wash, on average. Jeans and jumpers can be even more. Nice wool jumpers I try not to wash at all, nice hoodies etc too as they soon fade or lose their softness. Only if things have spilt on them.
underwear, vests, sportswear of course only worn once then go in the wash.
I only run the washing machine on the weekend. Three maximum cycles on a Friday - Saturday night does a family
of four for a week. Dry it Saturday-Sunday (maiden, line, tumble dryer). Iron essentials only (school uniform, work shirts) on Sunday night. Maybe do one extra cycle if I have bedding and towels from guests. HTH! 🧼

No.wonder the planet is in the horrendous state its in! All this unnecessary washing! Do you people who wash wvery single item.of clothing daily not care about our planet at all?

My sense of smell is really poor after years of nursing. Believe it or not, you can become really nose-blind to smells! I wouldn't trust myself to get it right.

Music to my ears. I feel happy and calm just reading this.

When you say unwashed, do you mean stained or actually dirty?

My DS has managed to get pen and paint over all of his school polo shirts and my stain removal efforts have failed, so even though he gets a clean one every day it looks marked. I assumed this was normal for primary as who can afford to buy that many polo shirts, but maybe I’m wrong?! He’s in year 1.