To agree with Stella McCartney that we don't need to wash our clothes so often

[LauraMontreville]

And the experts on Jeremy Vine (R2) agree with her.
And so does some bloke who sells Levis.

I know MN loves excessive laundering but apparently it's better for our clothes and the planet to wash them less.

I've NEVER heard that about summer

I wash nighties, tops, underwear every day. Not jeans, I wear them for a week.

There's no way I could wear nighties more than once, I feel filthy in the morning - sweaty, menopausal and 24 hours since my shower when I take it off. Just no way - clean nightie every night.

I've just for the first time taken off my yoga gear after an hour intending to use it again before rewashing. I didn't get that sweaty in the hour and I'd literally only showered beforehand.

Well this is enlightening
I haven’t got an outside space to air anything though.

I’m not one of these people who launders everything every five mins but I am, er, surprised, at jeans being washed once a year. Would guess that said jeans aren’t on the Tube much?

Jeans / trousers / skirt and jumpers will last me Mon-Fri. As will my bra.
Tops I generally wear for two days.
Knickers and socks clean every day.

PJs (actually joggers and t-shirt) will last the week in the house as I often just wear them to lounge around the house then take them off for bed. If it's wet and muddy outside I'll then use that set the following week to change into when I feed the animals.

You'll probably think I'm minging keeping the same bra on but I take it off as soon as I get home so it's only on for about 9 hours a day. It's it's really hot I'll change it more frequently.

Totally agree with StellaM. I am always shocked at the ridiculousness of washing everything if it touches your body once whether that be towels or clothes.

Of course it depends on how sweaty you are, I do get that. Me and DH are really not sweaty at all so I only wash clothes because I feel I ought to. (Pants and socks excluded, they're fresh every day, along with work shirts when my DH was working)

I certainly don't wash jeans every 3 times I wear them, why would I? They don't smell, they're not dirty.

People are obsessed with cleanliness and it's weird.

hanging stuff out in the sun works really well

Maybe for some of 3 months of the year. Winter sun in Northern UK is very weak and we generally don't have sun every day for the rest of the year.

Anyhow, even if I don't spill something on them, my jeans become baggy and shapeless after about 2 days wear and only revived by washing.

I wash my clothes everyday- however I have an overactive sweat glands and even with daily washing and using the strongest deodorant I can find my arm pits smell awful by the end of the day (tmi sorry!).

So everything I wear is washed after one use.

I think it was the fact that Stella was rude about the interviewer’s make up.

Hmm. Clothes moths like to feast on human skin cells/sweat, so unwashed clothes can lead to infestations.

Depends on what and whether you actually do housework/cooking/childcare/have a pet.

Hmm. Clothes moths like to feast on human skin cells/sweat, so unwashed clothes can lead to infestations

Really? Do you have a source or is that your own thoughts?

I have never had a moth infestation despite not washing every day. Anecdote of course, but I have never heard of moth infestations- i thought that was only long term clothes storage?

I've never had a moth infestation, or any moths in fact, and I've got plenty of worn clothes in my wardrobe!

@ZazieTheCat - if that were true than you would only get moths in your laundary basket and unwashed people would be going around with moths infestations on their bodies. In reality moths like dark undisturbed places and / or dirty houses. You are more likely to get moths from the ‘clean’ clothes hanging unworn (and undisturbed) at the back of your closet than anything that is worn regularly. To avoid moth infestations you need to vacuum properly and clean skirting boards thoroughly as well as use repellents in your closet.

yy happy. The make up comment was rude.

I wash tops that touch my skin after every wash. Gym kit needs washing after one wear too, I've tried airing things and just keeping them for a solo run the next day but they smell. Menopause and an active life creates a lot of laundry.

@Rachelover40 Most people wouldn't wear a shirt or top more than once without washing it

Why not do the sniff test. Or air the garment?

Depends. Pre-DC I'd easily wear a top twice (maybe even a third time if it passed the sniff test) before washing. Since having a baby I'm much sweatier, not to mention the grubbiness that comes with running around after a toddler, so clothes tend to be chucked in the laundry much sooner! Cardigans and jumpers usually go a bit longer (if they have escaped the toddler's clutches).

@ItIsWhatItIsInnit
I've never had a moth infestation, or any moths in fact, and I've got plenty of worn clothes in my wardrobe!

Oooh you minger (another favourite MN insult!) - worn clothes must placed over a chair not be put in a wardrobe

Depends on your lifestyle, habits and body type though.
We are a family of 5 adults, do 10 loads of laundry a week. Jeans and trousers washed after4/5 wears sheets changed every two weeks, towels after 2/3 uses.
I still have a mountain of washing- 3 of us attend the gym regulary, kit comes back soaked with sweat, OH works hard and needs clean shirst every day, DD is a nursing student and totally needs a clean uniform ever day.
I dont see how I could wash less than I do.

Bugger McCartney- I doubt she even did her own laundry.

Easy to give advice when you don't live in the real world.

You are more likely to get moths from the ‘clean’ clothes hanging unworn (and undisturbed) at the back of your closet than anything that is worn regularly. To avoid moth infestations you need to vacuum properly and clean skirting boards thoroughly as well as use repellents in your closet.

This is true.

I went a bit haywire trying to fix the perennial moth issue not too long ago - here's what i did:

1. Froze my cashmere
2. Dry cleaned my cashmere
3. Thoroughly cleaned/fumigated my closet
4. Put about 10 little moth sticky triangles in my cashmere shelves to indicate moth presence

I still have moths, they eat the jumpers I don't wear often.

Buy only what you can wear regularly - moths force you to be green.

those of you who use ultra quick washes to 'freshen up' - check the manual. often those programmes use shitloads of water and electricity and it's more economical (and environmentally friendly) to use a proper wash cycle.

oh Stella

@orangeshoebox ours is the eco rapid wash, barely uses any water tbh, just rinses them through in two quarter drums of water I think, one soapy, one not.

That will be because her childrens tops from gap would be stretched to buggery after one wash and in holes by the third.

It depends where I am.

In the country I’ll wear clothes til they smell!

If I was going out in town I’d only wear fresh clothes.

Fuck off Stella, how much needless energy did it take to transport those rocks from Mull of Kintyre to London, or reinforce the floor, or pump in clean air.

I do because I'm always spilling stuff down myself or sweating and making my clothes smell!