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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To ask how often you wear an item of clothes before washing

293 replies

Justasconfusedwithnumber2 · 14/02/2020 14:29

Not underwear... And general everyday wear...

OP posts:
Spudlet · 15/02/2020 14:59

I wouldn’t generally get sweaty on a dog walk, no. If I did I’d put my t-shirt in the wash 🤷‍♀️

I have the opposite problem to overheating though, I’m always cold! So I don’t break a sweat easily.

CalleighDoodle · 15/02/2020 15:03

Same as me Spud I have raynards and i took the dog out for a walk last week with two hot water bottles stuffed under my jeans waist band Grin. I wear three pairs of gloves atm and they are not enough layers to keep Me warm. Two pairs of socks, one cotton one thermal, and still my toes go white.

Spudlet · 15/02/2020 15:34

Hah, yes, I know that feeling Doodle! And I bet they just won’t warm up again afterwards either if mine are anything to go on! I volunteered at parkrun on the first Saturday in January and I couldn’t warm up again all day 🥶 I was chilled right to my core.

Floribundance · 15/02/2020 15:39

Some people sweat more than others. My sister just doesn’t seem to sweat at all. She uses pretty, scented antiperspirant and doesn’t get whiffy. I sweat. When I walk the dog, when I’m cooking in the kitchen, when the heating is on too high. I use feck-off industrial strength deodorant and still used to get whiffy. Bar soap (instead of shower gel) seems to really help with that.

As well as the Mumsnet Chicken (that serves a family for a week) it seems we now have the Mumsnet Jeans (that only need a stiff brush twice a year.)

maddy68 · 15/02/2020 15:41

Knickers and tights once
Bras couple of days
Jeans a few days
T-shirts once

MrsSchadenfreude · 15/02/2020 15:42

If it is stained or smells then it goes in the wash. Apart from knickers/socks/tights which are changed every day. Bras changed every 3-4 wears.

It’s hardly good for the environment to wash everything after one wash. And assuming you shower or wash every day, there’s no good reason to wash after one wear.

Floribundance · 15/02/2020 15:43

Heatgen is your friend if you feel the cold. There are 20% off M&S codes knocking around at the moment too.

When it’s really cold and I’m out walking I get freezing hands, a frozen face, numb thighs and a sweaty back Grin

WhyDidIStartDecorating · 15/02/2020 15:46

Once for everything.. Jeans maybe twice but rarely..

doubleshotespresso · 15/02/2020 17:08

Once
All of us children included.
Worn once goes straight into the wash ....
I couldn't contemplate wearing even jeans twice

LouisaJenny · 15/02/2020 17:19

Jeans usually twice
Tops once
Pyjamas twice
Bras couple of times

LolaSmiles · 15/02/2020 17:57

Some people sweat more than others.
I think this is the big factor that those saying "eew gross you wear a t shirt more than once" are forgetting.

DH wears his tops once before washing. He sweats more than me. I get a couple of wears out of them. We both only wash clothes when they smell or are dirty, but he creates more laundry.

MrsSchadenfreude · 15/02/2020 23:31

Thinking back to when I was at school, I had a heavy wool skirt and blazer that went to the dry cleaners at the end of term. Any stains got sponged off in between. School jumper (also wool) got washed weekly. I wore one school shirt (cotton) for two days and one for three. I used to cycle two miles to school, in my uniform. I didn’t smell. Maybe it was because my clothes were all natural fibres rather than man made?

Theraincloud8 · 15/02/2020 23:40

I wear clothes until i think they need washing. Why are you washing clothes after one wear? That’s madness.

CrowleysBentley · 15/02/2020 23:42

Once, though sometimes I will wear a cardigan or jumper more than once.

NarwhalsNarwhals · 15/02/2020 23:54

work or going out clothes once, apart from jumpers/cardis, which I'll wear 3 or 4 times. Wearing round the house/walking the dog/popping to the shops clothes get washed when they look grubby or start to smell.

DC are mucky pups and its very rare even at 11 and 15 that their clothes can be worn more than twice

alohamore · 16/02/2020 00:01

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

QuestionableMouse · 16/02/2020 00:08

Depends. Uniform for week is washed after one wear.

Jeans I wear to uni I'll wear four or fives times because I'm not doing anything physically hard in them and they stay smelling nice for that long. Tops I'll wear once or twice but if I feel sweaty or they don't feel clean they go in the wash.

myself2020 · 16/02/2020 06:05

The problem is also fabrics - polyester smells easily (and most uk clothes are polyester), and it doesn’t keep people warm. So polyester generally needs to be washed more frequently than natural fibres , and if you get cold easily, don’t wear polyester - wear natural fibres with a windproof layer on top

Ginfordinner · 16/02/2020 07:33

doubleshot are you getting help for your OCD?

YeOldeTrout · 16/02/2020 07:52

wear natural fibres with a windproof layer on top

Not a good look in many offices (!)
I also feel the cold. Famous for having cold hands, too.

KimikosDreamHouse · 16/02/2020 08:54

The problem is also fabrics - polyester smells easily (and most uk clothes are polyester

I wonder if that explains the difference. I doubt I own anything made of polyester. The vast majority of my tops and dresses are 100% cotton, silk or wool and are dry clean or hand washable. I've been looking at laundry/ dry cleaning websites and even dry cleaners websites which have a vested interest don't remotely suggest the obsessive level of washing or cleaning some of you go in for.

blondiebrowneyes · 16/02/2020 09:35

Jeans two days? Wtf. Absolutely no need to be wearing clothes once or twice and washing them, think of the planet! Fair enough If I'm getting sweaty or dribbling stuff down myself then stuff will go in the wash after one wear, but if something doesn't smell and has no stains on it's getting worn again!

PineappleDanish · 16/02/2020 09:35

Now I understand the "OMG my life is so busy, two children and two adults in the house and I have SO MUCH housework, three loads of laundry a day yadda yadda" people. They're all washing clothes that have been worn for 5 minutes, towels and bedding at LEAST twice a week and everything else too.

I am firmly of the "not until it's dirty" camp. Knickers/tights daily. Everything else - no firm rules.

Of course over-washing is going to ruin your clothes, and moreso if you're washing at high temperatures, using lots of washing powder, and fabric conditioner. And then I am assuming most of the "wash after 5 minutes" brigade are sticking stuff in a dryer too - not great for your stuff and rubbish for the environment too.

As an aside, I don't want my clothes to smell of anything. I hate those ads which have some vacant woman pulling a jumper out of a cupboard and getting this weird expression on her face as the voiceover says "that just fresh smell lasts for weeks!" I don't want my stuff reeking of fabric conditioner thanks. It's disgusting artificial stuff.

PineappleDanish · 16/02/2020 09:37

Oh and also the "wear once" brigade - my kids will get changed into home clothes when they arrive home from school at about 4pm. Then get changed into their pyjamas at 8pm for bed.

Wash a t-shirt or hoodie worn for 4 hours?

munzero · 16/02/2020 09:48

Jeans - 2 or 3 days. Jackets can be weeks unless they are visibility dirty (dropped food etc). Anything else - once.

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