To massively reduce how often I wash clothes?

[MyOtherProfile]

I'm always thinking of ways to lessen our impact on the planet and have recently started wearing clothes many more times than I used to. Previously I would wear things probably twice (undies excepted!) before washing but I've been thinking that even that might be too much. I look for dirt and I smell check but now I'm only washing clothes when they fail either of those checks. I'm now on the 5th day of the top I'm wearing (not consecutive so nobody would know). Sid anyone else doing this? I don't really want to hear from people who are just going to say ewww I have to wash clothes after every wear.

2 days maximum for me for both clothes and jammies. Underwear and socks get washed after only 1 day of use.

Clean undies every day. Rest of my outfits will have 2 or 3 days wear providing I’ve not spilt food down them or they whiff.
Towels go a couple of weeks, same with bedinen. Doing my bit for the environment, things really don’t need so much washing. We have been conditioned by washing powder companies to wash more. Time to fight back.

I've never washed anything except knickers after just one wear, unless obviously smelly or dirty.
Previously I would have been thought a bit of a minger, nowadays I'm saving the planet 😂
But YANBU OP. We have an unnecessary aversion to the slightest bit of grime.

@JuanSheetIsPlenty Come on, don't be silly now. I think you know I wasn't claiming to be perfect.

Tbh I can't be bothered to engage with you on this if you're going to trot out the old "Oooh, you do [x] so you can't tell ME what to do!" nonsense. It's excusable if you happen to be 13, but any older and you're just embarrassing yourself.

I'm sure you'll want the last word though (you seem the type) so go on - fill your boots.

If you can get away with washing them less then go for it. I'm quite a sweaty person and I do a lot of cooking. My clothes smell at the end of the day and I wouldn't feel comfortable wearing them again.

I think I get why some people smell of BO but dont realise it now.
Fresh sweat doesnt smell but warm it up and bacteria break it down and you get that odour.
When you sniff it ,it likely doesnt smell but a few hours in a warm environment ...

Underwear and the very few synthetic garments I own - daily. I find synthetic fabrics can be smelly after less than a day and I actively avoid.

Natural fibres multiple wears but aired in between. I find cooking smells can be a bigger prompt to wash something than sweat. Work trousers washed weekly.

Towels weekly, sheets weekly, bathroom mats twice a week.

I have a chairdrobe for worn clothes as I don't think they'd get adequate airing being folded and replaced into a drawer.

I find '1 wear' an entirely arbitrary thing, if you think they need to be washed after a 3 hour wear why would you wear them for a whole day without changing them?

I think you know I wasn't claiming to be perfect.

Glad you can acknowledge that. Now can we agree that some people do some eco friendly things and not others, and other people do different eco friendly things and not others and they’re all doing it for their own personal reasons specific to them and that’s fine?

Tbh I can't be bothered to engage with you on this if you're going to trot out the old "Oooh, you do [x] so you can't tell ME what to do!" nonsense.

It’s entirely relevant on these type of threads. You don’t get to lambast people for doing one thing in a less eco friendly way than you choose to do it when you’re also doing a truckload of other eco unfriendly things. You really don’t. There are people who wash towels far less often than you. Are they better than you?

And I've come across relatively few women who smell of BO tbh, so given the majority seems to be siding with OP on multiple wears it looks like most are getting away with it!

Fresh sweat doesnt smell but warm it up and bacteria break it down and you get that odour.

Some people have a gene where this doesn't happen. The sweat smells of nothing, dries and still smells of nothing.

It runs in my family - none of my grandma's, mine or my mum's clothes smell after 1 wear. Whereas I once lent a top to my friend and the armpits smells like my husband after the gym - vile. I did have to wash that one straight away, when she gave it back 2 months later....

Wash towels after every use??
You are using them to dry your clean skin, not actually clean yourself with them.
We all have our own towels so certainly no need to wash them that frequently.

Some people have a gene where this doesn't happen. The sweat smells of nothing, dries and still smells of nothing

I didn’t realise it was genetic. I have it too, so did my mum. That’s so interesting.

I know that -Im talking about people who do smell !

@crimsonlake It's OK, apparently that poster is Greta Thunberg irl. This is her one vice

@alsohuman, apparently it's really common in China, which is why it can be hard to find deodorant there - most people don't need it

I wash everything (except towels) after every use, because I sweat loads so things that have been worn even an hour smell, regardless of deodorant etc.

I'm surprised anyone washes towels after one use. I wash them monthly maybe. Everyone is healthy in the household, so no issues.

apparently it's really common in China, which is why it can be hard to find deodorant there - most people don't need it

That’s mind blowing, thank you for telling me, I love learning new stuff like that.

By all means do as you want but don't then say you are worried about climate change and the likely future for your children/grandchildren.

I'm not.

It's OK, apparently that poster is Greta Thunberg irl. This is her one vice

If you don’t wish to engage with me, that’s fine. It’s quite disingenuous to then go on to mock me.

I have never claimed to be greta thunberg, or even close. I’m not the one lambasting others and crying over what to tell the children.

Month old towels make me feel a bit queasy tbh!

I am so messy I would love to wear things more often. I do the stain and smell test though. Work dresses often get worn for 3/4 days and most work wear gets at least two wears. Home clothes it depends. I've bot long changed from a jumper to a T-shirt but I've spilled twice on it plus as I didn't have a shower this morning I feel grubby and so my clothes feel grubby so will be washed after today. My jumper though has been worn loads and will still be worn more.

I'm surprised anyone washes towels after one use. I wash them monthly maybe. Everyone is healthy in the household, so no issues.

my towels would smell! Actually, they do start to smell after a week, and no one is leaving them on a pile on the floor. I honestly think a month old towel would stink.

Hand towels are changed everyday, but they are small.

I always thought the smell of sweat come from bacteria not the sweat itself? Every day is a lesson!

I wear and rewear, reduce reuse and all that. I find it a bit bonkers that people wash things after a few hours wear, I couldn’t justify the waste of water / powder / electricity and couldn’t be fucked to do that much washing. But then I’ve got a pinafore dress on that’s on its 6th wear... I did slop breakfast on it this morning when out so it won’t get another wear but if it was still clean I’d probably wear it tomorrow