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.

In breastfeeding so my clothes are constantly soaked with milk so get hot washed daily at the moment.

What puzzles me is where to put second+ wear clothes. I don't want them back in the drawers, do people have clothes horses or similar to store it all for the next wear?

For those of you doing the sniff test - I wonder if it's reliable or whether people can become "nose blind" to their own smells.

I share an office with someone wore clothes (usually work dresses) about 3 times before washing, airing them out in between. There was REALLY noticeable BO on the 3rd wear, as in I had to breathe through my mouth to get through the day. After working together a long time and becoming friends, I broke down and mentioned the smell on a day it was particularly bad. She was mortified and spent ages sniffing her dress, but genuinely couldn't smell a thing. She showers daily so it was definitely the clothes.

I never wear anything more than once - even if its only been on a few hours - it gets washed

Seriously? I wash things when they're dirty. They last longer too.

Half the UK is currently underwater with more rain on the way. Meanwhile they've only recently managed to put Australia out. Does that baffle you too?

no. I’m perfectly capable of deciding what impact reducing measures suit me personally. Others can choose what suits them. Does that baffle you?

DS tends to wear 1 school shirt/jumper a week during winter and 2 during warmer months.
I might wear undies 2 days running over the weekend if I’m at home otherwise, they get changed daily.
Trousers can easily go 5 days and top usually 2 days. Cardigans/hoodies last ages between washing.
Sheets every 2 weeks or so.

I don't have a lot of pleasures in life but it's freshly washed clothes daily for me. I like to change underwear twice daily too. Just makes me feel a lot cleaner. I love freshly washed towels and bedding but bedding especially - drying winter duvets and putting it all back on again ... I need to be ready for a work out before that!

My 3 year old has just had a very long bath, and I've had to change him twice since being out. First time he got butter down himself from his hotcross buns (my worst kind of stain!) and straight after changing he was doing weird acrobatics on the toilet (seriously) and did a spray wee over the top of the toilet seat into his pants and thought it was hilarious so kept going .. so I wash his clothes a LOT. Also the I have a puppy who I THINK is in heat (getting her done after one cycle) and she's weeing a lot on the throw in her crate. That's in the washer at the moment on a hot wash because it stank the living room out!

I think I do my bit for the planet by not having a car.

What puzzles me is where to put second+ wear clothes
Most people I know, me included, have a chair that functions as a chairdrobe.

I used to u til I realised it was ruining jumpers as they got more bobbly in the wash. Now I check and if they don't need it I don't do it.

cardibach, I have four younger kids so they tend to get stained. If they're still clean I'll wear them again. Was that hard to understand, my dear?

Fresh knickers daily. Gym clothes washed right away. Any other clothes get a good sniff and eye ball for stains. I won’t mention how long I wear my jeans as I don’t wish to have my MN membership revoked.

What puzzles me is where to put second+ wear clothes
Most people I know, me included, have a chair that functions as a chairdrobe.

I bought a little Ikea unit that's like a coffee table with a shelf, but square, and it sits in the corner of the bedroom with a peg above it. Folded jeans on shelves. Shirts for re-wearing hung on pegs.

Things that I've worn already but see as fit to wear again get put back into my wardrobe - I don't see why this is so wrong! No separate storage needed.

Tops changed daily, trousers 2 wears, skirts longer and cardigans & sweaters when they get a bit sweaty or dirty

Abraid2
I'd forgotten about pegs. I've got pegs on the back of my door for hoodies and jumpers.

I wash underwear daily .(More in hot weather )! Jumpers /tops every 2 wears and trousers every 3 or 4 wears .Sheets every week ,Towels a couple of times a week.I think it is important to be Green, and will usually use a 30 C cycle or quick wash for clothes .With sheets or towels usually a 40c shorter cycle .I think its important to realise that even if clothes dont actually smell, they still attract dust and everyday cooking aromas and so on especially in hot weather .

I'm going to get abuse for this but....I have that gene where my sweat doesn't smell. So apart from knickers, I re-wear everything until it has food stains or brown neck marks on it. Could be a few times, could be 20. Pyjamas 2 weeks. Bras....a month. Tops....5-10 wears. Trousers....rarely.

My gym clothes I hang on the back of a chair until they dry, then they're good to re-use.

I don't smell, my clothes don't smell, and believe me - my family or husband would tell me. I have a professional job, I'm not a hobo. I just don't see the point of being covered in washing powder traces all the time and smelling like flowers because a bit of sweat/dead skin might have come into contact with my clothes.

Before I got married and when I lived alone, I'd do a wash every 2-3 weeks, mainly knickers. Now it's like 3x a week because of husband's clothes - his armpits stink after 1 wear.

I’ve solved the towel washing after one use issue by cross referencing threads. It seems the ‘towels are minging after one use’ people are the same as the people who wash their hair and pits in the shower and just let water run down the rest of them

I can confirm, you haven’t solved that one. Keep going.

Also use Dettol cleanser as well ,especially on towels /sheets etc .

I have that gene where my sweat doesn't smell. So apart from knickers, I re-wear everything until it has food stains or brown neck marks on it. Could be a few times, could be 20. Pyjamas 2 weeks. Bras....a month. Tops....5-10 wears. Trousers....rarely.

Yeah but sweat isn’t just a smell though. there’s still sweat on your clothes even if you can’t smell it! Dried sweat is still sweat!

Chair in bedroom or hung on outside of wardrobe if wearing again.

there’s still sweat on your clothes even if you can’t smell it! Dried sweat is still sweat!

But I don't care about a tiny bit of sweat. If it has 0 smell and not visible, why would I waste energy washing something? It just doesn't bother me.

Also, I have a sedentary lifestyle so I barely sweat anyway.

Except knickers and socks everything gets put back in wardrobe unless dirty/smells. Stuff probably gets worn 2/3 times. Kids clothes however usually need everything in wash. Towels tend to get washed after use as hey are in bathroom and I have three small boys with bad aim 🤢

I have a kid in the house so things need more washing

I put stuff in the freezer like denim 🙈 obviously if it's dirty I was them.