Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Housekeeping

Find cleaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Housekeeping forum.

Original poster

Half worn clothes

66 replies

Clearlynotmyname · 20/11/2021 08:23

What do you do with them?

If you are the sort who washes everything after every wear, this is not the thread for you...

We don't, so we always have a load of jeans, jumpers, bras etc that are kicking around waiting for their next outing. It is rarely next day, so there ends up being quite a pile.

What do people do with these? I don't like putting them away - feels like they would contaminate the clean clothes. Do you have a special cupboard or pegs? This feels like a problem someone must have solved so I'm probably missing something stupidly obvious!

OP posts:
nachocheese · 20/11/2021 09:17

Mine go back in the wardrobe. If they are dirty enough to 'contaminate' the clean clothes, then they are dirty enough to be washed. Not sure what you think is on them that would be a contaminate.

BellaBella1984 · 20/11/2021 09:22

@FalconQueen Yes! I have a clothes ladder too, although mine was originally sold as something nor hanging plant pots on, go fiigure!

If I'm likely to wear it again this week then on the ladder it goes. Otherwise I hang it inside out in my wardrobe. I like to know which items in my wardrobe have been pre worn, not because I'm worried they'll be at all dirty or smelly, but so I know which ones could be a little creased and thus not always suitable for every occasion.

I firmly believe that by washing my clothes less and looking after them by hanging them to dry and not tumbling them makes them last a lot longer. It's amazing how long knitwear lasts before it gets smelly when it's made of 100% wool. And less washing = less stretching and bobbling. I've honestly got smart cardigans and jumpers which are decades old now!

Scarby9 · 20/11/2021 09:25

Overnight on a chair (lazy) then hung on clothes hanger on the end of the wardrobe for a couple of days in the hope of a rewear. Then put back in the wardrobe.

Yingandyang · 20/11/2021 09:27

Most of my half worn clothes are things like woollens which can be prone to moths if slightly dirty and put back into a dark wardrobe so they are laid on the spare bed, other clothes like trousers are hung on hangers over the spare bedroom door

TulipsGarden · 20/11/2021 09:29

They get piled on top of the laundry basket (which is in our bedroom) until they get worn again. Sometimes they all fall off and then I generally decide they probably need washing.

PinkPlantCase · 20/11/2021 09:32

[quote FalconQueen]What you need is a clothes ladder, I have one from IKEA like this www.ikea.com/nl/en/ideas/a-birch-butler-to-hold-your-clothes-rec4npxmpoy[/quote]
I have this too! Works well to reduce the floordrobe

doodleygirl · 20/11/2021 09:36

I have a ladder which holds all the half clean clothes. DH chucks his on the floor even though the ladder is very close to his side.

Starryskiesinthesky · 20/11/2021 09:37

@romdowa

They go on the chair !! I thought everyone had a chair with worn but clean clothes.
Chair here too!
PinkPlantCase · 20/11/2021 09:43

We don’t have space for a chair Blush

Original poster
Clearlynotmyname · 20/11/2021 09:43

Weirdly DH shoves his clothes on an actual ladder (a library ladder I think) that came with the house.

I think a lot of the problem is we and the DCs especially need to be better at wearing things off the half worn pile before taking clean things out.

Early on in our relationship I left DH a note on top of his ridiculous clothes pile that said "For every clean item of clothing you take out, I will kill you". That worked Grin

OP posts:
LoisWooookersonsLastNerve · 20/11/2021 09:46

Dh has hooks on the back of the bedroom door and mine go in an open box under the bed.

merryhouse · 20/11/2021 11:13

Could you not just keep wearing them until they need to go in the wash?

Original poster
Clearlynotmyname · 20/11/2021 12:24

But that doesn't always work... wear a work outfit on a fri, don't need to be smart again till next time I go into office. Wear a jumper on a chilly day, next day is warmer.... etc

OP posts:
DramaAlpaca · 20/11/2021 12:27

That's what the bedroom chairs are for. Or I hang things up on coat hangers on the outside of the wardrobe.

Morasssassafras · 20/11/2021 12:34

I have an over the door hanger with about 15 hooks on the back of the bedroom door. When the door is open during the day everything is hidden from sight. If I run out of hooks then something needs to be worn again or washed.

After years of the messy chair with piles of clothes this is my perfect solution. Shame it took me so long to find it.

chipsandpeas · 20/11/2021 12:39

bannister or hang at back of door for me

Tee20x · 20/11/2021 12:41

Another vote for chair.

I also have a coat rail in my room so things get draped over there.

I would never dream of putting worn clothes back into the wardrobe as they've been contaminated with the outside!!!

But too clean to throw in the wash.

While I'm indoors I will wear shorts/vest and will literally get dresssed when I'm leaving the house. So if I am going out for an hour or two the clothes literally are only on my body for that long.

Once back in I change into my comfy house clothes again.

PrincessNutNuts · 20/11/2021 13:24

We all have over door hangers for this. And a hook on the outside of our wardrobes.

I only do a jeans wash every fortnight. Ditto a coloured hoodies/joggers/fleeces wash, ditto dressing gowns...

Hard no to making clothes dirtier by storing them on the floor, and also to pretending they're still clean and putting them back in drawers and wardrobes.

lunarlandscape · 20/11/2021 13:31

Draped over the bedroom chair. That is what bedroom chairs are for. If it's a good dress or silk shirt I might hang it up on the outside of the wardrobe for a while.

Bettybantz · 20/11/2021 13:35

Mine get tucked over the radiator.

Maxiedog123 · 21/11/2021 02:18

Hook thing over bedroom door thing here

Boriswentcamping · 21/11/2021 08:31

I have a small ikea open wardrobe for the this problem. Its my halfway house for clothes :) It's a Hemnes, but I don't remember the name. It has a small hanging rail and three shelves. I have put baskets on the shelves and a plant on top with some fairy lights and it looks quite pretty.

Clothes that have been worn once are hung nicely, or folded in the baskets and stay there for a week or so - to be worn again, if they are not worn in the next few weeks, might be occasion wear etc. or they don't look likely to be worn soon, due to weather change.... then they are cleaned and out back in the wardrobe / drawers. I never put clothes that have been worn in with the clean clothes... not because they might contaminate them, but because this can attract moths and silver fish etc... and also it can make the wardrobe smell a bit fusty..

If clothes are hanging nicely in my halfway house wardrobe, then I see them and am more inclined to give them a second wear, which cuts down on washing...

Took me years to think up this solution, but I love it!!! In the kids rooms they both have a little basket which serves the same purpose.

Original poster
Clearlynotmyname · 21/11/2021 09:00

Boriswentcamping that is exactly what I aspire to!! Sounds perfect

OP posts:
clarepetal · 21/11/2021 09:04

@merryhouse

Could you not just keep wearing them until they need to go in the wash?
This is what I do
Djifunrsn · 21/11/2021 09:10

Something like this ikea clothing rack

www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/mulig-clothes-rack-white-60179434/

Or a hat stand if pushed for space

www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/ekrar-hat-and-coat-stand-white-10415594/

Swipe left for the next trending thread