Half your Laundry

[MyLemonWriter]

There are many posts about people drowning in laundry. We made a concerted effort to wear clothes for longer and have halved the volume of our laundry. Given that clothes last longer we are trying to half the volume again

A lot of my laundry is sports/gym/rugby wear so no way will it get worn more than once. I also can't get more than one wear from a top as I feel it smells sweaty after that.

It just wouldn't work for us - kids always have sports, art, outside play etc and I garden.

Also, uniforms are coming home dirty, despite me not wanting laundry it means they are active in school.

What has worked for us in terms of laundry hanging about is having a number of outfits or unforms each we stick to. It helps keep the wardrobes organised too.

I have tried to teach DC this. Everyone in our house has a chair in their room for inbetween clothes to be re-worn which helps.

I heard someone saying it was disgusting that gym gear be worn twice and I don’t get it- who’s going to smell you at the gym? Plus you shower after! I think it’s a great idea op!

We have a steam therapy option on the washing machine, so pillows, duvets, bedspreads etc can go through that.
I like to hang them outside afterwards as well, although they are dry enough anyway.

I'd definitely look for the steam option on any new washing machine. It's quick, kills germs and uses so little water and no powder

Everyone can smell you at the gym. Old sweat on tops is acrid.

There's some blokes who re-wear running tops and they stink even in the fresh air at parkrun, I hate getting stuck behind them for a stretch. Work out tops pretty much always need washing after one wear.

I wear many clothes several times but any top that touches my armpits needs to be washed after one wear - believe me!

It is disgusting to rewear gym gear that you've sweated in. The people around you at the gym and in exercise classes will smell your unpleasant stench.

Ewwww wearing sweaty gym clothes again makes me feel quite ill, sounds like a great way to get a fungal infection.

There are lots of things I would cut back on before doing less washing.

Gym wear often takes up next to no space in the machine anyway. I think pants socks T-shirts and socks are one wear items. Trousers/ jeans jumpers and hoodies can be worn until smelly or grubby.

After getting my water bill today this is a good idea. I change clothing I get home this helps.

I agree people do so much laundry these days, it’s really wasteful and hard on your clothes too! I try to rewear clothing that hasn’t touched skin;

• I wear thin undershirts (from Uniqlo) which means I can rewear tops
• for bedding: use a top sheet between duvet & me so rarely wash duvet covers
• towels - I will have a couple on the go so they can really dry and get at least 3-4 uses out of them. What actually helps a lot is using a small hand towel to dry myself and then wrapping up in a bath towel (apparently this is what Japanese people do)

Everyone does too much laundry in the U.K. wear clothes again fgs!

for bedding: use a top sheet between duvet & me so rarely wash duvet covers

But you still have to wash the sheets,so what's the difference?

I definitely have cut back on washing as it was overtaking my time and it's really wasteful.
A jumper or cardigan I can wear 4-5 times if not more as long as I've not split anything down it, same for trousers.

I don't go to the gym so no worries there!
Kids wear their cardigans & skirts all week, T- shirt / shirt changed after 2 / 3 wears. If they spill a bit of yogurt or dinner on their skirts I'll spot clean it.

Underwear always one wear including tights.
Towels get washed weekly along with bedding.

If its sweaty or smelly it goes in the wash for sure, just the things that arent

We get through a lot of gym gear (three of us going several times a week each) but it takes up next to no space in the machine and dries very quickly. I wear tee shirts under jumpers and cardigans all winter so only the teeshirt is changed daily. DH is our biggest culprit as he wears rugby shirts to work and needs a clean one every day, they are heavy, absorbent and bulky, I have persuaded him to try the jumper and tee shirt method and gradually replace the rugby shirts. Hand towels changed every other day or so, but bath towels go at least a week between changes so long as they are hung up between uses they are fine.

Same. Please don’t recycle your gym kit!

Definitely, jeans, tees, tops, etc. can usually do more than one wear, but I wear a uniform at work, must be freshly washed.
Gym/running/cycling/swimming all wear once.
Woollies need a gentle wash each wear.

There are 3 of us all adult sized, so I do 1-2 sports washes, one wool/delicates, 2 dark and one light most weeks.

Husband is a PE teacher, he needs new kit every day. Gym gear needs to be washed after each wear. Kids are equestrians, at this time of year their stuff needs to be washed each wear.

We do a lot of washing in the winter.

Jeans / trousers / jumpers etc can keep going until visibly dirty.

Obviously, underwear and socks once only, bath towels weekly, hand towels, dishcloths, teatowels, as required (I don't wash separately)

I agree OP. Cutting down on laundry saves money, time and the environment.

I def need to get my kids to wash less clothes. Just a look at a top and they put it in their hamper :(
I do have to have my own clothes fresh though. I couldn't wear tops more than once as they would def smell. Outer wear I will rewear.

Of course it's disgusting! Most clothes can be worn more than once if you are doing 'normal' things (and I am a bit advocate for not washing stuff unnecessarily) but gym kit obviously needs to be washed every time. Putting it back on the next day would be horrendous.

Washing machine with a bigger drum is good, less washes needed for the same amount of clothes and you really just use the same amount of powder and water. A steaming is good for some things particularly jackets and trousers that have got crumpled or look a bit sad, but I expect heating that hot must cost a bit on power.