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Housekeeping

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Original poster

Half your Laundry

35 replies

MyLemonWriter · 18/02/2025 13:26

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

OP posts:
Original poster
MyLemonWriter · 19/02/2025 15:24

We don't wear anything again if it smells - including gym stuff. If it doesnt though it gets worn again. Wool jumpers etc we hang and allow to air

OP posts:
Milodon · 19/02/2025 15:27

If your gym kit is acrid after being worn for an hour or so of training then you need to wear different materials (a lot of synthetic sports clothing is actually terrible for making you sweat) and try glycolic acid on your sweaty areas (kills the bacteria that causes BO)

Bumply · 19/02/2025 18:08

It’s an advantage of wfh 3 days out of 5 (and living on my own) so I can wear normal
clothes for a few days as long as I have fresh ones for work days.

gym clothes get washed after every run/gym session as I sweat like crazy.

WhitegreeNcandle · 19/02/2025 18:17

thrive25 · 18/02/2025 20:20

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)

Could you link to the undershirts please? I’ve been looking for something like this for ages

thrive25 · 19/02/2025 18:27

@WhitegreeNcandle here - this is women’s but they also do kids & mens
i bought mine in 2015 and still going strong so quality is excellent

I wear normal in the warm months. Warm & extra warm in winter . They also do a ‘cool tech’ range

https://www.uniqlo.com/uk/en/search?q=heattech&path=37267%2C%2C%2C

WhitegreeNcandle · 19/02/2025 19:01

thrive25 · 19/02/2025 18:27

@WhitegreeNcandle here - this is women’s but they also do kids & mens
i bought mine in 2015 and still going strong so quality is excellent

I wear normal in the warm months. Warm & extra warm in winter . They also do a ‘cool tech’ range

https://www.uniqlo.com/uk/en/search?q=heattech&path=37267%2C%2C%2C

Thank you - that's just what I've been looking for!

crossstitchingnana · 19/02/2025 21:26

I wear tops 2-3 times and trousers 4-5 sometimes. Tunics and cardigans can go weeks without being washed. My clothes last years and I don't smell.

Original poster
MyLemonWriter · 20/02/2025 08:48

thrive25 · 18/02/2025 20:20

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)

Also airing items between wears helps. Works well with work shirts that aren't dirty. Also towels get hung up after use so they can dry. The kids had a clothes stand that they hang their school uniform on which gets checked but generally lasts a week. Usually do the bed undersheets every week and the rest of the bedding every other week. This is all subject to the if its dirty it gets washed rule!

OP posts:
OctopusFriend · 20/02/2025 08:50

StMarie4me · 18/02/2025 20:36

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

Everyone? Really?.

Original poster
MyLemonWriter · 21/02/2025 13:26

Sue3467 · 19/02/2025 11:44

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.

Kids don't tend to sweat so can rewear more than adults who do. I easily get 5 wears out of a top unless I spill something on it or its Summer!

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