Some people wash their clothes after every wearing, but is this overkill? Experts and professionals weigh in on the various circumstances and appropriate wash cycles for different types of clothing.
Different garments, different requirements
According to the experts, there is no hard-and-fast rule for when to wash your clothes. A number of factors come into play, such as what type of garment it is, how close to your skin the clothing is, and whether it has come into contact with sweat.
Some people wash their clothing after every wearing, but that’s not necessarily something one needs to do for every type of garment. Considering the environmental impact of laundry on the usage of water and energy, not only does over-washing potentially harm the climate, but it also can wear your clothing out early and even damage fabrics, according to Lifehacker.
3 points to keep in mind:
Clothing and skin contact: Not washing clothes often enough that come into contact with the skin can lead to a rash, body acne, or infected hair follicles. Using too much detergent or insufficient rinsing can also be irritating to some people.
Clothing and sweat: If you sweat in your clothes, they’ll need washing. Smell isn’t the only factor; the bacteria that gets into your clothing can damage them over time. Not only that, but unwashed sweaty clothes could potentially put you into contact with bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus, a common infection that can be serious if it enters internal tissues or the bloodstream through cuts or openings on the body, CNN reports.
Time isn’t a factor: According to one expert, how long it’s been since something was last washed isn’t the important factor – what’s important is how often you’ve worn the clothing without a wash.
Clothing that DOES need to be washed after every time it’s worn
You probably guessed this one, as nearly all experts agree: Socks and underwear. Not only does this clothing touch your skin, but it is also worn in places where most people sweat.
Bras
Although bras do make contact with the skin, they tend to be a little more forgiving. How much you sweat is the deciding factor. If you don’t sweat or sweat very little, you can wash your bra every two to three wearings. The sweat factor makes this a judgment call.
Other close-contact clothing
Again, the amount of sweating you do in these clothing types will be the major factor in determining how often to wash, and if necessary after every wearing. This includes tights, leggings, yoga pants, exercise clothing, T-shirts, and swimsuits, according to the American Cleaning Institute.
Experts divided on how often to wash these types of clothing
Depending on the activities while you were wearing these clothes and the sweat factor, the experts disagree slightly on how often they should be washed.
One group says the following clothing should be washed every three to four times you wear them: Dresses, slips, skirts, slacks, jeans, pajamas, and sweaters.
But the experts at Whirlpool (the washer and dryer company), say the following clothing should be washed every 1-2 times you wear them: shirts and blouses. Workout clothing should be washed after every use.
According to Whirlpool, the following clothing should be washed every 2-3 times you wear them: dress pants or slacks, and sleepwear.
Jeans can be washed every 4-5 wearings, and sweaters can be worn up to 6 times if a shirt is worn underneath; otherwise, 1-2 times without an undershirt, according to Whirlpool. Suits/blazers/casual jackets can be worn 5-6 times before washing.
Clothing you can wash every three months
Most outerwear, vests, and jackets.
Clothing to wash once or twice yearly
Heavy jackets.
