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With a lot of readers returning to the office — or expecting to return soon — it seems like a great time to ask this question: How often do you wash your workwear and other clothing?
Do you throw everything in the hamper every day, no matter what? Or do you hang up and air out certain items that you've worn but might not need washing or dry cleaning yet, such as blazers or cardigans? Do you have a certain area of your closet where you put these “half-dirty” clothes?
We thought we'd share some advice on washing clothes from Home Comforts: The Art and Science of Keeping House — an extremely thorough and helpful book! The author, Cheryl Mendelson, who went to Harvard Law and has a Ph.D. in philosophy, did eight years of research to write the 800-page book, which was published in 1999. Sure, 20 years later, we're more likely to google anything cleaning-related, but it's also nice to have all the info you could possibly need in one book. (OK, I admit that before writing this post, I hadn't cracked open my copy in years — but still!)
Psst: some of our favorite books on cleaning:
These are some of Mendelson's tips for reducing your weekly laundry and taking good care of your clothes:
1. Don't automatically put lightly-worn outer layers in the hamper — instead, spot-clean them if necessary and let them air out before putting them away.
2. Consider wearing camisoles, slips, or other items to keep outer layers clean. (Readers, do you ever wear slips? I have a couple ancient ones in my dresser and somehow can't bring myself to get rid of them, even though I never wear them. Why?!)
3. Wash clothing within a week of wearing. Sweat, food stains, etc., can weaken, fade, and discolor fabrics if left for too long. (Now, I haven't written a book about keeping house, but my simple rule is “Laundry day is when you're running out of — or have already run out of — underwear.” Not ideal!)
4. Wipe down wool and synthetic fabrics using a “barely damp, white, nonlinting cloth” and put them away when they're 100% dry.
{related: “dry clean only” clothes and how to wash them}
Two more useful resources are this guide from Real Simple on how often to wash certain items of clothing and bedding and this MarthaStewert.com article on cleaning your washing machine. (Yeah, I totally clean my washing machine… yep.)
Psst: these are some of our favorite “dry-clean at home” and other laundering products…
So, let's discuss! If you like, copy and paste the list below into a comment and let us know how often you wash your workwear and other clothes — either at home or at the dry cleaner:
Suits:
Blazers/Jackets:
Sweaters:
Pants:
Jeans:
Skirts:
Workout Clothes:
Pajamas:
Bras:
Speaking of bras, while writing this post I remembered this comic by Sarah Andersen of about how often — or, uh, how NOT often — some of us wash our bras… So, hey, no judgment here if your bras seem clean enough but you can't remember how many times/days you've worn them since you washed them. (While we're on the subject, I highly recommend these bags for washing bras on the hand wash cycle — they come in regular and large sizes. They're great for washing masks, too.)
A few more things to discuss: Do your washing habits change with the seasons, or do you clean your clothes just as often when it's cooler outside and you're not sweating as much? Do you have a rule of thumb for each type of item, or do you just wash what seems/looks dirty? Are there any laundry products that you especially like and would recommend?
andie
Thank you for the rec for Mindful Mental Health on the morning post about finding a psychiatrist in Brooklyn – that may be exactly what I need since I do have a therapist, I just need a new prescription to a medicine that I know works and long story short can’t get a prescription from where I originally got it.
Anonymous
That was me — you’re welcome! Hope it works out and you feel better soon :)
Anon
Baby wipes are good for wiping down clothing and attacking stains even while you’re still wearing the garment.
Anonymous
Workout clothes, socks, tights, underwear: Wash every wear.
Other washable clothing worn next to the skin: Wash every wear, unless the item was only worn for a few hours and is not dirty or smelly. In this case, it can be worn for another half-day.
Sweatshirts and sweaters worn with an underlayer: Wash every second or third wear.
Dry-clean only blouses and sweaters worn next to the skin: Clean every wear.
Dry-clean only dresses, pants, skirts: Generally clean every third wear. I have a hanging system that tells me how many times an item has been worn. If an item is worn in a stinky situation (hot weather, long day, long subway ride, Uber, taxi, airplane, etc.) I will have it cleaned even if it hasn’t yet been worn three times.
Jackets and blazers: Wash or dry clean as needed.
Suits: Clean both pieces at the same time so they wear evenly.
I must be an exceptionally sweaty, smelly person because I can’t stand wearing my jeans more than once between washes.
Kb
In my teens and 20s, I would wear jeans and pants like 5x before washing. Now it’s maybe 1.5x, maybe. I do feel like I’m stinkier the older I get. Ugh.
anon
Workwear:
Pants – Every 2-3 wears
Blazers/jackets – Once a season
Tops – This heavily depends on the weather we’re having. I wear a tank or cami under most blouses, so I try to stretch to 2-3 wears if I can. But if it’s at all questionable, I just wash it.
Sweaters – Depends on the item. Maybe every 3-4 wears?
Anonymous
I live in a hot climate, I walk outside a lot, and I work long days; I ditch almost everything at the end of each day and clean it or send it to be cleaned.
Anonymous
Wool blazers/jackets/suiting: air out and steam, no wearing two days in a row unless outerwear
Sweaters used directly on skin – washed after every wear. Outerwear sweaters: air out and steam. Oversize knitwear: air out and steam.
Pants and jeans: washed if physically dirty with stains, or too stretched out at the knees. If worn on period – likely to wash even if unstained.
Skirts worn with tights: washed if physically dirty with stains, otherwise aired out. Will wash sooner if it’s likely to be a long time before next use.
Workout Clothes: tops washed after every wear, bottoms currently not – but will be when used among other people. I don’t care WFH.
Pajamas: washed after every night, or every other night.
Bras: aired out and never worn two days in a row. Can be washed after one wear, or three, depending on activity. Hand wash only.
Anon
My work clothes get washed every wear, but my job is highly physical compared to the usual demographic here. I am constantly running from building to building on a large corporate campus, fiddling with machinery in a dirty/greasy shop environment, and spending a lot of time in non-climate-controlled areas.
Lyssa
Possibly gross, but I routinely sniff test, and use that as a guide. (I’ll admit that knowing that we’re social distancing in the office has made me a little more liberal on this.) Shirts that are just worn for work probably get about 3 wears; skirts and sleeveless dresses get more – I rarely find they have any smell, so it’s more when I think they look or feel grungy. Same for outerwear and bras.
Work out clothes I wear 2-4 times, but only for working out (I figure it doesn’t really matter how I start if I’m just about to get all sweaty). Jeans probably get 4-5 wears, though I frequently only wear them for a short time. Socks would get washed if worn with shoes all day, but I usually am just wearing them around the house after work, so they don’t get sweaty.
I’m sure I wash things more in the summer, as I’ll wash anything worn outside for more than a pretty short time then (hot and humid climate). But otherwise, I rarely sweat unless I’m working out.
bellatrix
What does anyone wear under sweaters? I used to have a bunch of thin, cap-sleeve tees that were perfect for an unseen layer, either for warmth or to extend the life of the outer layer. But they’ve all gone to the rag bag by now, and I can’t find any replacements. I wear a cami under sweaters now, but I’d like something with small sleeves, so my underarms aren’t touching the sweater.
Anonymous
Uniqlo’s Airism t-shirts.
Velma
Suits: n/a
Blazers/Jackets: clean at end of season or more often if dirty or worn frequently
Sweaters: infrequent–2-3X/season (cami or tee underneath)
Pants: every other wearing, unless stretched out or dirty
Jeans: every other wearing
Skirts: Varies a lot. Casual knit: every other wearing. Dry clean only work skirts: 1-2X/season.
Workout Clothes: frequent, but depends on season/activity
Pajamas: every other wearing
Bras: every other wearing
Sadie
Suits: n/a
Blazers/Jackets: Every 2 to 3 months unless leather, in which case, never
Sweaters: Rayon – 2 to 3 wears; Wool – 5 wears; Cashmere – as long as I can hold out
Pants: every other wearing
Jeans: every other wearing
Skirts: 2 to 3 wears
Workout Clothes: every time
Bras: 2 to 3 wears
I’m kind of stinky, so I live by the ‘sniff test,’ and when in doubt I wash. I do spot clean garments. I hand wash certain garments, like wool and cashmere sweaters and rayon crepe blouses. Hand washing and air drying makes items last a LOT longer. Some of my friends think I’m insane for hand washing and sending garments to the dry cleaner!
I make an effort to not buy ‘dry clean only’ garments nowadays, I find getting to the dry cleaner, and paying for dry cleaning, such a pain.