How many times do you wear your clothes before you wash or launder them? How do people keep their clothe fresh

Question

I wear shirts, socks, and underwear just once before I throw them in the hamper. Pants, jeans, or sweaters usually 2 or 3 days. And for heavier jackets that need to be dry cleaner, possibly up to 7 times before I have them laundered, depending on how fast they get stinky.

I don't see how people can keep their clothes smelling fresh and clean all the time. I have a cousin with a bunch of clothes in her closet and they are all bunched up next to each other, and she probably hasn't washed or laundered most of them in ages, yet when she pulls them out for me to try on they smell so clean and fresh.

My clothes on the other hand get stinky and smelly pretty quick, no matter what I do or don't do. Not that they get dirty, but they just start to age and get all musty. Febreeze might help a little bit, but not like a fresh wash would do. So how do people keep their clothes smelling so clean and fresh all the time? I'm not going to spray all my clothes with perfume either.

Answer 1

I wash my clothes at about the same frequency that you do (although I don't dry-clean things that often unless they're the sort of things that come into contact with the skin). I don't have any problem with my clothes being fresh, so I'm wondering if your clothes are really getting CLEAN to begin with. The fact that your clothing seems to "age" prematurely supports the notion that they might not be getting REALLY clean.

Be sure that your clothes can move freely in the water in your washer, and be sure to use enough detergent. I prefer a liquid detergent (plain old Tide or a similar brand works fine) because it's already dissolved. Clothing that is worn next to the skin needs to be washed in warm water most of the time to get the oils from your skin out completely; you can still rinse them in cold water, of course. If you must wash them in cold water, add a bit more detergent than the label says, as cold water simply doesn't work as well as warm water (especially if you live in a place where the water is REALLY cold all year long). Make sure the load of laundry is not too big for the machine you're using; if there is too much in the tub, they can't move around, and the dirt will stay right where it is.

Try smaller loads, warm water for the wash cycle, and liquid detergent, and I think you'll get much better results.

Good luck!

Answer 2

Shirts, socks and underwear I put in the wash after one wearing, especially if they are work clothes. Jeans and khakis I wear 2 or 3 times or more before laundering. Wool sweters get laundered roughly every 2 weeks. I buy clothes that can be washed because I don't like taking stuff to the cleaners and then having to pick it up. I don't want to make 2 trips to a place that is out of the way for me.

Since I don't have many clothes, I have to wash them after wearing them, so they are always clean. Starting in the new year (but not as a New Year's resolution) and when I go back to work (I'm a teacher and a guy), I'll probably start wearing clothes longer to cut down on laundry. I plan to change my wearing and washing habits.

Answer 3

I could see how it could seem unimportant to wash new clothes but really you should wash ALL new clothes - your own included. There are lots of chemicals intentionally put onto the clothes by the manufacturers, like pesticides to keep moths and other bugs out of them, and other chimicals that make the colors look their best for sale, etc. The fabric (before the clothing is made) and the clothes (during shipment, transport, in the stores, etc.) are often exposed to all sorts of things - and I'm not just referring to the nasty people trying them on. There have actually been quite a few instances where people have mysteriously gotten sick and the illness was eventually traced back to some toxic substance that was spilled onto the clothes during shipment or something like that. I have also heard of situations where clothing was shipped from overseas and there were drugs, like cocaine, being smuggled alongside, and the bag opened and there was drug residue on the clothing. When the person wore it they were exposed to the drugs. I know it sounds very unlikely but if you think about all the people in the chain who handle merchandise before it even reaches the store, you can imagine all the possible things it could be exposed to. I wont let Avary wear anything, nor will I, before I wash it. Why take the risk? I may not be explaining it well but I attached a few links. Cheers!

Answer 4

I think Heavy Jeans, slacks, and Sweaters can be worn two times....everything else besides a jacket or coat needs to washed after one wear.....Do you use fabric softener? Often if you use a softener with dryer sheets they infuse a freshness into the fabrics. You also may want to switch the type of soap you are using to a deodorant soap that can cut down on excessive perspiration odor that will also keep you clothes from getting too musty.

note: ask your cousin what type of detergent, fabric softener she uses I bet she buys a really good product that holds the fragrance for weeks after laundering thus the fresh smell even though clothes are balled up on the floor

Answer 5

I wash everything after i wear it once. Get some cedar- they make pieces of cedar wood that you can hang in your closet - there's also another product that works wonderful - it looks like a plastic bag with sand in the bottom of it, but when you hang it up, it collects moisture out of the air, and the bag actually fills with water...i think this product would help you the most. you can get it at walgreens, or places like that- maybe walmart or target.

Answer 6

I wash everything after I wear them once, with the exception of a jacket, then I just wash them whenever they get dirty.

Answer 7

well i usually wear my pants and sweatshirts 2 times and everthing else i just wear 1 time .i usually spray perfume to keep my stuff smell fresh.

Answer 8

Once.

Clothes become dirty the minute you expose them to life elements.