How often should you wash your clothes?

There really is nothing nicer than clothing your skin in something soft and fresh, but how often should we be washing our clothes to make sure we preserve them for as long as possible?

“We’re all guilty of wearing something once and throwing it in the laundry basket to then be washed with a mixture of other items without looking at the wash labels properly. But over-washing can often be more of a clothing killer than over-wearing,” Dr Grant says.

While it does depend on the garment and its material, washing machine manufacturer Whirlpool suggests that shirts and blouses should be washed after one or two wearings whereas sweaters worn with undershirts can last up to six wears without washing. Workout clothing, due to the amount we sweat, should be washed after every wear. Jeans, on the other hand, don’t need to be cleaned after every wear unless they’re very dirty; however, they should be washed regularly (every four or five wears) to get rid of any germs or bacteria that have clung to the fibres.

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