Laundry experts reveal how often you should be washing your clothes

1 February 2021, 11:35 | Updated: 1 February 2021, 11:38

By Naomi Bartram

@naomibartram

Clothing experts have revealed we've all probably been washing our clothes too often.

With most of us spending more time inside, it’s fair to say our loungewear is getting a lot of use at the moment.

But while you might like to wear a fresh t-shirt and pair of joggers every day, now laundry experts have revealed you don’t actually need to wash your clothes after every wear.

The Clothes Doctor specialises in helping people extend the life of their clothes by repairing, altering and restoring their wardrobe.

Taking to Instagram with their advice, they wrote: “What if we told you that many fabrics really don't need frequent washing, and some are actually better off washed as infrequently as possible?

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“So where's the balance between keeping things clean, but not needlessly wearing out your clothes, releasing tons of microfibres and using unnecessary energy and water?”

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They claim jeans actually only need to be put in the wash once a month if you want to keep them in tip-top condition.

“Washing will fade the colour over time and cause the fabric to thin, so we recommend washing denim as little as possible to keep it in good nick,” the experts state.

Meanwhile cotton t-shirts can be worn up to four times before you clean them and they should be put on a 30C cycle.

Any silk, linen or synthetic items can also be washed every three to four wears.

The experts add: “Since most synthetic fabrics are actually derived from plastic, they’re unable to withstand high temperatures.

“We recommend using a synthetic fabric setting on your washing machine or a warm temperature.

“Rayon needs particular attention when washing as fabrics such as viscose are susceptible to shrinking and typically labelled dry clean only.”

Delicate fabrics such as cashmere and wool should only be washed once a month using cool or lukewarm water.

After reading the advice, followers couldn’t wait to comment, with one writing: “Wow, learned something new there. Thanks!”

“And with kids, every day 🤪🤪,” joked a second, while a third added: “Thank you, this is really helpful and clear. 💚”

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