Washing Clothing

[Ghoulism]

i just wash whatevers in the hamper once a week , every sunday .... i sleep in then just stay at home and take care of laundry  

[Wizzle]

I think I know the key, because everyone seems to wash their clothes more then me, but I don't smell. I think part of that has to do with I've never been a sweaty person, some people just natural sweat more then others.

I wash my jeans... I said the average of once every two weeks. Sometimes more often, sometimes less. I wear them until they feel dirty, or if I remember to throw them in the wash, since they are never in the hamper.

Shirts once, and under-things once.

I rarely wear socks, and if I do they get taken off the second I get home. (I hate having my feet feel trapped.)

I do however, take a shower every day before I put clothes on. Even if I'm in a rush, I pull my hair back in a bun and at least wash my face and body, if not my hair.

Or if I don't have time for that, I spare myself done with some organic toner that helps de-stink you.

But don't feel too bad about being a little smelly. Everyone has their smelly spot. (Mine are my feet... xp )  

[TemporarilyIdle]

Divash

From least-often to most-often:

Coat: Have your coats professionally cleaned at the end of winter. Store with tissue paper lining the body and sleaves, and think about getting a cedar block on a hook to hang from the hanger inside the coat to keep the smell fresh until the following autumn. If you get a coat horribly splattered with something nasty, of course, have it cleaned then too.

Anything wool: Clean once every ten wearings if you haven't worn it to do something really stinky, like riding horses or going to a setting in which a lot of people are smoking. If you wear wool into that sort of environment, get it professionally cleaned immediately. This goes for sweaters, scarves, shawls, anything that's wool. Actually, it goes for anything that's dry-clean only, really.

Regular sweaters and sweatshirts: Once every 4-6 wearings, depending on how they smell to you when you're fresh from a shower. Sometimes we can't smell things if we're smelly ourselves, but once we're clean, something previously acceptable will make us go, "Ugh." If it does, clean it.

Trousers and skirts: Once every 3 wearings if you're sitting home at the computer. If you're getting outside or if you're doing housework, you're sweating more, so wash them every other wearing.

Bras: These are a special case. If it's summertime and/or you're doing hard physical activity, these can only be worn once, because you're sweating and stinking. If you sit at home, work in a quiet office, or it's cool enough that you don't sweat if you go outside and run an errand without deodorant on, you can wear a bra up to four times -- just air it out overnight. This also works with a thin camisole. Febreeze will also work in a pinch, but I hesitate to recommend it, given how it contributes to air pollution.

Shirts: If it's a stay-home day, you can wear a shirt twice, particularly if the second time is when you're staying home or going outside to do manual labor. If you wore an undershirt, you can get away with wearing the outer shirt twice, unless it looks visibly wrinkled or dirty. Undershirts, do the post-shower sniff test and decide.

Underpants, socks: Wear ONCE. Some days, you'll even have to change them after half the day has gone by, or if you've slept fitfully (exercised in your sleep, that is, sweated at night).

Bath: Bath towels should be washed weekly, while hand/face towels need to be changed about every three days. Washcloths collect a lot of bacteria -- you use them, then rinse lightly and leave it wet and use it again and again -- so this should be changed after EVERY usage. That's right, I wash my face in the morning and toss that cloth, then bathe and toss that one too. Two washcloths per person per day.

Kitchen: Kitchen towels should be washed, obviously, if you get something on them. Also, if they feel damp after you've hung them to dry for a couple of hours and then go back to the kitchen, toss them. Dish rags should be changed after every use, just like facial wash cloths. Dish sponges collect a lot of bacteria and shouldn't be used at all, but if you must, change them AT LEAST once per week. Steel wool can be replaced when it starts to look like "Hey, is that a little bit of rust right there?" Plastic 'steel' wool should be discarded any time you see debris in it after rinsing. Even if you don't see debris, discard the plastic scrubbie about once every ten to fourteen days.

Wow way to go all out on your post, thanks!

As for the rest of you thanks a lot, I feel better knowing I'm on the same wavelength as everyone. Yeah I might change up the deoderant. I wear cologne when I know I'm hanging out with girls, but I'd feel weird wearing it to like school or work.  

[Miss Abigal of Lenox]

Irahatam

My jeans get washed after each wear. Most of my clothes do.
Right now I'm washing clothes. gonk

You need to listen to some of the others that wash theirs after 3-4 times of wear. You are just wearing out your clothes by washing them so often. If you shower, your body is clean so your clothes aren't dirty unless you do something that makes you perspire or something that would get you dirty. Save your clothes, don't wash them so much.  

[Divash]

Miniar

"Underpants, socks: Wear ONCE. Some days, you'll even have to change them after half the day has gone by, or if you've slept fitfully (exercised in your sleep, that is, sweated at night)."

Oh man...
Who the * sleeps in their socks?

I do. Even in the summer, my low blood pressure means that my extremities (toes and fingers) don't quite get enough circulation in them. It's bitingly cold and painful, even when the rest of me is overheated and sweaty. In the winter, I think a LOT of people probably sleep in things they don't wear in the summertime -- socks, long pajama bottoms instead of boxers, long-sleeved pajama top instead of tank top or nothing.  

[Saber Blysmey]

I agree with the whole switching your deodorant thing. Also if you sweat a lot make sure it's an antiperspirant. Antiperspirants can stain your clothes though so make sure it's dry before getting dressed. Also I recently learned a trick to help keep clothes from staining. Turn your shirt inside out, spray the underarm area with a spray adhesive. Turn it back right side out and use a warm iron on the area. I haven't tried it yet so I don't know how well it works but it sounds like it would work mainly on cotton. The book I read it in said that the iron pulls the glue into the fibers of the shirt preventing the antiperspirant from getting in their and causing discoloration. Anyhow, hope that helps someone.  

[Miniar]

purplewiz

Miniar

"Oh man...
Who the * sleeps in their socks?

In the winter, I do. My feet get cold and without socks they take forever to warm up and I can't get to sleep until they do. I have some pairs of special fuzzy sleep socks just for sleeping. They're not the same socks that were worn all day.

If you are going to sleep with socks and they are the ones you wear during the day, make sure they're fresh, clean, and dry when you go to bed. The ones that were worn all day are damp and will make your feet colder.

Karill

My feet FREEZE in any temperature less then 90 F. So socks are a nightly requirement except in the middle of summer.

Well, see, that's why I have a duvet that I tuck just a little bit under my toes. Learned that from having cats around me while growing up ofcourse, only way to make the toes safe from payful kitties too.

Miniar

I do not believe in the whole "avoid all bacteria at all cost!" sort of approach to life and I don't get sick, I don't look nor smell like a slob either. Your body's ability to handle bacteria and virii depends on your body's exposure to such. If a cold makes you seriously ill, then you've not been exposed to enough cold germs so your body freaks out, not knwing how to handle it. It's common knowledge and has been for centuries.

Um, the cold mutates. Constantly. Why do you think there's no cure? So, yeah, you got that nasty cold last year, but when you get it again this winter, it's not the same cold.

And yet, people who have had the cold last winter and their bodies has built up antigens, are MUCH better prepared for dealing with this year's cold.
Both the cold and the flu are constantly mutating yes, but both diseases follow a pattern, and if you get the cold and the flu, your bodies resistance to the diseases goes up, and so you get less sick when the next version comes by.  

[Areashine]

Jeans will be worn two times (unless really dirty) before wash, shirts are worn once unless it's a low stress day, underwear and socks worn once, and bras upwards of 5 days or so.  

[Taxi Mama]

Nice list, Divash; very thorough. I especially appreciate the post-shower sniff-test idea. That lets the timing vary by climate, culture, and personal metabolism.

However, I really feel like somebody needs to bring this up: I love the way my man smells after a day at the office, or an hour at the gym (not both). He says he wants me squeaky clean for some activities, and aged a day for other activities. Our noses are hooked into our most primitive brain functions, and I enjoy getting primitive on a regular basis. On the other hand, it's just rude to impose our smexiness on others, so we bathe in the morning before going out!  

[Divash]

Taxi Mama, you make an excellent point. I like the smell of my RLSO, who likes the smell of me. Mainly, though, we don't want to share that smell with the rest of the free world, nor do we want the rest of the world's smells in our home. We shower right when we get home from work and gym, so that we can enter our bed clean instead of dirty.

Speaking of which, sheets should be washed once a week if you don't shower before bed. If you do shower before bed without fail, sheets can be washed once every two weeks in the hot sweaty months, once a month during the cooler times of the year.  

[Lil-Jo]

Queen Spirit

Lil-Jo

My son is the king of "wear it until it can take itself off and walk away"

So is mine. sweatdrop Ill ask him for 3 days (after Ive done the wash & once again saw non of his) to bring me the diry ones befor he turns around & askes were his clean cloths are. confused How can I wash them if I dont get them. (hes 14 & old enuff to wash them himself if he misses wash day)

My son is 22 and a Geezer... doubt if he will ever get better. I cannot even steal his clothes at night because he wears them day and night...  

[Mikiba]

I only do laundry once a week, so I usually re-wear my jeans and stuff. I think that's the reason why so many of my jeans shrank so fast. That and my dryer seems to shrink clothes a lot faster (it's old).
As far as t-shirts go, I usually wear them twice and then throw them in the washer. I sweat sometimes at work since I do shipment so they get gross fast. Living in a humid state doesn't help either.
Sweaters I don't get a chance to wear, so I don't wash them much. They don't get that dirty. Working in a clothing store has made me not want to do anything with clothes as far as washing and putting away xD.  

[MQubed]

Wizzle

Everyone has their smelly spot. (Mine are my feet... xp )

I read somewhere that smelly feet are a sign you're low on zinc... you might try adding some to your diet (with foods high in zinc or a multivitamin, etc.)

What a cool thread (hee hee, a pun!)  

[Topaz Citrine]

Um ...you are in a predictament about your jeans....before you put them on why don't you smell them and if reasonable then wear if not change to another pair....what a turn off to girls if a guy just stinks of BO....

all other items wear once....then stay on top of your clothes washing or buy more clothes to change through.  

[Karill]

Miniar

purplewiz

Miniar

"Oh man...
Who the * sleeps in their socks?

In the winter, I do. My feet get cold and without socks they take forever to warm up and I can't get to sleep until they do. I have some pairs of special fuzzy sleep socks just for sleeping. They're not the same socks that were worn all day.

If you are going to sleep with socks and they are the ones you wear during the day, make sure they're fresh, clean, and dry when you go to bed. The ones that were worn all day are damp and will make your feet colder.

Karill

My feet FREEZE in any temperature less then 90 F. So socks are a nightly requirement except in the middle of summer.

Well, see, that's why I have a duvet that I tuck just a little bit under my toes. Learned that from having cats around me while growing up ofcourse, only way to make the toes safe from payful kitties too.

Miniar

I do not believe in the whole "avoid all bacteria at all cost!" sort of approach to life and I don't get sick, I don't look nor smell like a slob either. Your body's ability to handle bacteria and virii depends on your body's exposure to such. If a cold makes you seriously ill, then you've not been exposed to enough cold germs so your body freaks out, not knwing how to handle it. It's common knowledge and has been for centuries.

Um, the cold mutates. Constantly. Why do you think there's no cure? So, yeah, you got that nasty cold last year, but when you get it again this winter, it's not the same cold.

And yet, people who have had the cold last winter and their bodies has built up antigens, are MUCH better prepared for dealing with this year's cold.
Both the cold and the flu are constantly mutating yes, but both diseases follow a pattern, and if you get the cold and the flu, your bodies resistance to the diseases goes up, and so you get less sick when the next version comes by.

Antigens =! Antibodies.

And no, still not that simple. Maybe it helps in some people, but not always and not everyone. I got last year's flu shots, I still got the flu, thanks to the prevalent strains being different from the predicted strains. So maybe there's a pattern, but viruses don't always feel the need to follow it.

The point is, immune systems are not that simple. You can't say that not being a 'germaphobe' is the only reason why you don't get sick often.