THE number of washing loads done by households went up by nearly ten per cent between 2005 and 2014.
It means the average home now does 260 loads a year, or five a week.
Ao.com laundry expert Gwilym Snook said: “Many of us tend to over- wash clothes that aren’t necessarily dirty after each wear.
“Jeans or jumpers can be worn multiple times before they need a wash, a habit which can prolong their life.”
We ask four readers about how often they wash their clothes.
Working mum Cassie Cooper
BUSY Cassie, 41, says she wears her bra for a week before washing it.
The married mum of two, from Darlington, Co Durham, puts on up to five loads of washing a day.
She said: “With kids, the pile of laundry can seem never ending.”
- Bed sheets: weekly
- Jumpers: 2 wears
- Occasion dresses: 2 wears
- Day dress: 1 wear
- Shirt/T-shirt: 1 wear
- Trousers: 4 wears
- Bras: 7 wears
- Underwear: 1 wear
- Shirts: 1 wear
- Trousers: 5 wears
- Jumper: 4 wears
- Socks: 1 wear
- Undies: 1 wear
KIDS’ CLOTHES:
- Jumpers: 3 wears
- Shirts: 1 wear
- Underwear: 1 wear
- Socks: 1 wear
- Dress: 1 wear
- Skirt: 1 wear
- Trousers: 5 wears
Single Paul Daniels
PAUL’S mum cleans his bedding every two weeks.
The 51-year-old painter and decorator, of Wallsend, Tyne and Wear, does his laundry by hand in the kitchen sink twice a week.
He said: “It is easier and less expensive to do it by hand. I save on energy and cash.
“I put about eight items at a time in the sink with some washing powder and fabric conditioner.
“I do this about twice a week. I do like to be clean.”
- Trousers: 5 wears
- Bed sheets: 2 weeks
- Wool jumper: 3 wears
- Sweatshirt: 2 wears
- Shirt: 1 wear
- T-shirt: 1 wear
- Socks: 1 wear
- Underwear: 1 wear
- Pyjamas: 4 wears
OAP Susan Williams
PENSIONER Susan will wear her clothes as often as ten times before she washes them.
The 72–year–old ex-nurse, from Southport, Merseyside, cleans her bedding every three weeks.
She rarely throws her bras into the laundry basket and uses one towel a week.
Susan said: “People these days wash clothes far too often. It’s a waste of money and energy. I just do the sniff test.
“If it doesn’t smell, it doesn’t get washed.”
- Bed sheets: every three weeks
- Jumpers: 7 wears
- Dresses: 4 wears
- Shirts: 6 wears
- T-shirts: 6 wears
- Trousers: 6 wears
- Skirts: 6 wears
- Bras: 10 wears
- Socks: 2 wears
- Undies: 1 wear
- Nightwear: 7 wears
Bakery supervisor Eve Percy
AVID washer Eve will put her work clothes into the machine after a single wear.
The 21-year-old throws two loads of washing through a day so she can wear a fresh uniform for each shift at a bakery.
Eve, from Cramlington, Northumberland, also puts sportswear into the laundry basket after every wear, but will pull on a jumper four times before putting it in the wash.
Eve said: “I do a lot of washing because I don’t have many uniforms and I like to wear a clean one every day.
“I would do less if I could and I understand it’s not good for the environment.
“I am not surprised that most people feel they are judged for wearing clothes multiple times in a row.”
- Work uniform: 1 wear
- Trousers: 3 wears
- Shirt: 2 wears
- T-shirts: 2 wears
- Jumper: 4 wears
- Bra: 2 wears
- Sportswear: 1 wear
And how often you should do it…
- Trousers: 4 wears
- Shirts and T-shirts: 1 wear
- Undies: 1 wear
- Bras: 3 wears
- Socks: 1 wear
- Bed sheets: Every week
- Jumpers: 4 wears
- Sportswear: 1 wear
- Dresses: 1 wear
- Jeans: 4 wears
- Pyjamas: 4 wear
