How often you should actually wash your bed sheets and underwear revealed – as Brits put on 260 loads per year
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.
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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.
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“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