by Cameron Chapman

Created on: January 20, 2007   Last Updated: April 16, 2007

Whether to wear clothes more than once between washings has a lot to do with who you are. I mean this more in a physical sense than personality, morals, etc. If you tend to sweat a lot, or have a job/hobby in which you are very active, or if you use a lot of skincare products, perfume and the like, then you should probably wash most clothing after each wearing (the exceptions being things that don't directly touch your skin, and wool sweater, which generally just need to be hung up to air out between wearings). If you don't tend to sweat very much, and don't use a lot of "products", then you can usually get by wearing most items of clothing at least twice between washings.

Here are some basic guidelines:

Underwear should only be worn once, and by that I mean for one day.

Socks generally shouldn't be worn more than once, but I have to admit that I sometimes wear them for more than one day provided that: they aren't crusty (I know, it sounds gross, but if your feet sweat at all, your socks get crusty), and that they don't smell. This also includes hoisery.

Pants/jeans: If they don't have any stains, and they don't smell (make sure you smell all parts of the pants, especially the crotch area-I know, sounds gross, but that's one of the places most likely to carry an odor after repeated wearings), then keep on wearing them. I must admit that I'll wear jeans 3-5 times sometimes without washing them. One key to getting more wearings per wash are to hang clothes up at night so they can air out.

Shirts: I generally will wear them 1-3 times, depending on what I did while wearing them. If there are stains, odors, etc., wash before you wear. But, if like me you have an office job, you can usually get by if you just let them air out between wearings.

Sweaters: Cotton tends to hold smell, so you shouldn't wear those more than twice without washing. Wool on the other hand won't retain most smells (even cigarette smoke). The key is to let wool air out between wearings. Silk and synthetics should usually only be worn once between launderings.

Skirts: Usually, if you're wearing a skirt, you're not working up a huge sweat, so go ahead and wear them more than once.

Jackets, blazers, and other outerwear: Seasonal laundering is a good idea, but since these items rarely touch bare skin (other than maybe your arms), it's okay to wear them multiple times without washing or dry cleaning. Just beware of stains and any strong odors you're exposed to (such as cigarette smoke or other noxious fumes).

Other things to consider are that you should generally wash clothes more often in warm weather, as you tend to perspire a bit more. If you have dry skin, you should also wash clothes more, as flaky skin will rub off on them (and that's just gross).

The benefits to wearing things more than once between washings are numerous. It cuts down on your water heating bill/general water bill (and/or laundry and dry cleaning expenses), and the time you spend doing laundry. It's also better for the environment, as you use less detergent overall, less water, and less energy to heat that water.

So, the general rule is to look, feel and smell before wearing anything more than once. If it passes all three tests, wear away!

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