When it comes to washing clothes, most people add things to the washing pile after every wear – but there’s certain garments that don’t need to be cleaned as often
When it comes to laundry, there’s always a bit of a debate about how often we should be chucking our jeans or towels into the wash.
Sure, slipping into a T-shirt that’s all fresh and crisp is a treat, but no one fancies being chained to the washing machine. So, what’s the real deal with how often we should be giving our threads a good clean?
Cleaning expert Caroline Solomon has stepped in to sort the fact from fiction, dishing out the dirt on just how frequently we need to be tackling everything from denim to delicates.
Caroline, from New York, regularly drops her wisdom on TikTok. She’s spilled the beans on how to keep your wardrobe in tip-top shape, but she’s quick to point out that if you’re someone who gets a bit sweaty, that’s going to play a big part too.
Jeans are a bone of contention for many, but Caroline’s two cents is to give them a spin every five to ten wears. “When your jeans start to smell funky, that’s a good indicator it’s time to wash them. Otherwise, you can wash them every 10 or so wears,” she revealed to The Daily Mail. But don’t just throw them in willy-nilly – Caroline says to eyeball the care label every time.
Her top tip? Turn them inside out, put them on a cold cycle, and you’ll dodge any shrinkage while keeping the colour locked in tight. In a separate TikTok video, she shared her tips for cleaning jeans, recommending washing with a mild detergent and similar colours. Speaking about T-shirts, she suggests they should be washed every ‘one to two wears’ and also inside out if it’s a printed tee.
When it comes to towels, she advises a warm or hot wash for the most hygienic clean and ‘every three uses or at least once a week. ‘ “Unless the care label says otherwise, use warm or hot water (which is the most hygienic option) with regular detergent on a normal regular cycle,” she adds.
She further explained that bedsheets should be washed every week due to how much we sweat at night and ‘wash at the hottest temperature listed on the care label to kill germs and bacteria. ‘ Alongside bedding, she also says pyjamas should be washed every few days, but if you tend to sweat more at night they should be washed a little more frequently – but on a colder wash.
“Be sure to read the label for proper washing instructions, but generally to extend their life, wash in cool water with a gentle detergent. To avoid shrinkage, air dry or tumble dry on low,” Caroline adds. Aside from bedding and pyjamas, Caroline also states how often we should be washing bras, pants, T-shirts and socks.
For bras, the expert explained that the best way to wash them is by hand with a mild detergent, but you can also machine wash them in an optional mesh bag to help them maintain their shape.
She emphasised that pants should definitely be washed after each use, using a delicate wash cycle. In addition to pants, she also advised that socks should be washed after every wear. To extend their lifespan, she suggested turning them inside out and washing them in cold water.
