Before tossing everything you’ve worn that day in your laundry bin, ask yourself: Does this really need to be washed?
Most of the time, the answer won’t be yes for every garment. In fact, many of your go-to pieces shouldn’t be washed every time they’re worn, or even every other time they’re worn!
Ready to master the art of washing clothes at the right time? From extending the life of your wardrobe to reducing your energy bill, plenty of benefits await you.
Here’s the ultimate WaveMAX guide to how often to wash different kinds of clothes.
WaveMAX Laundry Guides: How Often to Wash Different Kinds of Clothes
Factors to consider
Before diving into wash timing by garment, let’s run through a few factors that can overrule our advice:
Weather: If something is soaked in mud or rainwater, washing it early makes perfect sense.
Sweating: If a piece comes into contact with excessive sweat, wash it after one use.
Color: White clothing needs to be washed more than colored clothing, especially if something comes in contact with sweat and water. If you’re worried about discoloration, wash white clothes after every wash.
Stains: Did you spill something on your clothes? After pretreating the stain, go ahead and jump right to washing.
Garments to wash after every wear
Now, certain types of clothes warrant washing after every wear, including:
Underwear
Socks and hosiery
Workout clothes
Anything made from silk
Swimsuits
Tank tops
As a rule of thumb, anything tight enough to lay directly across your skin (and private areas) must be cleaned every time it’s worn.
With these caveats out of the way, let’s get into it!
Bras
The only undergarments that don’t need constant washing are bras. They can go 3-4 wears before you wash them. If it’s a bra you only wear in the evenings or for a few hours at a time, you can even go a few more wears!
Shirts and blouses
More casual shirts like tees should be washed after 1-2 wears. Blouses and more formal tops can go up to 4 wears before needing a wash.
Again, the main factors to consider are tightness and activity level. If the shirt in question is a tighter tee you wore on a long walk, go ahead and wash it soon. If it’s a delicate top you only wear to the office, you can extend it a few more wears!
Jeans and pants
Because they’re made from high-quality materials and designed to last, jeans shouldn’t be washed too often. Washing every 5-7 wears is typically fine, or just aim for once a month!
Shorts and khakis, however, need to be washed more often, about every 2-3 wears.
As for pants made from polyester, nylon, and spandex, you can also go up to 7 wears, especially if they’re baggy.
Sweaters
One closet staple you really don’t want to overwash is the sweater. Both friction from the washing machine and heat from the dryer can damage sweaters’ delicate fibers and structure!
Wool and synthetic blended sweaters can be stretched to 4-7 wears. Cotton and cashmere sweaters are a bit tougher, so washing every 2-4 wears is fine. If you wear an undershirt every time you don your sweater, you can go for the higher options.
When you do wash a sweater, remember to air or line dry it every time—dryers are highly likely to damage it!
Want more tips for washing sweaters at home?
Dresses
You can wait up to 3 wears to wash your dresses, especially if they’re loose and flowy.
However, dresses adorned with sequins and similar detailing should be dry cleaned over machine washed. Your at-home washing machine may damage it, but a laundry professional will be able to clean it risk-free!
Here’s how to find a great dry cleaner you can trust with your favorite delicate dresses.
Sweats and pajamas
While workout clothes should be cleaned after every wash, cozy athleisure like sweatpants, track pants, and sweatshirts can wait 5-6 wears.
For yoga pants you don’t wear during workouts, you can wait 3-4 wears.
On the sleepwear front, unless you’re a sweaty sleeper, pajamas can usually go 3-4 wears without needing a wash.
Suits, blazers, and dress pants
Because of their rigid structure, formal clothing like suit pieces, blazers, jackets, and dress pants should only be washed about every 5 wears.
These pieces are also quite challenging to wash safely at home—especially if you like them crisp and ironed! That’s why many business professionals opt for routine dry cleaning for work clothes.
Need help finding the best dry cleaner near you?
Winter coats and outerwear
Winter coats, leather jackets, parkas, and other outerwear such as hats, gloves, and scarves need only be washed once a season.
Before doing so, however, be sure to follow the instructions in this guide to washing winter coats. Leather jackets also require special care!
Bedding
Clothes aren’t the only items that need to be cleaned at certain times. Your bedding can be picky, too! Here’s how often to wash sheets, blankets, and more:
Sheets: Weekly or bi-weekly
Pillowcases: Weekly
Pillows: Every six months
Comforters and duvet covers: Monthly if you use a top sheet, weekly if you don’t
Quilts and throw blankets: Monthly, or every other month if not used daily
Pro-Tip: Linen is a uniquely delicate material. Here’s how to safely wash linen in the washing machine!
Now that you’re an expert in how often to wash different kinds of clothes, your wardrobe and wallet will thank you!
For more information on dry cleaning services and wash and fold laundry in Thornton, search WaveMAX laundry near me or visit our website.
