Wearing clothes several times before washing?

[Shaunam]

Does anybody else do this? My sister was complaining about the amount of laundry she has to do and I told her to cut down on that amount by re-wearing some clothes and she was grossed out by that suggestion.

I usually re-use jeans, bras, and towels several times before washing. My DH also re-uses his work shirts once before putting them in the hamper (he wears undershirts and he doesn't get the outside of his work shirts dirty).

Obviously socks and underwear go straight into the hamper. And DS's clothes usually do because he just gets so dirty. But everything else gets re-used until it's stinky or visibly dirty. I thought this was pretty common since both my mom and my little sis do this. But my older sis is grossed out, so what gives?

We're not gross are we? What do you re-use and how many times before it goes in the laundry?

[Annie]

We do this pretty much exactly like you do. I love all the luandry it saves!

[oldermamato5]

Absolutely we wear clothing over and over again if it's not visibly dirty. Now I don't mean we all wear the same thing for days in a row. I personally keep my towel for at least a week. I mean,your drying off from a shower,ya know? Saves on not only doing laundry 24/7 it also saves on water and the wear and tear on your clothing.
I do have one particular son who would probably wear his underwear for days in a row too if I'd let him.

[Shaunam]

Originally Posted by oldermamato5

I do have one particular son who would probably wear his underwear for days in a row too if I'd let him.

Did you teach him to turn them inside-out to get more wear out of them? Which is probably what I would do if my DS went through a phase like that. Bad, I know.

[newcastlemama]

I think as long as it smells and looks clean then it esentially is...I thnought everyone did this...I also wash my hair every 3 days and that grosses people out.

[orangefoot]

We all wear clean shirts and pants (I mean underwear pants) every day becuase we are a stinky family BUt everything else hangs around until it looks dirty. Sometimes I spot clean jeans or trousers instead of washing the whole item which takes up space in the washer and takes ages to dry. Dd's clothes do get grubby but she likes to wear them dirty to get dirty again iyswim especially in the garden. She will come and take something out of the dirty clothes basket to play in. Strangely sensible 3 year old child.

Some weeks if the boys are in school and wearing uniform I only wash maybe twice a week for 5 of us. A friend was shocked that I didn't need to wash every day but I know her boys do a lot of asfter school sports and her dd is still in cloth nappies o that probably makes a difference.

I'm planning on keeping my boys reading and doing ec with the new babe to keep the washing down! My other tip is to own fewer clothes.

[pammysue]

I re-wear all clothes-except underwear and socks. I re-wear jeans until they are visable dirty or start to look not so crisp (usually 4-6 times). Pants, sweaters, etc..usually 3-4 times or unless they are visably dirty. I wash towels and sheets once a week. DH and I each use the same towel for the whole week. He would rather not-but I convinced him it is easier than doing laundry all week. DH gets stinky (he usually does not wear deodorant) so he washes shirts each time he wears them, and pants every 2-3 times.

[Snowdrift]

We re-wear everything but undershirts and underwear. In the summer we mostly don't wear underwear though.

We do rewear socks though. Smartwool rocks!

And I contend that if one advocates reusing a wool diaper cover several times between washing, well, rewearing wool socks is certainly no more gross that that!

[Shaunam]

Originally Posted by tie-dyed

And I contend that if one advocates reusing a wool diaper cover several times between washing, well, rewearing wool socks is certainly no more gross that that!

Our wool diaper covers get used probably 40+ times before washing.

Where do you get wool socks?

[Sandi_lea]

No, you are not crazy. I was brought up that way. The only thing I wear once is my socks and underware. I wear my bra at least three time before I wash it, I alternate with another one so it has a day to air out. I use my towels for a full week before I wash them- I do have little hand towels that I use to dry my crotch and I use a clean one every shower.(I have problems with yeast, and this seams to help.) I have been know to wear my jeans for a week straight before washing them if I don't get them real dirty. Esp. if all I have done is sat at my desk. And my husband has duck bib overalls that he wears to work and I only wash them once a week. I don't see a problem, we take a shower everyday and we put clean underware on.
In the summer when I am mowing and I get really dirty, when I come home I take my clothes off in the laundry room (I have a spot where I fold them and put them) then I go take a shower. Then the next morning, I will get ready (comb my hair, ect.) and when I am ready I go out to the laundry room and put those same clothes on and go out to mow. I wear the same shorts and bra for a full week, and I get a clean shirt about mid week. I don't see the point in washing them everyday when I am going to go right back out and get dirty mowing.
Also, when we get home from work we take our work clothes off and put our comfy clothes on, and we wear them a week before I was them.
Besides I'm not wearing my clothes out washing them.

And I don't think we are gross!!! I think we are pretty clever for realizing that we can wear something more than once before washing it.

[shershine]

We all change our underwear daily. Dp usually wears the same outfit for 2-3 days. I usually only wear something once because I ALWAYS get things dirty. If I'm eating something, it ends up on my clothes. If I'm cooking, it's gets splattered on me. And of course having a toddler that uses me as a hankie doesn't help! My dds can usually only wear something once too, they usually are filthy by the end of the day. Dd2 usually wears 3-4 outfits a day, so yeah, I have a TON of laundry!

[alexisyael]

I totally don't think you're gross! We re-wear most of of our outer clothes, too. (Bras and tanks get reworn by me. My DH, otoh, is a smellier guy, and doesn't rewear undershirts.) Towels get changed once a week. I thought that was standard! (I also change our sheets once a week.) I think rewearing clothes is just good common sense -- makes the clothes last longer, too.

Though I do have a horrible secret life as a stain catcher. Seriously, I can have a napkin covering my entire boob/belly area and STILL manage to drop food on some part of my clothing. It's a gift, I tell you. So, a lot of my outer clothes do have to get washed often, just because of the food staining factor... sigh.

[alexisyael]

Originally Posted by shershine

I usually only wear something once because I ALWAYS get things dirty. If I'm eating something, it ends up on my clothes.

Thank G-d it's not just me!!!

[Godiva]

concidering that I have 1 pair of pants that fit and 3 shirts (oh this lovely postpartum stage) then yes, I do wear stuf many times before washing.

[Emilie]

I feel ya- I wear my jeans till I have a period that I don't need them. I am starting to fit into a few more pairs- but I wear them till they are dirty. Same with my bra-( I only have a few) and I want to start wearing the same night clothes more than once.
However with nursing my boobs still leak some at night- so that I don't like
I am always dirty I feel!
Emilie

[momto l&a]

I have 3 dd's and they have a fresh change of clothes once a day sometimes more.

I wear a frsh shirt most every day and jean will do me 2 or so days unless I am outside working then its everyday a clean pair.

A bra will do me till i see dirt
Towles once a week sheets once a week.

I do loads of laundry

[lilyka]

we usually end up changing chirts daily (because we are a train wreck) but pants get worn 3-6 days in a row. pajamas for a week. underwear gets changed daily, socks are a rare occurance around here. . . even in the winter . . . and when we do find a pair that matches we are likely to hold on to it (sad I know). towels get re-used and sheets don't get washed as often as they should. . . . .

and almost everyone I know does it.

[eleven]

I wear my clothes until they walk themselves to the hamper!

I probably only do a couple of loads of my own laundry every couple of weeks or so. I'm so busy washing diapers and dd's clothes that I have to rewear my own out of sheer necessity!

My older sister, on the other hand, changes her clothes at least once a day and never rewears! She doesn't wash her own clothes, though, so I guess it works for her.

[Ruthla]

My shirts and dresses need to be washed after each wearing because I perspire a lot- they get uncomfortable whether they're stinky or not (which they probably are.)

Skirts get hung up to air out after wearing all day, unless there's visible dirt. More often than not, I've spilled something on myself before the day is out! My younger two children are messy and need clean clothes daily. My oldest will re-wear some of her clothes without washing.

[Ruthla]

Darn double-post fairy!!