If you’re like most other normal humans, you should have done some form of laundry atleast this weekend.
The question “how often do I wash my wears?” is a frequently asked question as people always want to smell as clean as possible without compromising the lifespan of their wears.
This article aims to provide a guideline on how often we need to wash our wears.
1. Clothes – Cotton tshirts, shorts, workout clothes and everything else that gets soaked in sweat should be washed after each wear. Your button-down shirts can last for three to four wears, especially if you’re an undershirt guy so you may choose to wash them less frequently unless they get dirty or soaked in sweat. Your “off-duty” clothes can stand about five wears before they need to be washed depending on your activity level though. Pajamas and night robes can withstand up to four wears and they should be treated like towels and switched out every week at least. You know I don’t need to tell you to wash your underwear, socks, and undershirt after every wear—this is non-negotiable stuff. 😆
2. Native African wears – it is most preferable to hand wash your native fabrics with mild soap and water with or without table salt after about four to six wears depending on the fabric. This is as African fabrics wear out easily when washed with detergents or washing machines. Also form the habit of air drying your fabrics for about eight hours after wearing.
3. Suits, jackets and blazers – should be washed after five or six wears. Ensure that you wash all the coordinating pieces of the suit at the same time as that everything wears off at the same speed.
4. Jeans: It’s ok to wear your heavy denim jeans four to five times before washing, as long as they’re not stained. Over-washing can cause them to wear out prematurely.
Tips on washing jeans:
》Turn jeans inside out and wash in cold water.
》Drip dry.
》Don’t machine wash your jeans
5. Bras: A general rule is that you should never wear the same bra two days in a row, because the elastic band needs time to reshape. Have a rotation of a few bras, and give each one at least 24 hours to recover before wearing it again. With proper rotation, bras can last three to four wears between washes.
6. Bed sheets: There’s no point in diligently washing your clothes if you’re sleeping on dirty sheets at the end of the day. Sheets should therefore be washed as often as once a week to remove a buildup of debris, dust, sweat etc. Use hot water preferably and sun dry properly as heat helps to kill all the germs.
7. Bed Pillows: One study found that 16 species of fungi can live on an average pillow, and the stuffing actually attracts allergy-causing dust mites. So to ensure you’re only laying your head down on your pillow, wash them about two to three times a year.
We all need to wash our clothes to stay clean and fresh, but there is such a thing as too much washing. Laundering your clothes more than you need to can shorten their lifespan and wear them out quickly, but washing too rarely can be unhygienic and unhealthy therefore a balance has to be struck.
Of course, this guide doesn’t apply to the days when excessive sweating or accidental spills happen, and to those who have different hygiene preferences.
Finally, your senses of smell and sight remain the best tools in judging when you’d need to wash your wears, use them efficiently.
OVERSAABI 