Comments on: I Married a Laundry Heretic

By: Gail

Gail — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 00:39:30 +0000

When did Americans get this horrible phobia about germs? You wash dirty clothes as clean clothes don’t need cleaned. If it doesn’t smell, hasn’t had anything drip or spill on it, you haven’t used your shirt to do the dusting, then in most cases it is probably clean enough for another one or two wearings.

Underwear and socks are the only thing that gets changes here daily. Other clothes get washed when dirty and in regards to hubbies clothes when really dirty. He is self-employeed in a messy job and tends to use his work clothes as handy rags. I gave up and only buy him used T-shirts and jeans at yard sales or thrift stores as I know they are going to end the day with glue, stain, etc. all over them. When I worked as a nurse I changed uniforms daily, but now that I am at home, I’m not digging ditches or getting near infected people, my clothes can usually be worn for 2-3 days. It saves much wear and tear and many of my clothes are 10-15 years old. Even my newer clothes that I have made show little wear as I wash them in the machine, but hang all my clothes to dry.

Doing laundry constantly is a huge time waster, energy waster and money waster. I also wear pretty homemade aprons to protect against stains while cooking. Makes me feel like June Cleaver.

By: minny

minny — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 12:15:58 +0000

Ah Persephone, It could all be an illusion. The outfits may get their second wearing the next week and their third a week later – unwashed in the meantime!

By: Persephone

Persephone — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 22:53:18 +0000

This article reminded me of the time I worked in an office. There seemed to be a self-imposed prohibition among the women against wearing the same outfit twice in a week (or even pieces of an outfit, e.g., a sweater or a skirt). I wondered then, as I do now, why this is the case in the United States when in Europe it is perfectly acceptable and quite common to wear outfits more than once in a week.

Can anyone offer any insight into this wasteful practice?

By: Ann

Ann — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 15:17:03 +0000

Actually, I have a funny little side story.

When I was in school the first time and doing a lot of oil painting, I had a very bad habit of using my bluejeans as a paint rag! For about a year and a half, I was living at home and commuting to school. My mom, being the woman she was, insisted that I leave the house dressed to the nines, though it meant that I had to change as soon as I got to school. Those poor jeans would only get washed about once a week… if they were lucky!

Anyway, I used to get offers for those jeans (people wanted them cut, stretched and hung as a modern painting) but only on the condition that I wouldn’t paint again before I took them off! ROFL

There can obviously be advantages to having “messy” clothes.

By: ThiNg

ThiNg — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 15:38:34 +0000

I’m with wear it until it’s dirty crowd. The whole point of washing your clothes to CLEAN them. You can’t clean something that isn’t dirty!!

Underwear and socks are a one shot deal. I installed some hooks above the hamper in the bedroom. I hang everything I take off on the hooks (one for pyjamas, jeans, shirts, and sweaters). I smell the article in question, check for stains and hang on hook IF clean. If not, drop in hamper.

For me, the look is important. I can’t throw clean jeans in a crumpled mess on the floor and then put them back on. I also have a phobia of critters on the floor getting into my clothes while on the floor (bed bugs or something). Now everything hangs from the hooks.

The system works for us: Clean and new in the dresser or on a hangar, Worn once and still good on a hook, dirty and needs to be washed in the hamper.

I like that hotels are starting to do the same thing. Leave the towels to be washed on the floor, or hang and keep the ones you have.

I see lots of comment on the money savings, but noone seems to mention the environment!! Phosphorous and hot water from our washes affects plants and fish in our rivers.

In the old days, our ancestors weren’t out beating clothes on rocks every day!!

By: Cindy M

Cindy M — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 13:19:32 +0000

I had a good laugh at your article today, thanks, Dave. I used to be more finicky than I am now. Of course, it’s still one wearing for the undies. Sheets and towels get washed once a week (I live alone and hang up all towels to dry out). I have an old towel I use strictly for drying my hair, that one doesn’t get washed as often. In the winter, I wear wool skirts, jackets and coats that obviously don’t get thrown in the wash; I’ve bought most of them at thrift stores, brush and hang them immediately after taking them off and occasionally use a product Woolite puts out called “Dry Cleaner’s Secret,” great stuff. Then I have my various “outfits” – there’s my yard work/paint outfit (ratty jeans and shirt about to fall apart) that gets washed weekly or semi-weekly in the summertime. There’s my run-the-errands outfit that may get worn several times that week, taken off and hung up as soon as I get home if the exertions weren’t too extreme. There’s my around-the-house/home office outfit that consists of sweats in the winter and a denim jumper and T-shirt in the summer. I can get several “wearins’,” as the ex-husband used to say, out of these before they go in the wash. (I used to give him a bad time about not throwing his stuff in the laundry; that’s why I had to laugh at your article). Even my socks have a kind of hierarchy; I like to keep a nice never-worn pair of white socks and white tennis shoes for “occasions” that seldom occur, Lord knows why.

This goes beyond laundry, but I do take good care of my old good leather shoes and boots and took a pair of boots to the shoe repair guy recently; I love those boots. I saw a bit on TV the other night about how business is booming for this particular business, so I’m not alone there.

By: minny

minny — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 09:30:24 +0000

I’m with the wife here. All that ironing, all that electricity used – too much!

By: Best Bun

Best Bun — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 21:11:54 +0000

Just the thought of wearing clothing more than once makes me itch! DH has been known to sneak a tee shirt back in the dresser. I will remove and put in washing machine. We have 6-7 loads of laundry a week for 3 adults. My mother always told me that you’re never too poor to be clean!

By: Diane

Diane — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 03:59:00 +0000

I’m with your wife~! Socks, underwear & undershirts are washed after 1 wearing, towels are used 2-3 times, everything else depends on whether it is dirty. Jeans, outer shirts, sweatshirts may be worn several times if still clean… if they’re dirty they get washed after 1 use.

In the deep south heat, sometimes we take multiple baths and change clothes frequently in 1 day, depending on what we’ve been doing.

My kids are trained to wear some items multiple times, depending on the circumstances.

As your wife points out, it saves wear & tear on the clothes and the washer/dryer, plus saves water, detergent & MONEY!

By: David G. Mitchell

David G. Mitchell — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 20:34:09 +0000

Fortunately, I have not worn a suit in over ten years so I do not have a current standard for when a suit needs to go to the dry cleaners. It is one of the perks of working at home!