Believe it or not, this is a question we get asked a lot at our laundromats. On the surface, it seems like it is a pretty simple question, but in our experience, it doesn't have such a simple answer. Here is the quick answer. It depends. Didn't see that coming did you? Sometimes it is obvious when an article of clothing needs to be washed. Whether it is after spilling food on it, sports uniforms after a game, etc. In cases like these, it is apparent when something needs to be washed. But what about those other instances? What if you wear your favorite pair of jeans out, do you need to wash them just because you wore them one time?
Here are a few things general rules of thumb you may find helpful:
Business Casual Clothes: Typically in an office setting you aren't exposed to anything that would get your clothes that dirty. Oftentimes, it is okay to wear business casual clothes a few times before they need to be washed. Barring unexpected spills, stains, etc. dress shirts, dress pants, khakis, and even suits can be worn multiple times before they require a good wash. By getting more "mileage" out of your clothes in between washes you can save quite a bit of time and money when visiting your local laundromat. Additionally, by wearing appropriate undergarments like an undershirt under your button-down shirt you can get even more use out of it between washes.
Gym Clothes: Nothing is worse than going to the gym and working out next to someone in smelly gym clothes. However, the kinds of workouts you do can guide how often you need to wash your gym clothes.
If you are often doing high-intensity workouts and working up a sweat, it is good practice to wash your gym clothes after one use. But if you are just taking a walk around the track, stretching, or doing other low-intensity workouts it is most likely not necessary to wash them after each workout, and washing them after a few days should be just fine.
Trust your own judgment on this. If you feel it should be washed, it probably should!
Underwear: This one seems pretty self-explanatory. Underwear, socks, undershirts, etc. should be washed after every use.
Think about it. Those socks you put on in the morning before going to work aren't quite the same when you get home. Not to mention your underwear and undershirt. They help keep your other items like shirts, pants, and shoes clean. By keeping all underwear items clean you can extend the amount of time between cleaning your other articles of clothing!
Outerwear: Hoodies, sweatshirts, pull-overs, and other items that you see around Western New York at almost any time of year, usually need to be washed after 5 or so wears.
Winter clothing like winter jackets, parkas, etc. usually can usually go a full season before needing to be washed.
By being mindful of how often your articles of clothing can go between washes you can save money and time when going to your local laundromat.
If you haven't been to one of the WNY Laundromats 4 locations yet, stop in and check us out. You won't be disappointed!
