Blog

How Often to Wash 6 Everyday Items

Socks, underwear, t-shirts—you wear them once and then you wash them. Easy. But what about those items that don’t seem dirty after one use? The two easiest questions you can ask yourself as to whether something needs to be cleaned are also the most intuitive: “Is it visibly dirty?” and “Does it smell?”

If you don’t want to risk using the smell test to determine when to do your laundry, take a look at our recommendations below to keep your things clean and fresh without unnecessary washings.

Jeans: Once a month, or every 6-7 uses

In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Carl Chiara, director of brand concepts and special projects for Levi Strauss & Co, said that he only washes his jeans once every six months, with spot cleaning in between washings. That’s pretty impressive. If you don’t have time to make a science out of caring for your jeans, then keep it simple: if your jeans are dirty, smelly, or have stretched out too much, it’s time to wash them.

Tip: Avoid fading and shrinking your jeans. Turn them inside out before they go in the machine, use cold water, and either line dry or use the delicate cycle on your dryer. And if you really want to have the best cleaned and softest jeans ever, try cleaning them in GreenEarth with Crest Cleaners. Your jeans won’t shrink or fade, and you’ll stop worrying about their fate in the washing machine.

Coats: Once or twice a year

Outer layers can go a quite a while between washings since they don’t make contact with your skin. Unless you and your coat are coming into contact with a lot of grime, your coat can just be washed before and after the season you’re wearing it.

Tip: Spot cleaning can extend the time between full washings. If you get a splash of mud or food on your coat, give that area a scrub with warm water and a small amount detergent. Like jeans, coats will last longer the less they’re subjected to the washing machine. For a more extensive coat-cleaning tutorial, check out this other blog post.

Scarves: One or two times a month

Skin cells, makeup, and sweat can all make their home in your scarf because it sits on the skin and is near your face. For this reason, scarves can’t go as long as coats between washing.

Tip: Check your scarf’s washing instructions. Some scarves can go in the laundry in a lingerie bag to protect their shape. Others must be hand washed with a small amount of detergent or shampoo. Or, you can have your scarves dry-cleaned if they’re made of a delicate material.

Towels: Once a week, or every 4-5 uses

Despite the fact that you come out of the shower clean, when you use your towel you leave behind dead skin cells and oils. Plus, a warm, damp post-shower bathroom is a perfect breeding ground for bacteria and mustiness. Changing out towels once a week will keep you from having to use so much energy to do a load of towels every day, but won’t have you going so long in between washings that your towel becomes a petri dish.

Tip: If your towel gets musty, add about a cup of vinegar to your normal detergent. Vinegar kills bacteria, so no need to reach for the bleach! Dry your towels right away since old moisture contributes to musty smelling towels.

Bath Mats: Once a month, depending on material

Like towels, bath mats trap dead skin cells, oils, dirt, and moisture. If you’re using bath mats that are similar material to your towels, you can rotate them out just as frequently. Bath mats with rubber backing, however, don’t hold up to washing very well, so these should be cleaned less frequently.

Tip: Line dry bath mats with rubber backing, as the heat of the dryer will accelerate the breakdown of the rubber.

Comforters: Once a month

If you’re using a quilt as a comforter or have removable duvet covers, it’s simple enough to pop them in the wash once a month. If you sleep directly beneath your comforter, it’s important to wash them this often to remove old skin and oils. If you use a sheet between you and your comforter, you may be able to go a little longer than a month between cleanings.

Tip: For large and dry-clean only comforters, consider using a dry cleaning delivery service like Crest. They’ll pick up your comforter from your house, clean it, and bring it back to you looking good as new.

Follow these instructions and you’ll never have to wonder if it’s time to wash an item or not. Any items you want to add to this list? Let us know in the comments! And, as always, if you don’t feel comfortable washing some of these items or just want an extra freshness for the next use, let Crest give you a hand! 

Image Source