How Often Should You Really be Wearing Clothes Before Washing Them? - Earlybird Laundromats (2024)

“I only wore it once – do I really need to wash it?”

It’s an age-old dilemma that many Americans struggle with: Just how often do certain articles of clothing need to be washed?

The answer: It depends. Obviously, if an article of clothing is super soiled in dirt, sweat or something else, then you should wash it after a single use – no matter what it is. But some clothes you can wear more than just once. In this article, we’ll get to the bottom of things. Here’s a look at what you need to know:

Office, Business Casual Clothes

In most cases, you can wear the likes of work clothes up to five times before they need to be washed. Things like a suit can be worn multiple times, button-down shirts can usually be worn up to four times and pants can last for up to five wears as well before washing is necessary. You might even be able to get additional wear or two out of your shirts if you wear an undershirt underneath them.

Workout Clothes

Because you’re likely breaking a pretty good sweat in your workout clothes, it’s suggested that you wash them after a single-use. However, if you’re only wearing your workout clothes at the gym or on your neighborhood runs, you don’t have to worry so much about abiding by this rule. Washing them once a week will suffice.

Undergarments

Underwear, socks, and undershirts should only be worn once before they’re tossed in the hamper. There should be no exception to this rule, just based on the body parts that they come into contact with. Would you really want to re-wear your socks after a long day on your feet? Just think about it for a second and the answer is fairly obvious.

Jackets and Hoodies

Hoodies usually need to be washed after every four to five wears. Other warm-weather clothing, like jackets, usually only need a wash about once a season.

Now that you know just how often your various articles of clothing really need to be washed, you can be a bit smarter about how often you wash your clothes. This can even save you on energy and water if you launder at home, or money on loads if you take your laundry to the laundromat.