How often should you really wash your clothes?

About this episode

Most of us have that pile of clothes in limbo—not quite dirty, not quite clean. But do we actually need to wash our clothes as often as we do? The answer might surprise you. A rise in laundry loads in the UK has led to more water usage, higher energy bills, and more microplastic pollution. Synthetic fabrics, in particular, shed microfibres during washes. But experts say we could cut down—jeans, for example, don’t need a wash until 15 to 30 wears, and wool jumpers? Up to 15 wears. Meanwhile, underwear and socks still need a wash after every use (no surprises there!). So how can you keep clothes fresh between washes? And does washing less really make a difference? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions! To listen to the latest episodes, you can click here: How can you clean your hair without using shampoo? What is climate shadow, the newest way to measure your impact on global warming? Why do our tastes change as we get older? A podcast written and realised by Amber Minogue. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices