How Often Should You Wash Your Clothes? A Dermatologist Weighs In (2024)

What's the easiest way to make your laundry routine more sustainable? Simply do less of it. A single load of laundry can take anywhere from 15 to 45 gallons of water. It may not sound like a lot on its own, but when you take into account that the average American family does 300 loads of laundry per year, it sure does add up.

The water use and energy use (not to mention all those microplastics!) has us asking the question: How often should you wash your clothes? Surprisingly, it's not as often as you think. Here's a dermatologist's take.

How Often Should You Wash Your Clothes?

According to Annie Gonzalez, MD, FAAD, a board certified dermatologist at Riverchase Dermatology in Miami, failing to wash our clothes frequently enough can result in a variety of pretty unfavorable skin conditions.

"Our skin reabsorbs all the oil on our clothes, and the oil clogs the pores and causes body acne," says Dr. Gonzalez. "The dirt from unwashed clothes can also enter the hair follicle, and the hair follicle becomes infected. Because your clothes rub against your back, you may get bacne as well. Or, you may develop an itchy rash from all the bacteria on your clothes rubbing against the skin."

So, how do we avoid all these issues while still keeping our laundry to a minimum? Ultimately, the answer to the question depends on the type of garment.

Everyday Wear

The clothes we wear to work or around the house can probably afford to go a few days between laundering—especially if you work from home.

"If you're wearing something for a few hours, and not sweating, it's probably okay to wait 2 to 4 wears before washing. Or, after a full day’s use," says Dr. Gonzalez."If you're working from home, it's probably okay to wait after 3 to 4 wears before washing your clothes."

In general, Dr. Gonzalez recommends washing anything that has very direct and consistent contact with your skin (think socks or undershirts) more frequently. However, for items like pants, dresses, and shorts, Gonzalez says there's no need to wash until they've been worn 2 to 3 times (unless they're visibly dirty or you've been working up a sweat, of course).

What about sleepwear? Gonzalez says it’s okay to go 2 to 3 wears before washing your pajamas. However it’s important not to go too long. Especially if you’re a sleep sweater (in which case you need to check out these insanely breathable sheets).

"If you don’t wash your pajamas, perspiration, dead skin cells, body care products, and bacteria can build up in your sleepwear," Dr. Gonzalez says. "When your dirty pajamas rub against your skin, your skin can flare up, and you can develop pimples, cysts, or other types of infections."

Underwear and Bras

Finally, underwear. As you may have guessed, this category of clothing should be washed after each use. "You should always wash undershirts, underwear, and socks after every use because these pieces of clothing are in very close contact with your skin and sweat," says Dr. Gonzalez. There's one exception: bras.

"Bras should be cleaned after 3 to 4 wears, unless you've worked out in it or sweated," Dr. Gonzalez says. "If you wear a bra too many times without washing it, microorganisms, fungi, yeast, and bacteria begin to grow on the bra. This can cause an infection or rash, which can cause the skin to become itchy and red. Oil can also grow on an unwashed bra, which can trigger an acne breakout under your breasts, or along your ribcage."

The Takeaway

There you have it: In most cases, a wash after every use isn't necessary. But when laundry day does come around, there are still a variety of eco-friendly laundry methods you can use. From hang drying to doing larger loads to using eco-friendly detergents, you can make your laundry room one of the most planet-friendly spaces in your house.

How Often Should You Wash Your Clothes? A Dermatologist Weighs In (5)Clothes, Eco-friendly Laundry, Laundry, Sustainable Laundry

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How Often Should You Wash Your Clothes? A Dermatologist Weighs In (2024)

FAQs

How often do clothes really need to be washed? ›

Shirts and blouses: after 1-2 wearings. Dress pants or slacks: after 2-3 wearings. Jeans: after 4-5 wearings. Sweaters: up to 6 wearings, if worn with an undershirt; 1-2 wearings if worn without an undershirt.

Is it okay to wear the same clothes for 3 days? ›

There's no hard and fast rule for how many times you can wear clothing again, but experts say there are a few types that should be washed after every use: underwear, socks, tights, leggings and activewear. This advice also applies to any other clothes with stains, sweat, odor or visible dirt, Mohammed said.

How many times can you wear a bra before washing? ›

Bras are repositories for dirt, sweat, and dead skin cells. For best skin health and support, wash them every two to four wears, though increase that to more often if you were sweating a lot when wearing it or are experiencing skin irritation or infection in the area around your breasts.

How often should you wash your undergarments? ›

Underpants need to be washed after every time you wear them. That's because the skin of your inguinal folds (the name for the anatomic area that folds and is located between your legs and groin) and the skin of your buttocks and genital area harbor many microbes.

Why should we not wash clothes on Thursday? ›

According to Vastu Shastra, Brihaspati rules the northeast portion of the house. It also influences the children and the younger members of the family. Additionally, the direction also controls religion and education. Thus, it is forbidden to wash clothes on Thursday and discard garbage.

How long can clothes go without being washed? ›

Washing Frequency Chart
Item of ClothingHow Often to Wash
Shorts and khakisAfter 2 to 3 wears
Sweaters: Cotton, silk, and cashmereAfter 2 wears
Sweaters: Wool and synthetic blendsAfter 5 wears
SwimsuitsAfter every wear
17 more rows
Apr 11, 2024

Why we shouldn't wear the same clothes for 2 days in a row? ›

We all have bacteria on our skin, and most germs that end up on our clothes come from our own bodies. But it's also possible to pick up germs on your clothes from other people, and although they are often harmless, some of them can cause infection, especially if you have skin problems.

How often should you wash pajamas? ›

A Twitter poll of the show's viewers found that the biggest group, 46%, wash once a week. The American Cleaning Institute, however, is a little more lenient with its suggestions, recommending that pajamas are washed after three or four wears. Good Housekeeping magazine says once a week is the longest you should go.

Is it okay to wear the same jeans two days in a row? ›

There's nothing wrong with having to wear the same t-shirt or Jean's for 2 days in a row, it is just clothes and nobody won't even noticed it. Even when your just home.

How many bras should a woman have? ›

A good rule of thumb is three everyday bras — think one on your body, one in the drawer ready to wear, and one in the wash. We recommend: Two in a neutral or skin tone shade, like Mocha or Taupe. At least one darker color, like Black or Espresso, for outfit variety.

Should you wear a bra to bed? ›

Is it OK to wear my bra to sleep? There's nothing wrong with wearing a bra while you sleep if that's what you're comfortable with. Sleeping in a bra will not make your breasts perkier or prevent them from getting saggy. And it will not stop breasts from growing or cause breast cancer.

How often should I wash my socks? ›

If you allow it to dry in between, you won't have to wash it as often. We generally suggest three to five days. But undergarments, T-shirts, socks, and especially gym clothes should be washed after each use. And don't bunch them up in a bag and leave them there.

How often should you get rid of undies? ›

However, as a general rule of thumb, we'd recommend replacing your underwear every six months to a year. How often you should replace your underwear comes down to various factors, one being how many pairs of knickers you have. The fewer knickers you have, the more each pair will go through daily wear and wash cycles.

What is the best detergent for bras? ›

Try an alcohol-free detergent without phosphates or artificial coloring. According to dermatologist Dr. Rachael Nazarian, detergents that are fragrance-free (no perfumes) and without dyes are best for washing bras and clothing.

Is it okay to wear the same bra for a week? ›

It is recommended that for both physical health and emotional wellbeing, women should wear the same bra no more than two or three days in a row. When wearing the same piece of undergarment on consecutive days, it is important to ensure that it has been washed properly between uses.

What happens if you don't wash your clothes often? ›

If you don't wash your clothes, these bacteria can build up on the clothing and cause skin issues and even infection. If you don't wear underwear then you should wash your pants every day. Any clothing with stains, sweat, odor, or visible dirt on them should be washed.

Is it okay to wear the same clothes for 2 days? ›

If you wash the shirt and wear different pants or skirt and accessories, you could wear it two days in a row or a couple of days later. It somewhat depends on where you work, though. A white business shirt for a man could be worn every day or a month if it's in good shape and worn with different ties and pants.

Is it OK to wash clothes once a week? ›

Every time you wear them: tights, leggings, yoga pants, exercise clothing, T-shirts, socks undershirts/underpants and swimming suits. Every two days: hand towels and dish towels. Every three to four times you wear or use them: bath towels, bras, slips, dresses, sweaters, skirts, pajamas, slacks and jeans.

Is it wasteful to do laundry every day? ›

“Washing our clothes too often is the number one reason they lose color and shape,” says Frej Lewenhaupt, co-founder and CEO of Steamery. It's also wasteful. The average washing machine runs through 23 gallons of water per load, and older models even more. (An Energy Star rating brings that down to 13 gallons.)

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