How Often Should People Wash Their Clothes?

Washing Clothes

How often people should wash their clothes has been an age-old debate in the media and behind closed doors. Some people claim that humans have become too sanitized and that it negatively impacts our natural immunity. Others claim that washing clothes often plays a crucial role in public and personal health. What do the experts say?

Office Clothes
Most people rarely break a sweat in their white-collar work clothes. They get dressed, go to the office, and work in air conditioning. Experts suggest people can wear work clothes for an entire workweek before they need to toss them into the hamper or washing machine.

Casual Wear
How often you need to wash your casual clothing depends on where you wore them to and what you did. Casual clothes worn at home can sometimes be worn four or so times before a wash. However, casual wear worn on public transportation or while out running errands should ideally be washed after each time you wear it.

Underwear
Undergarments come into direct contact with the skin and should be worn only once before putting them in the wash. Failure to do so could lead to skin infections, rashes, or hygiene problems. Even socks should only be worn once, even if you only wore them inside the house.

Outerwear
Your coats, jackets, hoodies, and scarves might not need as frequent washing as other clothes. They do not come into direct contact with the skin, so you can often wear them up to four or five times before it’s time to wash them.

Gym Clothes
Needless to say, workout clothes should be washed after every use. That’s because the body breaks into a sweat during a workout and the clothes can begin to smell or even have a rougher or stiffer texture.

At FMB Laundry, we help businesses and residential communities provide residents and visitors with an easy and convenient way to wash their clothes. This reduces the risk of a smelly and unhygienic environment, while also generating additional income for the business. Contact us at 410-625-2010 for more information.