9 Items You Overwash And 9 Others You Rarely Clean
Roughly 90% of the garments we launder are not genuinely dirty, causing a large amount of needless washing. Many people clean items that only have a faint odor or are just wrinkled, wasting water, energy, and detergent. This overuse of resources raises household costs and harms the environment.
Meanwhile, while we fixate on certain pieces, we ignore others that truly need attention. Neglect lets grime and odors build up until harsher cleaning is required. To make laundry more efficient, we should judge what really needs washing and sort items smartly.
To address this, we examined how often the washer should run. By creating a schedule tied to real wear, only necessary loads are done, saving resources and shrinking environmental impact.
1. Jeans versus leggings
Frequent washing shortens denim life and drains color. Each cycle can distort shape, and heat may shrink fibers so jeans fit differently than when new.
Preserve jeans by limiting washes. Chip Bergh, CEO of Levis, has avoided machine washing a pair for over a decade, arguing less washing protects color, structure, and water supplies. Spot clean when needed, echoing early denim users who prized durability. If you must machine wash, turn them inside out, use cold water, and do it only when truly soiled.
Leggings require the opposite mindset. Built to wick moisture, they can trap bacteria and odor. For casual wear, wash after two or three uses. After workouts, wash every time to keep them fresh and hygienic.
