(Trying to get back into the swing of taking my own photos? Mebbe…)
Something that is amazing about where I live is the ferocity, combined with the brevity, of storms. It’s funny, my dog is quite protective of me when we are walking during a storm. She sticks close by, is constantly checking over her shoulder to make sure I am still there, and comes running back to sit with me or even try to round me up if I pause to take a photo. Well she is a sheep dog and rounding up is in her nature…
You will be pleased to know we walked back through our front door dry, if a tad windswept. It’s a good thing I don’t have a hairstyle to speak of.
One the plus side, the kite-surfers are having a great day, and washing does dry very quickly around here, yes even during the winter time…
On the subject of washing… how often do you wash your clothes? You might see that the little olive top I am wearing underneath the black one here is the same one I was wearing yesterday over the blue Metalicus one. I reason that a top worn against my skin is dirty after a day of wear and needs washing, but that one worn over another top is OK to go for another day. Obviously underwear, socks and tights are washed after one day of wear. Dresses and skirts I judge by whether I am wearing tights or a top underneath (probably OK to last another day) or if it has been a hot sweaty day then I will wash. Jeans I wear for two or even (gasp) three days if I haven’t been engaging in particularly strenuous activities or if it hasn’t been a sweaty hot day. Not that jeans are ever worn on a hot sweaty day actually… The same goes for cardigans; I will do a wool wash for everybody’s jumpers and cardigan every few weeks. I’m over the preciousness of my cotton trench coat and it now is tossed in the machine on a gentle cycle, probably a few times a year. My woollen coat I plan to send to the dry-cleaner… There is a very small population of one in my wardrobe, (er, my Chanel style jacket actually) which I am too frightened to wash, nor even to trust it to the dry-cleaner! I don’t know what I am going to do about that thing!
What about you? Do you have a rigid plan of attack to your washing, or a more laissez-faire approach?
Details:
Jeans; Burda 7863 modified, black stretch corduroy, details here
Olive top; Cue
Black top; Sexy Woman, found secondhand
Scarf; knitted by me, merino wool, details and my pattern here
Boots; Andrea and Joen, from Uggies in Dunsborough
Love the shot of the kite surfer. I am trying to wash less frequently. Agree that jeans, coat and cardigans don't need to be laundered after each wear. I do draw the line at t-shirts and blouses though.
I love a good storm by the sea!
I have a common sense approach to washing, if it smells or have stains, I´ll wash it. 😉 I´ve also been trying to reduce my washing by removing stains etc as soon as possible by hand washing the stain, and so giving the garment more wearing time before wash.
I am a big fan of hanging my clothes out in the fresh air, as well. Especially coats and cardigans etc.
right now I'm in a tropical climate so washing after wearing once applies:)
I love the colors of the ocean when it's stormy like that.
I too, wear pants and sweaters more than once as long as there was no massive sweating involved. And I'll put most anything in the machine (they have all those programs!) but I did accidentally shrink (and felt) a sweater I knit when I once chose the wrong program…ouch.
Everything near the skin daily, everything else when it either smells whiffy or has marks on it except for my daughters school kilt which I wash once a season (Do you know how long it takes to pin and press all those pleats back in….about 2 hours, hence only washing at the end of winter). On the topic of washing, I have 22 dirty smelly rugby jerseys to wash today and it is supposed to snow/rain for the rest of the week….bummer!
Very much ditto with the clothes. Although becuase I work 3 days a week, the clothes I change in to after I get home, will last me the 3 days. – they are only being worn a few hours lounging( really?) at home.
The BESTEST EVER drycleaners in Perth are Stannards on Hay St Subiaco – opposite Officeworks.
If it's next to the skin – into the laundry after one day of wear. The only things that I do not wash are tailored coats and jackets, though I have been known to wash even those, on occasion. (Red wine stains do not come out at the dry cleaners, and accidents happen at times.)
This is off topic but glad to see you are joining the SSS – I always look forward to your posts – sewing blogging reading is my luxury these days . I am impressed too by the variety of clothes you sew but then see you using the same patterns over and over ! How many do you have in your stash ??You are very good at changing patterns to look so different and this inspires me too. ALso thanks for your comments on my blog – you are kind and encouraging !
I wash my clothes when they are dirty. My skin is not dirty so touching it does not make my clothes dirty. I wear anti-perspirant deodorant so only rarely do my clothes pick up any unpleasant smell. I sponge dirty marks or stains off as soon as they happen. I also have a lot of (me made) clothes and i change them most days and leave them to air outside the wardrobe in the evening or overnight before putting them back inside. So I wash my clothes as little as possible. That's better for my clothes and it's better for the environment. Detergents are just about the worst thing you can put into the water table and we wash clothes with detergents.
Alot of the time if I don't feel something needs to be washed (like you said, when it's not against my skin) I hang it up to "air out" before putting it back in the closet
I like your outfit, very cool…
Your question is a good one. I am also consciously trying to cut down on washing. When my kids were younger I think I got into a mad habit of over-washing everyone's clothes. These days I'm trying to review (examine, sniff!) before washing – except for socks, smalls and sweaty clothes, definitely to be washed after 1 day.
Laundering only as needed is a very green thing. I do pretty much what you do. Underwear, socks and first layers are washed each time.
For the other things, I hang clothes that can be reworn before laundering on a hanger on the shower rod to steam out the wrinkles. After they are dry and pass the sniff test, they can go back to a section of the closet that I use for once worn clothes. After the second wear, they get washed.
Sweaters are hand-washed in the sink with shampoo when stained, smelly or at the end of the season before I put them away. I spin them dry in the washer and lay them out to air dray.
Ironing takes a great deal of energy so I forgo it on environmental grounds. Putting up with rumpled clothing is really green.
We dry clean only suits.
My approach to laundry is pretty laissez-faire. I do it every couple of weeks on a single day. Like you, underwear gets one wear. The bra may go a week. Overshirts can be worn at least twice. When I did a post on jeans a few months ago, I was surprised to learn that some folks go months between washing of jeans. I will typically have three pair to wash every couple of weeks.
I used to be a wear once kinda gal but I'm trying to limit my use of water so now my approach is pretty much the same as yours. If it's against the skin I wash after one wear, outer layers depending on the activity while wearing gets washed after two wearings. Jeans get worn two, three or sometimes even four times before wahsing. Coats, usually once or twice a season they go to the dry cleaner.
Well, I live in a very hot and humid place, so the most part of the clothes goes directly to the laundry box. But pants, especialy jeans, can be worn several times, depending, as you said, of the task and place… I change the bed's draps once a week.
And, to wash I classify the clothes by color: White, clear and dark ones.
My approach is kind of random, I guess. Right now I'm basically washing everything after one wear, because it's been a record hot summer here and I don't want my closet to start smelling gross. Normally, I'll generally wash shirts after one wear (unless I wore a cami underneath and then I might go for 2. Jeans I'll usually go 2 or 3, unless I was doing something where they might get more dirty (like wearing them to work). If I wear something for a short period of time, like if I change my clothes after church and only wore that thing for the morning, I'll often wear it a second time. I'm the worst with sweaters– I'll usually wear them several times before I wash them, just because laying them flat to dry on the rack is a pain.
I wash things when they need it. In the summer, tops with each wearing. In the winter, definitely more. And if I've worn it over something usually it will go longer. I'll wear my jeans for a week or two sometimes. Too much info? sorry … I've been trying to train Gideon that he can wear his jeans a couple of times if he hangs them up after church and doesn't get them grubby. For hubby, shirts every time, pants, depends on the season. We are sweaty people.
Nicer stuff, as little as possible. My wool coat (which I only wear for a couple of months a season) I send to the dry cleaner once a year if I remember. I think I skipped a year recently.
Especially my self-made stuff, I want to keep it looking nice as long as possible. Like the dress I just made, when it's hot I'll have to wash it every wear probably and I really don't want to, I want it to stay just as perfect and lovely as it is right now ….
I love the stormy sea pics! 🙂
I think I'm pretty laissez faire about washing. Underwear, socks and exercise clothes are only worn once, of course, although bras go for up to a week, depending on the weather, and tights, too. Everything else depends on 1. if I managed to stain it, 2. if it got wet or sweaty, 3. smell test. 😉
I was an au-pair for an American family for a while and did the kids' laundry, they never wore anything more than once…
Hehe, I should probably mention that my boys were 5 and 9, and usually didn't spill their food on themselves… 😉 Though, to be honest, the little one did usually have pretty dirty clothes by the end of the day. The older one could have worn at least his pants for another couple of days, in my opinion.