# How bad is it to wear dirty clothes? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 19, 2012, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-is-it-to-wear-dirty-clothes/638268 "2012-10-19T20:29:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![velvetjones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/5f9b8f/32.png) [@velvetjones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/velvetjones)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2012, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-is-it-to-wear-dirty-clothes/638268/21 "2012-10-20T17:06:52Z")
Thank you **Taomist** My husband is a bit squeamish about the “personal” stuff like that so I handle it. And she does remember on occasion to tell me that she appreciates all I do for her. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2012, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-is-it-to-wear-dirty-clothes/638268/22 "2012-10-20T18:40:22Z")
> [@velvetjones](#): > > Interesting. We just moved all of the summer clothes to the basement closet and all of her winter stuff to her closet upstairs. Maybe I should consider this a good time to do the “spring cleaning” on all of her summer stuff that hasn’t been washed all summer. \ > [@Seanette](#): > > I’ve always heard it’s a good idea to wash seasonal clothes when they’re put away, to keep stains and such from getting a permanent grip. Maybe you can frame it that way with that category, at least, and it might be better in diplomatic terms. I always do that, too - the summer stuff all gets washed before I fold it up and put it away for winter. If you can convince her to let you change out her wardrobe, you can wash it all up twice a year. 🙂 If she’s not stinky, and she’s not endangering her health, I guess I’d just leave it alone and keep doing as you’re doing. The “make a full load” idea is also a good one. ---
**Author:** ![Corcaigh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Corcaigh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corcaigh)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2012, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-is-it-to-wear-dirty-clothes/638268/23 "2012-10-20T21:34:25Z")
My mother hides her dirty laundry, I have to hunt around looking for it. She has a habit of putting underwear in the bin. I’ve told her repeatedly to put her laundry in the shower unit so I can see it and wash it (in the washing machine!) but she just won’t do it. When she goes into respite I empty her wardrobe and drawers to see if she’s left any “surprises” for me ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2012, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-is-it-to-wear-dirty-clothes/638268/24 "2012-10-20T21:54:37Z")
Perhaps a silly question, but has she been shown how to use the new washing machine? And have you checked to see if she can physically use it? I’m wondering if perhaps a rotary dial or something requires more strength to turn than she can muster? ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2012, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-is-it-to-wear-dirty-clothes/638268/25 "2012-10-20T21:55:17Z")
> [@velvetjones](#): > > Thank you **Taomist** My husband is a bit squeamish about the “personal” stuff like that so I handle it. And she does remember on occasion to tell me that she appreciates all I do for her. My MIL is 90 and has Parkinson’s. She’s in a wheelchair and needs help to get to the bathroom. She has a very good caregiver who lives in, but, of course, needs time off. There is another woman who comes in to help once a week for a few hours, but if caregiver needs an overnight it falls to us. Mom has 3 sons, no daughters. All three sons are married. The oldest lives in California and can only visit a couple times a year. They come up when the caregiver is on vacation and care for her and Pop. The middle son is a lazy git whose wife is only interested in Mom and Pop’s stuff, after they die. They live close enough to help, but, when they visit they expect caregiver to wait on them. Hubby is the youngest, so it often falls to us to care for Mom once a month or so. I do anything that involves any degree of nakedness, potty, bed time etc. My feeling is no son should ever have to see his mom’s naked butt. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-is-it-to-wear-dirty-clothes/638268.md?page=1)