# How Many Wearings? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 8, 2019, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-wearings/830767 "2019-03-08T15:15:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![TRC4941](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trc4941/32/6792_2.png) [@TRC4941](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TRC4941)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2019, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-wearings/830767/1 "2019-03-08T15:15:03Z")
After reading all of the posts in the purpose of underwear thread I thought it would be interesting to find out… How many times do you wear certain items of clothing before laundering? Me: Jeans - 3 times Leggings or dress pants - usually 1 time Shirts (blouses, t-shirts, tank tops, sweaters) - 1 time Top layers like cardigans - 3 or 4 times Skirt/Dress - 1 time Loungewear (sweats, etc worn in the evenings) - 3 times Tank top that I wear for sleeping - 3 times Socks and underwear - 1 time Bras - 4 times Clothes that I wear for walking the dogs (worn 2 hours/day): Winter/cold weather (leggings, thermal shirts, heavy socks) - all week (they’re under a jacket and snowpants) Nice weather (hiking pants, t-shirt, socks) - 3 times (pants usually get muddy) Obviously, if something gets dirty before the optimal wear time is up it gets laundered. ---
**Author:** ![Hermitian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hermitian/32/470_2.png) [@Hermitian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hermitian)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2019, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-wearings/830767/2 "2019-03-08T15:24:05Z")
Everyone knows you can wear underwear four times Day 1: Regular Day 2: Flip it around. Day 3: Turn it inside out Day 4: Flip it around again * * * Slightly more seriously: I basically wear my clothes until I think they are dirty. If I wear a shirt lounging around inside the house in the winter (with an undershirt), I might wear that puppy 5-7 days in a row. It makes your clothes last longer since washing them beats them up. ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2019, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-wearings/830767/3 "2019-03-08T16:30:35Z")
Underwear and t-shirts 1-2 times, tops. Same for athletic wear. Jeans and shirts go a little longer, maybe 2-4 times. Basic rule for all my clothes that have been worn 1 time since last wash: pass the sniff test. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2019, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-wearings/830767/4 "2019-03-08T18:10:27Z")
Underwear and socks, 1 time only. Everything else - until it’s smelly or dirty or it’s laundry day. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2019, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-wearings/830767/5 "2019-03-09T03:36:42Z")
Everything other than underwear (where socks count as “underwear”): until it needs washing. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2019, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-wearings/830767/6 "2019-03-09T03:41:44Z")
It depends also on how you define “wear.” If I wear a shirt all day, like I used to do at work, I would only wear it one time. Now if I wear a going-out sort of shirt (as distinct from a lounging around the house, or a working around the house, shirt) it will probably be for no more than a couple of hours. That shirt gets worn a few times under those conditions, especially if wrinkles aren’t an issue. Trousers even more so. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2019, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-wearings/830767/7 "2019-03-09T04:59:46Z")
Years ago I was at a summer language course thingy in a not-quite-first-world nation, and we all had to wash _all_ our laundry by hand. In a sink. This was a multi-week thing. Quite a few folks held to their native standards at first, and spent their whole evenings washing, wringing out, line-drying etc. that first week. That shit got old fast. I’ll never forget hearing the guy standing next to me say, musing out loud, “You know … jeans are never REALLY dirty.” We all decided instantly that he was a genius and that truer words were never spoken. Hand washed our undies and such after that … but fuck wringing out and line-drying jeans. To this day, I’ll occasionally get undressed, toss my socks etc. into the hamper, then look at my jeans and repeat those immortal words. “You know, jeans are never REALLY dirty.” ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21825_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2019, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-wearings/830767/8 "2019-03-09T13:00:23Z")
Jeans - 2-3 times, barring obvious spills/crud/messes Sleepwear - a week Sweaters/sweatshirts - until they look/smell dirty Everything else - 1 time. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2019, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-wearings/830767/9 "2019-03-09T14:06:36Z")
Underwear, shirts, socks - once Pants - 3-4 not consecutive Pajamas - 3-4 Sweaters/sweatshirts - until I spill something on them. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2019, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-wearings/830767/10 "2019-03-09T14:25:19Z")
Undies-one and done. I have a hoodie that has become soft, thin and faded. I might wear that around the house for days. Love that thing. If it gets soiled, (usually coffee or food related), i throw it in the washer and dryer with whatever I’m washing at the time. My tees I wear around the house, wash when obviously dirty. Going out clothes? It’s debatable. I have a whole basket of tees and pants only for wearing at the concession/food truck I volunteer in. They are basically ruined for anything else. They smell of popcorn and chili dogs. Not suitable to wear in any indoor space. It is fun to do it and watch for people recognising the smell. Pavlov, himself, would be proud of the drooling going on.🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2019, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-wearings/830767/11 "2019-03-09T15:01:44Z")
Pants - Twice Everything else - Once This is one thing I am compulsive about. I am not wearing dirty clothes. In times of great poverty, I would still go to the laundry once a week to wash clothes/ ---
**Author:** ![MandaJo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@MandaJo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MandaJo)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2019, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-wearings/830767/12 "2019-03-09T16:38:56Z")
With the exception of cardigans, I wash everything I wear in public after every time I wear it. This is less because I am obsessed with cleanliness and more because I honestly don’t really care, and if I start being flexible, I will start wearing clothes that smell. I have three sets of house/lounge/sleep clothes. I rotate through the week and wash them all on Sunday. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2019, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-wearings/830767/13 "2019-03-09T16:45:55Z")
Most days I wear the same clothes all day, usually the underwear at night, and that’s it. Once worn for even an hour it has to be washed. Don’t know why, as long as the clothes are relatively clean I’ll keep wearing them if I have to. Aha! The key factor here is that after I shower I want clean clothes to put on, and I shower almost every day. ---
**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2019, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-wearings/830767/14 "2019-03-09T16:52:18Z")
For wearing to the workplace, jeans twice and everything else once. For lounging around house in evenings and on weekend, till it looks or smells objectionable. Because sometimes this is critical I will mention also that cat fur is my life. ---
**Author:** ![That\_Don\_Guy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/that_don_guy/32/538_2.png) [@That\_Don\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Don_Guy)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2019, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-wearings/830767/15 "2019-03-09T17:09:31Z")
Underwear, socks, T-shirts, and button-down shirts: once Everything else: until I think they’re too dirty to wear ---
**Author:** ![Asuka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2019, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-wearings/830767/16 "2019-03-09T19:15:45Z")
I can’t be the only one taught to wear blue jeans until they smell. My record is a month. The last time I saw this poll on Twitter a lot of people chimed in if you’re washing your blue jeans more than once a week you’re prematurely ruining them. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2019, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-wearings/830767/17 "2019-03-09T19:57:39Z")
> [@Asuka](#): > > I can’t be the only one taught to wear blue jeans until they smell. My record is a month. The last time I saw this poll on Twitter a lot of people chimed in if you’re washing your blue jeans more than once a week you’re prematurely ruining them. The washing isn’t as bad for them as the drying is, if you use a machine dryer. All that lint leftover is what used to be your jeans… ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2019, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-wearings/830767/18 "2019-03-09T20:01:03Z")
I was taught it’s easier to keep something clean than it is to get something clean. The more you wear clothes, the dirtier they get, and the harder it is to get them clean. ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2019, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-wearings/830767/19 "2019-03-09T21:11:38Z")
Everything except pants are one day. Work pants are two days and “kicking around” pants are two or three days. ---
**Author:** ![zombywoof](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/9e8a1a/32.png) [@zombywoof](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zombywoof)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2019, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-wearings/830767/20 "2019-03-10T05:53:25Z")
I used to wash jeans after ~2 wears, but have evolved to washing them MUCH less frequently lately - they just don’t need it (note I’m not doing actual sweaty physical labor in them or anything) and it helps them keep their original/dark color a lot longer. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-wearings/830767.md?page=2)