# Laundry: What do you run out of first? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 22, 2010, 7:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laundry-what-do-you-run-out-of-first/540345 "2010-05-22T07:36:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![The\_Scrivener](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@The\_Scrivener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Scrivener)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2010, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laundry-what-do-you-run-out-of-first/540345/21 "2010-05-24T17:35:31Z")
Short-sleeved shirts that aren’t tee-shirts. I’m in New Jersey, where for most of the year I’m in turtlenecks and often a sweater or two over that. And for exercise or anything involving grunge or sweat, there’s the tee-shirts, preferably one of the less-cool ones. But dressier or nicer short-sleeved shirts requiring ironing? Only a handful of those… ---
**Author:** ![melodyharmonius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/melodyharmonius/32/21310_2.png) [@melodyharmonius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/melodyharmonius)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2010, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laundry-what-do-you-run-out-of-first/540345/22 "2010-05-24T17:46:13Z")
Pants. I have 4-5 dress pants so I usually end up wearing one each day. I keep saying that I’m going to buy more - but then when I do, I tend to buy ones that are more noticeable - like stripes or designed hems or something - then I feel like I can’t wear them as often without someone noticing. If I run out of undies, I just go commando for a day or two. What?? ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2010, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laundry-what-do-you-run-out-of-first/540345/23 "2010-05-24T17:48:04Z")
I’m surprised that socks is not the #1 answer. I have enough dress socks to last me for about a month. I have enough MATCHED dress socks to last me about 5 minutes. I’d do another “purge and buy”, but within 2 weeks I’ll be right back to where I am now. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2010, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laundry-what-do-you-run-out-of-first/540345/24 "2010-05-24T18:05:53Z")
I have a huge amount of socks and underwear, and I don’t wash pants that frequently. So, since my armpits sweat quite a bit, that leaves shirts to run out first. ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2010, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laundry-what-do-you-run-out-of-first/540345/25 "2010-05-24T22:46:46Z")
> [@heraldgwena](#): > > I run out of underwear first. More specifically, I run out of bras. At that point, do you go bra-less? 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2010, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laundry-what-do-you-run-out-of-first/540345/26 "2010-05-24T22:57:00Z")
Socks. I do an immense amount of laundry - the machine is going pretty much every day (there are three of us and it’s a small machine) and the washing basket is never full. Yet we still run out of socks. Something seems to happen to them in between being worn and being washed. Often I end up handwashing them in the morning and drying them gradually in the microwave. ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2010, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laundry-what-do-you-run-out-of-first/540345/27 "2010-05-24T23:07:03Z")
I do the washing on alternate days, so I never run out of anything. ---
**Author:** ![Maiira](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Maiira](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maiira)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2010, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laundry-what-do-you-run-out-of-first/540345/28 "2010-05-25T00:21:51Z")
Pants. Or rather, pants that are appropriate for work. I have plenty of jeans, but I can’t wear those. I have quite a few pairs of dress pants, but not enough for two weeks of work. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2010, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laundry-what-do-you-run-out-of-first/540345/29 "2010-05-25T01:08:24Z")
Pants, but then I re-use them until I do laundry. Wouldn’t be comfortable doing that with shirts. ---
**Author:** ![boytyperanma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4491bb/32.png) [@boytyperanma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boytyperanma)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2010, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laundry-what-do-you-run-out-of-first/540345/30 "2010-05-25T01:18:36Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > Pants, but then I re-use them until I do laundry. Wouldn’t be comfortable doing that with shirts. That’s generally my position, when I am contemplating using pants I’d descarded for wash, that’s when I need to set aside time for laundry. I have less pants then any other article of clothing so I’m never in danger of needing to reuse anything else. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laundry-what-do-you-run-out-of-first/540345.md?page=1)