Laundry Questions

A bath towel can be used several times, IF it has not been on the floor. Some people put the towel on the floor, after drying off, and they stand on the towel while doing their makeup, getting dressed, etc. In that case, the towel should be used only once before being washed.

Unless clothes have spills, stains or body odor - they can be worn more than once. Bras last longer if you wear the same one every other day so washing them is OK after 2 or 3 wearings. Just don't put in the dryer. My family hangs their towels to dry after daily showers and we go five days before we launder them. It's still a personal preference.

I will toss my two cents in as well...

Towels and bed sheets are changed/washed every weekend.

Bras 2 to 4 times (or until they smell), sports bras only one wear.

Nightgowns 2 to 3 nights.

My son's outfits always hit the hamper if they last the whole day...my daughter's too (she is 17 months).

My jeans/dress pants 2 to 3 wears...shirts just don't make it a day.

I try and do a whole load of laundry everyday (wash, dry, fold, and put away)...it doesn't always happen but when it does it is really nice.

{{{{{hugs}}}}}

In our house we use Bath towels and wash cloths for 5 days. Since you are clean when you dry off and you are using soap as long as the wash cloth is dry each day it will be fine.

Children's clothes wash each time they are worn, unless it is a church outfit or something they only wore for a short period of time and were not really running around.

Adult clothing can be worn longer periods of time unless there was lots of perspiring in them. Bras really need to be cared for so once again if it is a sports bra, depending on how much perspiring will depend on how much washing they will need. Your day in day out bras could be washed ever 4 days. Remember to hang them to dry. The elastic really does not do well in heat.

To save money, use less detergent than is suggested, unless you all really get your clothing dirty (sports clothing follow suggested amounts). Wash you cloths on warm or cold only use hot for really dirty clothing. The hotter the water, the more you will wear out the fabrics.

NEVER use fabric softner or fabric sheets for any reason on any fabric. Fabric softner puts a coating of chemicals on the fabric, makes the towels less absorbent and will wear out fabrics faster than usual. Ever notice your towels are just not as soft or absorbent as they were when you purchased them? I used to be a linen buyer and manufactures say they do not support fabric softners they are just not needed.

I sooo feel your pain. I have a massive laundry monster lurking in my home and I do laundry every day. I use the same towels 2 or 3 times for the kids (I hang them over the shower curtain rod to dry). My kids are so messy, It is hard to let them wear clothes 2x without washing, but they do wear the same pjs several days in a row. My husband is really the worst laundry offender. He changes his shirt at least 3 times a day. He does have a messy job, so I understand he has to change one time a day, but really... Anyway, I also wear a bra 2 or 3 times (sports bras get washed after exercise). Frankly, laundry is just a tough job. It is so frustrating to finally be finishes with all of the laundry, then you turn around and your 2 year old has spilled strawberry milk all over herself and her brother :) Good luck.

Laundry is not a big deal at all at my house (4 people, DH, DS, DD, and me), but I do a load everyday. I start it first thing in the morning, put it in the dryer at nap time, and put it away before I make dinner. Then the washer and dryer are ready for the next day. Total 15 min maybe (1 minute to toss in, 1 to swap, the rest to fold) commitment daily and it's not an issue - its just a routine.
To answer your question - my husband and I each have 1 towel that we use daily for about 4 days to dry off with. My kids also use the same towel - probably 3 days, sometimes 4. They wear the same pair of jammies for several days also before we switch them out (also saves money by not having to buy so many pairs of jammies).
Wash cloths are another issue. We use 1 daily for bathtime. I use it to wash them literally from top to bottom and then, as the water is draining from the tub, I use the used wash cloth to wipe down the tub walls and BAM - I never have to scrub the tub! It's always clean and shiny! Soap is soap as far as I'm concerned, so the bubbles, shampoo and soap that are mixed in with the water from their bath is good enough for me.

Also, I do not sort clothes (unless they are super special or I know they'll bleed) - everything is tossed in together and washed on cold (also saves on energy bills!) With their nicer items, I hang them to dry in the laundry room and skip the dryer which tends to make them pill and fade anyway (also saves on the energy bills!). Everyday play clothes, undies, etc. get washed/dried every day.

Sheets - I have an alternating schedule with these. One Monday, I'll wash our sheets (both sheets and all of our pillow cases fit into the washer at once this way) and the next Mon. I'll wash the kids' sheets (both sets of twin sheets, plus pillow cases all fit into one wash also).

Bras I take on a case by case basis if you know what I mean! lol! You know what you've done in that bra that day (sweat at the gym, mow the lawn, only wore a few hours) and so just go by what you think it needs.

Best of luck to you honey! Oh, and my kids are 3 and 4 and they are responsible for taking off their jammies, hanging them up, getting dressed, and bringing down their dirty clothes from the day before so it's setting in front (or in) the washer when I get down with my mine and DH. They also know to hang up their towel on their hooks in the bathroom. I'm not a drill seargent or anything - I'm just big on routine!

Oh, and there's this article from the Parent Center website recently regarding kids and chores - if yours aren't helping as much as you'd like - check it out and get some ideas. Mine do make their beds, and my 4 year old son is a pro at taking out the garbage (actually, he loves it! He gets to take it into the garage, flip back the lid on the trash bin, and toss the bag in. Then I ohh awww over how strong he is and he just eats it up! Then on trash night, he'll roll the bin out to the curb - he loves this too! My 3 year old does help set the table and everyone puts their dishes in the sink after they're done with them. We don't pay them - which my parent's think is crazy, but we just explain that in our family we all help each other out and this is how he helps our family and we thank him for it. After all, I don't get paid for doing dishes or laundry - right?!) Okay, I'm rambling now, so I'll stop.... :)

Check out FlyLady.net - she's amazing and can get you into routines and change your life!!!

I wash a bra after a week I don't have that many that fit and don't want it to get messed up as I don't use those special bags, I wash towels after 1 weeks use as well, except if its the Time of the Month then change daily, I wash the kids clothes after 1 wear for the most part as kids get into everything, special church outfits or picture outfits I take off before they eat so I wash those after the 2nd-3rd time worn to preserve without fading. PJs don't get dirty unless they wet themselves so I wash after a couple of days not everyday. I do wash on Mondays to wash clothes from the weekends, and Thursdays to wash clothes before the weekend.

Unfortunately, my attitude about laundry depends on the season...

During high flu and cold season, I wash clothes, bedding, towels/washclothes and PJs much more often. For the past 2 yrs, we've also been battling allergies (pollen, grass & cedar) as well as dust mites. So, again bedding, PJs and towels get washed often... It takes a lot less time to start load of laundry than to stay home with sick kids. And for allergy sufferers, you should wash your clothes (and hair!) after going outside in order to get the offending pollen out. Otherwise, you're always surrounded by it, getting it in your bedding, etc.

My toddler's PJs get washed every night. Her towels every 2-3 days. Washcloths are 1 time uses; especially if I wash her bum with one then I use a different one for her face... If she blows her nose in it, then it automatically goes into the wash bin because I'm paranoid about spreading viral/bacterial pink eye from wiping her eyes with snot rags...

My everyday bras get washed once every 10-14 days during cool months.... more often during hot sweaty weather.

I think towels should be washed after 2 uses b/c though we are clean when we use them, they are damp afterward & a breeding ground for bacteria. I wash our sheets 1x a week & duvet every other week, b/c we bathe before bed. If your kids are bathing before bed, wearing pj's 3 x's is fine. We wear jeans more than once before washing, unless they have a spill or stain. I wash my bras maybe once a week because they lose their shape easily. I have 3 bras, so if you have 5 or more, every other week is fine. My husband changes out of his work clothes when he gets home. I ask him to wear his home outfit 3 x's before putting it in the laundry. I love your question b/c we all need tips on how to minimize that never ending mountain of laundry! :) Also, reducing laundry can help with water & electric bills! If you are wondering if you can get another wear out of something, give it the smell test. That works for us. :)

Some people don't like to use towels that someone else has dried off on, so provide each member with his own It may mean attaching extra racks, but so what? Each person should be able to use the same towel about three times, or until the softness is gone. If the kids clothes are dirty, wash them; if not don't, just carefully fold or hang. Clean socks and underwear are a daily must. As for bras, if you're in air conditioning and do not perspire or have underarm odor, wear one for 2-3 days. You have to be your own judge. If it smells, wash it; if not, don't worry about it. If your kids take a bath before going to bed they should be able to wear sleepware a whole week unless they perspire and get them wet. After all, the body is clean and they're not out playing. Seven and eight are too young to do laundry, but they are old enough to fold it and put it away. That would help you a great deal and would give them a respectful attitude about not only keeping clothes in order, but also helping with household tasks.

Wow, what an amazing question! I think about these things all the time too, but never really thought about asking anyone. I just kind of go with the flow with things. I usually go by the smell factor. This sounds somewhat gross, but usually the towels smell pretty good until the 3rd time. I have been washing them every other use for a while, but after every use if they smell musty for some reason. Bras are different for me. I buy really good bras that come with a really high price, so I try to wear them as much as I can before washing them. I give them a sniff once in a while, but generally wash them once a week. Sports bras after working out, of course, get washed after every use:)
I wash my daughter's nightgown once a week. Unless she decides to switch nightgowns! She gets her bath at night, so I don't see any reason to wash her night clothes any more than once a week. I just throw them in with her bedding!
You are an amazing mom! Great job!
Good luck with the laundry---the bain of MY existance! :)
M. Pinilla

As long as the towels have been hung straight to dry I wash them once a week. I wash my kids clothes once a week. My children eat breakfast in their pj's and they usually never make it out clean. I think your girls are old enough to keep their pj's clean for more than one wearing. I recently posted about tackling laundry on my website. See if these tips can help you out.
http://www.homemakeretc.com/2008/10/07/tackling-laundry.html

I work part time as well, and I know how hard it is to keep up with it all.. I usually do it twice a week. Towels I wash once every week and a half, sheets, every 2 weeks. My older son has to wear his pj's at least 3 times before putting it in the laundry bin, my younger son since he is still in a diaper, I have about 5 different pairs of pj's for him and I onl have him wear them once. If they have been wearing the same clothes all day, then I put them in the laundry basket at the end of the day, but if I changed them in the late afternoon, I usually hold on to them for one more wearing.. Bras, I wear at least 3 times before washing.

Good luck.

I hear ya girl! I have a family of four..two kids and me and my husband! I, myself, wear bras 3 times before a wash (unless they obviously stink) I use towels twice because they tend to collect germs more quickly than clothes. Pants I wear twice. Jammies at least 3 times for the kids because they bathe before they go into their jammies. I wear my jammies twice.
My general rule of thumb is if I can still smell laundry detergent and dryer sheets it's still good. My husband stinks up all his clothes in one wear..I don't understand it..lol. Good luck with your endless laundry dear! Also try to make it a rule to do at least one load of laundry a day when you're behind (IE, you have more than three loads to do)

I have 5 kids, ages 9,8,6,4, and 2. So laundry is a BIG deal. And I HATE doing it!! So, I have made a laundry plan. For me to keep up w/all the laundry, I need to do 2 loads a day except on weekends. I also let the kids wear their jeans over again, especially if we went to church and then they want to go play outside; I tell them to go get dirty clothes to play in!! Personally, I am a SAHM and also work from home so I wear "bra shirts" and save my good bras for the weekend or for when I leave home.

Also, my kids help me do the laundry. Even the 4 yr old can get clothes out of the dryer! Sometimes the 2 yr old helps too. I have a divided hamper to put the clothes in so they are already sorted when I go to wash. Even the youngest ones know how to sort clothes! That way I don't have to waste time sorting them. My towels smell like mildew if I don't wash them every other day. So, on Mon. I wash whites and towels, Tues darks and lights, etc. Jeans take up a lot of room so I usually have to do 2 loads of them.

Get a plan in place to make it manageable. This week I have had to play catch up and it has been miserable!!!

Blessings,
M.
Mom to 5 Wonderful Kids
www.4MyChildrenSake.com

Yea - I tend to agree with a lot of moms. Make the children in charge of their own laundry or assign them each a day a week to be responsible for doing everyone's laundry. I personally prefer the first option because that way if they don't have something to wear, it's their fault and you don't feel the same need to hound them as if your tidy whiteys were in there. Plus you don't have to worry about them separating colors and all that as much.
My son usually wears his clothes 2 days before washing. Towels I wash about twice a week unless they're sour - at that point, you should be clean, so there's no reason to wash them every time they're used. Same with pajamas. Bras can go 2 days, I think, if you're not sweating.

I have the best solution it is what my Mother did, and it works! First, get three or four rubbermaid bins. Put your kids names on two, "MOM and Dad" on another and "House stuff" on the other. Put them in your laundry room.

Here is the best part...your kids are old enough to do the laundry. There is a "Color Catcher" made by Shout, that eliminates the need for separating colors...I swear by it!

Tape an instruction sheet on the washer. Put electrical tape or sharpie marks on the general settings for a normal load so they know which buttons to push or where to turn the knob to. Once the wash is done, they can put it in the dryer and when it comes out, they can "kind of" fold it or hang it, and put it in the individual bins. Then it is each person's responsibility to take their own bin to their rooms, IMMEDIATELY PUT THEIR CLOTHES AWAY, and RETURN THE BIN TO THE LAUNDRY ROOM (you wouldn't believe how many piles of clean clothes sat on my dresser or how often that bin sat in my room for a week, so get the rule down from the get-go!)

When they get home from school they can start the washer, do homework, then put clothes in the dryer...by dinner time, when you are cooking, they can be "folding" the clothes. Now they really are at the age to learn to be pitching in. By twelve, I was cleaning the bathrooms, dusting and vacuuming, mopping the kitchen floor, loading and unloading the dishes and doing the laundry...it really teaches you how to run a household.

I have the same kind of problem. I am the only one that does laundry in my home and it tends to get a little piled up as well. I don't let my daughter wear clothes more than once becasue she is only 11 months and once is enough to cover it on god knows what. Towels, different story. Every one gets their own towel and can use it as much as 3 times before they should switch to a new one. If they're clean coming out of the shower and the towel hangs up to dry between uses I figure they should be alright. Bras...don't think I'm as maticulous(sp?) about those. That's just how I cope. Hope this helps.

I only wash stuff when it's visibly dirty or it smells. Otherwise, why bother?

I think wearing clothes (depending on the length of the day, etc.) more than once and using towels more than once is just fine. My mother didn't make me start doing my laundry until I was in latter teens. I think your girls are old enough to start breaking them in on helping. They can learn to sort and fold towels and exchange them from washer to dryer, etc., and put clothes away. Just the little help you can get from them might make all the difference.

Oh my-you are a busy lady. First of all, not everyone has the same standards so you may have to pick and choose by deciding what you can and can't live with. I personally wash towels once a week for bath towels and hand towels get changed every other day. My crew sleeps in their night clothes for a full week also because all of them shower/bathe before going to bed. I wear a clean bra every day because I have a tendency to break out in a rash it I don't. ALl of my older kiddos wear their jeans twice before washing unless they have a spill. My question to you is: are you delegating and geting some help? Not only do you need the help, your kiddos need to learn those valauble basic skills-like folding laundry. I suggest you have a brief meeting and go over the chores they can help with-setting the table, folding laundry and everyone picks up their own clean clothes, picking up, emptying trash-there is a huge long list. When I was a SAHM I did everything because I liked to be organized and in control. Once I went back to work I realized my kiddos had to help so they could learn some responsibility and learn some skills. Good luck!

T.,

With 6 people in my household, I can totally relate to the ever-growing laundry pile. We try to use our towels 2-3 times, if we can get away with it. We usually have the kids use their clothes 1 time only, but I try to have them use them jeans as much as they can (if it's still relatively clean). Bra's I wear 1 time only.

Your children are old enough to help. My 10, 8, and 4 year old all chip in to help with laundry. The older 2 help with sorting, loading and folding their laundry only. My 4 year old helps with the baby's laundry (9 months old) and washcloths.

In the end, since I only launder once a week, it's an all weekend ordeal. To help share the task, we get everyone involved - even Dad carts all the baskets and hanged clothes upstairs.

I hope this helps out!

Unless things are visibly soiled or smelly they can be reused a couple of times, no matter what the item.
Secondly, your girls are old enough to start helping w/ their laundry (they will make some mistakes at first) but it will be worth it!
When I was 8 my mother had to start working and I will always remember the day she said OK, Your turn! And showed me how easy it was to dump soap in the machine and turn on the water :)

Hi,
I have a front loader and that makes it where I can do a lot of laundry at a time. The problem is then you have to fold alot at a time...LOL I try to use the towels 2 or 3 times before washing it...doesn't always work with the kids towels. My husband generally hangs up his jeans and wears them more than once, my son wears his pants more than once unless they have visible dirt on them. Shirts they sweat in so they go in the laundry. Night clothes they wear multiple times. I usually wear my bra more than once, unless it was a particular hot day (you know what I mean). Maybe buy an already divided laundry basket and teach the girls how to sort their own laundry so that you can see when a load is ready to go in.
This is just another thought....could you just have too much on your plate? I'm sure you heart is in the right place in all that you do....but just take a moment to think about where your priorities are...if you are spread to thin you can't give 100% anywhere, not at work, home, church, or volunteering...that's not fair to yourself. I had to do this a couple years ago and let go of a volunteer job that I enjoyed, I had to not sign my kids up for something so that we could get in our family time....it's not easy especially being the "helper" that I am...but I am so much less stressed out now and overall just a happier person, mother and wife.

Good luck and God bless,
M.

When my boys were that age they starting helping with the laundry. It gave them some respect for the chore. We divided the laundry in 4 categories with baskets for each. One child was jeans, one child towels and sheets, my husband the whites and me the colors (yes, I had more loads :-)) The boys learned they had to work their chores in a timely manner otherwise others in the family would be looking for clean and couldn't find. This resulted in loss of privledges as well as staying home all weekend to get their chore and their brother's chore done. It didn't take long for the laundry to be done in a timely manner. My boys are now 20 and 21 and living on their own, together but away from home. Let them share in the responsibility and you will figure out how long to wear something and what constitutes reason to wash. Personally, we change towels on Monday and Thursday, kids clothes were only once, but then I had boys. Bras shouldn't be worn two days in a row so that they can go back in shape and air out. With a couple of bras a weekly wash is fine unless you are exercising in them. Continue sharing and volunteering your time and talents with your many activities. Share that passion with your kids, it is important to give back. Also remember, your kids are with you for such a short time, housework will be around forever. N. www.FiestaDreams.com

I use a towel at least three if big and maybe one or two if little. i wash twice a week once on the weekend and once in the middle of the week.

We use towels 3-4 times before washing, kids clothes get washed after each wearing, bras I wear for about 2 weeks (this depends on what I do within the 2 weeks), pajamas I wash after every wearing (but mine are in diapers). Now, keep in mind that everyone is different, and you will probably get advice from people that are germaphobes, and they may wash more often. Try and do what you think is right for you. I hope I helped.

Bath Towels if hung up - 1 week (you already clean when you dry off.
Hand towels- every 2 days because everyone uses them.
Bras - 1 week if not sweating
PJ's - 1 week
Underwear - 1 week (I buy enough underwear for 2 weeks, but wash them once a week. (change everyday but wash once a week
shirts - more than once
When I get home from work I immedialy change into other clothes and hang up my work clothes. So until they are dirty I will wear them more than once. Also, the clothes of change into I wear all week unless they get really dirty, because I am only home a few hours before bed time.
I wash clothes once a week and have always done that. But when my children were old enough they did have to take care of their own laundry.

Hi T....Here's my 2 cents....

Towels-Each family member has their own & will use it till laundry day (which for me is once a week) unless it gets really dirty. These are hung on hooks after showers.

Kids clothes-Jeans are usually hung to "air out" unless extremely dirty and worn 2 - 3 times before washing. Shirts are changed daily.

Bras-I change mine daily.

Nightgowns-I think your rule is ok unless really dirty. In my house, they're worn till laundry day unless really dirty.

I agree with the other Mom's comments that you could start teaching your kids to help with the laundry too. This might even cut down on the amount you have once they get a feel for this chore! lol! My son used to wear a shirt for a couple of hours & would think it was "dirty" and change to a clean one. We counted how many shirts he had in the laundry once & he had 12 shirts in 7 days time!! After he had to do a couple of loads, he saw the error of his ways....ha! :O)

Hope this helps!

The towels I like to wash them after 3 uses. Kids clothing I tent to wash after 1 use, because usually they sweat and get it dirty after eating anything. Bras, I was after 3 uses and I wash them in the washing machine, but hang them to dry and they last me a good while before I have to buy new ones. Pajamas, I usually wash them after 3 uses, I don't think we get too dirty while we sleep. Right!!! Hope this helps you!!! Good luck to you and your family!!!
S.

Towels I try to wash after four uses. Bras I get about three wears and its time. Pants I wear two to the most three times. My son is still little and I wash his clothes after each wear as they are dirty. If he wears dress clothes for a short time I will usually get one more wear out of them. shirts are a one wear type deal. I usually wash once a week. All whites, towels, darks, jeans, and baby stuff. So thats five loads in a day. You could use monday as whites night, tuesday as towels, and so forth. Good luck. Its not easy being a mom!

T.,
I only use a towel once I want a clean towel when I get out of the shower. Have each person put their towel in the washer after bathing and turn it on. Throw them in the dryer and use them front the dryer or the basket. THey don't have to be folded immediately. My jeans are worn twice as I work in an office, rarely get dirty so I hang them up when I get home. Bras are washed on the weekend and if your kids are bathing before bedtime PJ's can be worn up to 5 days. 1 or 2 loads of laundry a night is how I usually cope and with your girls being 7 and 8 time to start teaching the basics of laundry, you will be surprised at how good they are. I always sorted laundry into load size piles and showed my kids how to run a washer and dryer, they can help.

Hi T.,

Here are my opinions, advice and experience. Take what you like and leave the rest. Years ago I started having one certain day of the week be laundry day. It's a day that I've set aside and don't schedule any appointments or do any errands. Once in a while there will be something special that needs to be washed on another day but for the most part I have stuck to that one day to get it done and I did this through 2 marriages and raising 3 children that are now grown. I also have heavy duty machines for extra large loads so I can wash more at one time.

Towels are used at least twice but not for a whole week. Even though we think we're clean we're releasing toxins through and have other things on our skin. Washcloths are used only once because I wouldn't want to put on my face what I already used on my feet or rear. Regular bras are washed about every 3 wearings but if I've done some excessive sweating or something I'll know to wash one more often. If I've taken my nightly bath I feel I can wear my gowns for 2-3 nights but if I didn't put on day clothes right away and cooked and/or ate in my gown I usually need to throw it in the hamper. There are some clothing that doesn't need to be cleaned after each time it's worn, especially dry cleaning laundry, church clothes I removed right away and things like that. The problem is where to put them so you know they are half-clean. :-) I have a chair and a shelf that has those clothes that I know I can wear again before washing.

I don't use dryer sheets for towels so they can stay absorbant but I do use them for other clothes so they won't be full of static cling or be stiff. There is something called, "Color Catcher" by Shout that you can throw in your washer with your clothes. This sheet allows you to wash different colors together by absorbing the bleeding colors that are thrown off by dyes. This will cut down on your loads if you choose to use it.

We've had better experience with liquid detergents because sometimes the powder would cake up or leave white marks. There are certain materials I hang up to dry rather than put them in the dryer to help keep them longer. Screen printed t-shirts are always washed inside out to protect the print from wearing out right away.

I used to do some volunteer work and I had a problem setting limits. I was doing more and more and more. I loved it, it was very satisfying but my priorites weren't in line after a while. Just wanted to remind you to take care of your closest relationships (including with God and yourself) before you give too much of yourself away. Recently my daughter asked me to watch her 3 yr old temporarily and it got to be 50 hours a week while I was running our business from home also. I was just about to look into getting a maid at least once a week when Hurricane Ike hit. Because of the hurricane my daughter lost her job and I didn't need to watch my granddaughter and my housework became manageable again. This allowed me to see that I was volunteering 50 hours a week to help my daughter with childcare and then I was going to pay for something I would have been able to do without the extra "volunteer job".

May the Lord grant you wisdom and grace! Blessings, N.

One towel per week, at least 3 days, but it has to be hung up on a door hook (not on the floor). I will wear a bra twice if I wasn't sweating only. Jeans can go 3 wears (for me), but my young kids play a lot outside and their clothes are really dirty. Pajamas that are only worn to sleep in, and your kids aren't sweating in, could go all week, but usually only go 3 days. I also keep a separate bin for underwear and socks in the bathroom since that is usually the true necessity when running out of. It makes it so much easier for me to just wash the underwear and socks and I don't have to keep fumbling through the clothes to find them. That has helped me a lot! You might also consider having a separate bin for jeans, etc. Kids can "sort" for you when putting away their dirty clothes. I keep a separate bin for towels too. Hope that helps.

Laundry is the BANE of my existance!!
Life would be sweet if a wonderful fairy would swoop in and do it for me.... How those tiny little bodies dirty up so much stuff, I will never know!
Is there someone out there who actually enjoys this chore?????
Best regards,
T.

ok here it goes;
- towels we use until they smell
-jammies they wear twice
-bras i wear 3-4 times
-school clothes
-for my 12 yr old daughter if they aren't dirty or smelly hang them back up.
- for my son all school clothes go in the hamper
Hope taht helps!

Wow, I didn't realize so many people use their towels for so many days. In high school, my friend's family used their towels for a week and I was in shock! I know you are "clean" when you get out of the shower to dry off but you aren't really sanitized. I can't imagine using a towel and possibly wiping my face on a towel I possibly wiped my hiney on the previous day (or more), no matter how clean I felt I was. I guess that is why I have to climb Mt. Washmore so often. We use our towels and washcloths only once. If clothing has been worn only a short time and looks clean and not smelly, they might be used again. P.j.'s are definitely a one time deal because I feel you are in them at least 8 hours and they are subjected to sweat, body oils, etc. Perhaps I should rethink this...I could save a lot of time. I didn't realize people wore/used things so many times before washing.

T.:

I lived in Finland for a year when I was 18. I was amazed at their laundry routines and have adopted some of it as my own. Basic rule of thumb (for clothing), if it wasn't stained and didn't stink, it was clean. My host mother would shake the clothes out in the crisp air and hang them back up. Undergarments were another story and did not apply to the above rule. As another mom said, I hang up my work clothes immediatly when I get home and wash them when necessary. Towels are once a week. The boys' clothes (ages 9 and 11) are pretty much wash and wear. I end up doing laundry once a week and can knock out a family of four in about six or seven loads.

I think that everyone has their own personal preferances when it comes to when clothes need to be laundered. But i will tell you what we do in my house. We usually use a bath towel several times as it is wiping a clean body, of course we hang it neatly to dry properly so it doesn't smell! I will wear my bra a few times if I don't perspire too much in it. I don't wear nightgowns, I wear a tank top and panties. Panties I am very picky about and wear one for day and a clean one at night (so 2 a day) and my tank top if I didn't get sweaty, up to 4 nights. Pants a couple times if no sweat, and still clean, and my dogs didn't get dog hair all over them, tops, I always smell the underarms when I take it off, and that is usually a determining factor if I might wear it again. I keep my worn but still clean clothes on a shelf in my closet, so that I know that they are not washed. I do not mix them in with my washed clothes as that could get too complicated. Sheets, we usually change every two weeks, as we are generally showered when we go to bed. Now if someone gets sick (cold, flu etc) those sheets get changed after just a few days. Hope this helps you because I just hung out all my dirty laundry for all to see! LOL!

At our house towels get hung up to dry after use and are washed once a week. Sheets are once a week. Clothes depend on activity level and heat...so bras go 2 days in winter and one in summer, nightgowns once or twice a week, kids' clothes as needed, but jeans should go 2 days barring mud and mustard and so on. We do laundry once a week with two teens, and I usually have 4 to 5 loads. Each person is responsible for getting their stuff to the sorting site. I divide by light, medium, dark, and "the red load". 7 & 8 can start learning to sort their own stuff.