How Often Should You Actually Wash Your Jeans, Bras and Towels?

We asked an expert.

All Credits: PA

There’s a reason things like cleaning your house and doing the washing are called ‘chores’.

It can feel like your washing basket is constantly full, and that you’re doing yet another load of laundry – even though you just did one.

This is why most of us probably use the washing machine a little less than we should.

So when it comes to those items you might use more than once, like towels, bras and (maybe) gym kit, how often should you actually be washing them? we turned to the experts.

Jeans

According to Levi’s you should wash your jeans once every 10 wears, or even longer until they start to smell “funky”. This is “to maintain fit and prevent too much rebound.”

Levi’s recommends you use a damp cloth or old toothbrush with mild soap to get off the stains.

To keep the colour and shape, Levi’s advises you to wash them in cold water and hang them inside out in a shady space – and don’t even think about chucking them in the dryer.

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Kicking it into the weekend. #LiveInLevis

A post shared by Levi's (@levis) on Sep 27, 2019 at 11:16am PDT

Bras

Bad news for most bra-wearers, because we’d put good money on you not washing them as regularly as you should. “Ideally, you should wash your bra every two to three wears,” says Karen Tierney, excellence centre manager at dry cleaners Jeeves of Belgravia.

If you want your bra to hold its shape and last as long as possible, Tierney adds: “It really is best to handwash your bra in warm (not hot) water with a delicate detergent. If you cannot stand the thought of handwashing and you want to machine wash, make sure you use a cold delicate cycle (in a net bag) and never tumble dry.”

Gym kit

Gym kit is a particularly tricky one because it tends to contain elastic or Lycra, which Tierney says “will last much longer if washed at a lower heat”. However she adds: “Washing at 30 degrees C does not help to kill the bacteria which builds up in gym kit and causes it to smell”. So it’s a toss-up between potentially ruining your activewear, or not getting it properly clean.

Tierney says: “Wash gym kit after every use (even on a quick cycle) with the addition of some antibacterial laundry cleanser. Dettol sell one which can be found in most supermarkets. It is also important to get your kit in the wash ASAP after getting back from the gym. If you leave it in a pile on the floor, you allow it time for the bacteria to multiply.”

If you exercise a lot and can’t be bothered to deal with your sweaty clothes, technology could provide a solution. There’s a growing trend of ‘self-cleaning’ gym kit made from materials which are said to repel your sweat, keeping the clothes clean and odour-free. Brands like Ably Apparel or Silversport could be the answer to your laundry pile woes.

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When all you ever wash is gym kit! you know what I'm saying. . . #fitfam #laundry #gymkit #gettingsweaty #wouldnotchangeathing

A post shared by Abi Drabble (née Dewberry) (@abi_dewbs) on Feb 19, 2016 at 12:12pm PST

Sheets

Few things feel more glorious than settling into a bed of freshly washed sheets, but the process of grappling with the duvet and pillow cases is nothing short of a nightmare. So how often should we be washing them?

“This varies, but as a rule of thumb we would recommend washing your bed linen every seven sleeps,” says Tierney, suggesting a wash at 60 degrees C if the care label allows, or 30 with some antibacterial cleanser.

If washing your sheets every week seems relentless, we unfortunately have some more bad news for you: you need to wash your actual duvets and pillows as well.

“Pillows should be cleaned three to four times a year and duvets twice a year,” says Tierney. “If your duvets and pillows are feather, you are better off using a reputable dry cleaner.”