12 Things To Remember In Washing Clothes

Some people are so lazy in this digital era that  they can waste their time watching the same video many times over giving some time to wash dirty old funky clothes. People should wash their clothes regularly but although some clothes that are Not directly in contact with sweating body zones like underarms or groin can be used multiple times before washing. But many are not aware of the common healthy washing principles that should be kept in mind to be free of any skin infection arising from poor hygiene of not washing clothes regularly.


Here are some useful tips to help you to keep your clothes clean, fresh and skin friendly:

  •  Don’t  use too much detergent for washing clothes, one spoon is sufficient for normal loads. Its better to check the detergent label before use. If you use extra detergent then it may add  funky smell of detergent even after rinse  and make the texture of clothes rough and irritant as detergent particles are still attached to it.
  • Inner wear like underwear, socks, sportswear, swim wear, bras, stockings etc should be washed after single use.
  • T shirts, Tops, Pants, Shorts, dresses should be washed after 1 – 2 wears depending the climatic condition, in humid and sweating condition, 1 wear is enough, while in cold climate or used only for few hours each time then 2 wears will be all right.
  • After hospital visit, clothes should be changed and old hospital clothes must be washed after single use as it may have microbes on it.
  • Bedsheets should be washed at least weekly and if some food or liquid is spilled than it has to be washed.
  • Jeans can be washed on weekly basis if not dirty.
  • Night wears and PJs can be used 3-4 times before washing since they are used for few hours only per day but if you wear them for full day and sweating a lot then its better to wash after single use.
  • Cotton is the most common recommended clothe material as it good absorbent and has micro pores for aeration, especially make sure they are made of cotton as they prove to be comfortable and skin friendly.
  • Bath linen / Towels should be washed after 3-4 use, if they have a lot of fibers and can’t be washed in machine then its better to soak them in warm water of about 65° C  for some time and then let them dry completely to avoid bad stink.
  • Try to dry your clothes in natural hot sunshine for enough time, Sun is the best natural sterilizer.
  • Be aware and read instruction labels on clothes and follow them to enhance their lifespan.
  • Hand wash is preferred choice as its more Eco friendly, those who use washing machine can at least sometimes hand wash clothes for a change. And let your machine dry in air or if possible in sun after washing to prevent any retention of moisture in it that could cause formation of moulds.

References and Further reading:

  1. http://www.health.gov.au/fluandyou
  2. http://www.cdc.gov/HAI/prevent/laundry.html
  3. http://www.cdc.gov/features/norovirus/

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