How Often Should You Wash Your Clothes, Exactly?

Are you doing too much laundry? Probably—and it’s not just your time that you could be saving. Over-washing our clothes is a sustainability issue that’s often not discussed, but garment care is actually responsible for a significant amount of an item’s carbon footprint over the course of its life. In fact, a study by Levi’s found that for its iconic 501 jeans, the consumer care phase—i.e. washing and drying—was responsible for 37 per cent of its carbon footprint, as well as 23 per cent of total water consumption.

“Changing our home laundry routine is one of the biggest opportunities for resource conservation,” Paul Dillinger, Levi’s vice president, global head of product innovation, tells Vogue. “It’s also an incredibly easy solution: we’re just asking people to not do their laundry.”

While laundry may be a chore for many of us, simple changes can actually make a significant impact when it comes to our environmental footprint – and reduce the amount of clothes we go through. “Beyond the energy savings, carbon reduction, and water conservation, changing the way we do laundry is just better for our clothes,” Dillinger says. Not to mention: Who among us doesn’t want to spend less time doing laundry?

The case for washing less

It’s not just time, energy, and water that can be saved by reducing the amount we wash our clothes–washing less means that our garments last longer, too. “Over-washing contributes to shrinkage, color fading and quicker deterioration of clothes,” Dr. Sonali Diddi, associate professor at Colorado State University’s department of design and merchandising, says. “With decrease in quality of clothing manufacturing and over-laundering, more clothes end up in landfill quicker.”

There is also the issue of microplastics—tiny plastic particles—which are released into our waterways when synthetic clothing (such as polyester and nylon) is washed, creating a major concern when it comes to laundry. Investing in a microplastics filter, such as a Guppyfriend bag or a Cora ball, can help tackle the issue, while purchasing synthetic clothing should be avoided where possible.

How to wash clothes sustainably

As well as reducing the frequency of our laundry loads, washing at low temperatures (68 to 86 degrees Fahrenheit is the recommendation), air drying instead of tumble-drying, and using eco-friendly detergent is also better for the planet. “Many laundry detergents contain chemicals, such as phosphates, surfactants, and optical brighteners, which can be harmful to aquatic life when they enter waterways through wastewater discharge,” Dr. Kyle Grant, CEO of Oxwash, an eco-friendly laundry company and dry cleaning alternative, says.

How often should you wash your clothes?

In terms of how often we should actually be washing our clothes, in most cases, it’s really not necessary to wash an item after every wear if the item is not stained, smelly, or otherwise obviously soiled.