How many wears to a wash?

Undies get changed daily. I don't understand wearing a bra more than once. The elastic distorts and it doesn't fit as well, I find. The thought of old skin cells and the oils the skin secretes being on them is off putting to me, as well.

I don't wear anything else more than twice and now that the youngest (of four) is away at uni and the washing machine isn't constantly churning, I consider it a bit of a secret luxury to have clean clothes every day. Water is something we don't lack where I live and it's also very soft so I don't use that much washing powder. I rarely iron, I find judicious drying and folding is enough for today's modern fabrics.

When we lived abroad we had a steward who took care of the household chores. He used to change our bed linen every day, which was wonderful, but because water was at a premium there, I reluctantly had to tell him to cut down and he managed to restrain himself to twice a week.

We had bath under lid as well bath used to be weekly I used to go with a friend to public baths. Where there were baths in cubicles and a lady showed you which to go in and timed you I used to be fascinated don't know how much it cost know my mum said we couldn't afford it friend was only child I had siblings . Think some with little ones now change their clothes too often then moan when they have lots of washing I used bibs and only changed their top clothes if wet or stained ??sorry I digressed daily wash for under wear and socks when needed for others night clothes twice a week ,

Ha ha, The eyes popping out of head whilst bending in your jeans is a great description, and applies to me, I wash my jeans after 2/3 wears , knickers I change twice a day, as I work in evening so change after my shower , then again in morning, bra does for 2 days, tops , depends on what I spill on them, socks every day,

I change my knickers and socks every day and tops every two days. Leggings also as they dry very quickly. We changed our bath for a shower as the bathroom is so tiny but I desperately miss having a bath and have even considered staying in a hotel to get one! Trouble is, can't afford it really and most hotels only have showers nowadays! I even thought of having a tub installed into my largish bedroom. I looked on ebay for a tin bath but they're mostly vintage high cost items.

Knickers every day or 2 pairs a day if I go out in the evening, if I am not going out I don't wear a bra, and I wear a vest which I also keep on at night under my nightie - if I am staying at home I might wear it all the next day and night again! I wear natural fabrics and find that merino/cashmere/wool jumpers can be worn for up to a week. I have trouers for going out in and change into jog bottoms at home or for local shops - the indoor trousers last 2 days, the going out trousers depends on how much I go out. Nightie lasts a week. Socks a couple of days. I also have the smell test - I couldn't besr to wear anything that smells - I read that at one time people in cold northern climes sewed their children into their clothes for the winter, the mind boggles! wot I feel for you, I have in the past lived without a bath, how about a very large plastic bowl You could sit in, in the shower! Do you have any friends or family with a bath you could visit sometimes?

Years ago a man would wear a shirt for a week as collars were detachable,. It was easy to simply button on a clean collar. What a good idea- it should be re-introduced. I've had years of the men in our household all wearing a clean shirt every day.

Yes, starboard, I've seen a big plasterers tub on bay!

I remember my mum unpicking my dad's collars and sewing them back on the other way round. And sides to middle with sheets. Gosh, we seem lazy compared to them.

Mu mum did the same, I still have some of those sheets (not on the bed, in the garage as dust sheets)

I used to hate getting into a bed with 'sides to middle sheets'.

WOT, how about something like this
www.amazon.co.uk/Black-Deep-Plastic-Water-Bath/dp/B006PG5GN4

Thanks pomp. I think I'm going to get the plasterers tub. I hope it doesn't tip over when it's full of water! When our sheets used to get a little hole in them, I used to put my toe in it and rip it. Wot a nasty girl!

Amazon plasterers bath.....4ft x 2ft x I ft. Someone on the reviews bought one for their granny! £32 Inc delivery.

When I was a child my aunt used to give me clothes for Christmas and birthdays. She always used to say " I chose a dark one so it won't show the dirt". We used to know a lady who was in her 70s in the 1960s and she explained to us how she would sponge the collars and armpits of her dresses and that was all the washing they ever got. Presumably that was what you did when you couldn't afford staff to look after your clothes any more

I stick to the knickers every day and bra after three or four days. With everything else it depends how clean it seems. I've got one or two tops that always look abit scruffy when they've been worn once.

Wot, didn't see yourself in a dog bath then Rather share a bath with a plasterer.

Ha ha! Like that 70,s government advertisement "Save water; bathe with a friend"

UMMM our daughter was born in '76, was that about the time of the advert ?

I think it was in "The Winter of Discontent" with power cuts . Same year as when princess Anne first married. 1973??? I may have imagined it, even.

Ill be getting in trouble for going off the subject of washing clothes.

In the 1950's my mother had dresses that had removable underarm pads that could be washed, rather than the whole dress.
When I think of it, I do remember that some people did smell of body odour then, but it didn't really seem to be an issue. I don't remember my mother using deodorant, but she did bathe regularly and use talcum powder!
As for me - bra 3/4 days, knickers daily, PJ's 3/4 days, tee-shirts 2 days, jeans 3/4 days, jumpers 3/4 days.

I will have to 'ang it on the 'ook in the 'all when the tubs empty!

The first deodorant was in a squeeze lilac little bottle called Body Mist if I remember correctly. And a generous splash of "Evening in Paris" poooooo or Californian Poppy..

WOT, nothing wrong with morphing a thread into something else.

People washed their hair or went and had it set only once a week. My mum used to wash her hair before she went to the hairdresser! Bit like dusting before the cleaner coming!

Rather a reassuring thread really as it seems I don't need to worry so much. Like one of the other posters I lost my sense of smell 5 years ago and am a bit paranoid about me and my clothes/house smelling. I can't tell if clothes smell so they tend to go in the wash basket after only a couple of wears - underwear and socks/tights/leggings are charged daily. I don't sleep in my pjs and only have them on for an hour on a morning with my knickers on underneath so they last longer. I also have 2 cats so things are often covered in hair and get washed just to get rid of it. I've had two funny incidents with pant liners and tights - the first I 'lost' when getting dressed one day only to find it several hours later stuck to the back of my jumper the tights emerged from the leg of my trousers when getting out the car at someone's house and trailed behind me like a lost dog! Luckily my husband spotted them before I got to the door. His clothes all go in the wastebasket each night after work apart from his trousers which last 4 days. His casual clothes such as jeans and jumpers pile up on his drawers along with his ties which drives me mad!