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How many wears to a wash?

(142 Posts)
phoenix Tue 29-Mar-16 18:44:48

Knickers/pants are obviously 1 wear, 1 wash, but what about trousers, tops/jumpers, cardigans etc?

Also does your DH operate on a different level? (Mr P has clean socks and pants everyday, but will sometimes wear his jeans for what seems like a week! (Possibly not, but as I don't monitor his laundry, who knows)

BBbevan Sat 02-Apr-16 21:02:26

Under ware and socks plus T shirts everyday. Same for my DH plus shirts. Jumpers etc last a week perhaps and jeans similarly. Anything remotely stained or grubby gets washed and hung outside to dry if possible.

sluttygran Sat 02-Apr-16 20:49:33

I change everything daily - I'm not super-hygienic, but I'm a dirt-magnet.
I have a two-year old DGD to help me with plenty of sticky finger marks and little spills, and my daughter says I'm the messiest cook in the world.
I tell her that it's just as well that I'm probably one of the best laundresses in the world, 'cos I get through clean clothes at one hell of a rate!

Nana3 Sat 02-Apr-16 19:28:34

Hankies, yuk. He uses them, I have to launder them. I've tried hiding them, there are boxes of man sized tissues in every room but no it has to be hankies.

Willow500 Fri 01-Apr-16 15:44:27

My other half uses real hankies and tissues - I think the cotton ones are used mostly for mopping his head as he's always hot but he has been caught cleaning the car windscreen with them!

Marmight Fri 01-Apr-16 14:34:51

DH used 'proper' hankies for years. I washed them in the machine on the hottest wash. One day, I forgot my rust coloured corduroy skirt was in the machine and from there on for the next 20 odd years, his hankies were a delicate shade of pink, (and the skirt went from a 14 to an 8). Even new ones took on the colour. I eventually managed to get him to use tissues. I had a lot of tissue incidents after that. You can't win....

hummingbird Fri 01-Apr-16 12:14:49

My fifteen year old drops everything into her washing basket every day. I go through the it, fold up anything that isn't actually dirty, and give it back to her on her clean pile. Never notices a thing!

amberdogxK9 Fri 01-Apr-16 11:25:49

I always buy matching bra and pants, 3 pairs of pants to 1 bra. Pants handwashed after one wear bras handwashed after 3 wears. Once you have been measured in a good shop and bought there once, the internet is a great place to pick up same brand in your best style. Well looked after, some of my stuff must be 5 years old. I started wearing matching sets after being rushed into hospital - no, not run over by a bus !
Whatever I wear on top, and for however long (hold to the nose, smells like a rose ? test) I am really fussy about undies.

pompa Thu 31-Mar-16 19:12:45

"Rich patina" I must remember that next time I get moaned at for grubby hankies.

grumppa Thu 31-Mar-16 18:53:09

Quite right, pompa. The rich patina on a gentleman's handkerchief cows his nose into submission, so,after a while it dries up.

Jalima Thu 31-Mar-16 18:51:37

I still have one of my dad's hankies with his initial on the corner which I use sometimes; it is lovely and soft but nearly disintegrating.
Dad died in 1985.

pompa Thu 31-Mar-16 18:18:31

That's what hankies are for, mopping up spills, oily/greasy hands, paint brushes, much better than old rags, they are always handy.

pollyperkins Thu 31-Mar-16 18:09:12

Mine uses proper hankies too. Refuses to use tissues as he thinks his powerful nose blows will make them disintigrate and besides they make his poor nose sore! So i have to wash and iron T leat 7 a week - more when he's got a bold. And yes he uses them to mop up any odd spills too so they get verydiscoloured!

Tizliz Thu 31-Mar-16 17:21:09

My OH uses real hankies, but I am not sure what he uses them for! Cleaning brass, wiping coolant off his glasses. The one he used for moping up bluing ink (that is spelt correctly), I refused to wash - the idea of bluing is that it doesn't come off easily.

AnnieGran Thu 31-Mar-16 16:38:35

Jalima - mine was a policeman when they had to look smart. When he was in CID and going on drugs patrol in the pubs, he had to be clean shaven, wear a short haircut and ironed jeans with a crease down the front! Just like saying: look at me, I'm a policeman.grin

Jalima Thu 31-Mar-16 14:55:25

My very lovely DH does the ironing because he is better at than me and IRONS my knickers! I think men who have worn uniforms to work are very particular about ironing
Another ex-Forces officer who does the ironing (I 'don't do it properly') and uses hankies - and irons them!! They get soaked, swilled through then hot washed with towels.

Auntieflo Thu 31-Mar-16 14:47:59

DH still uses hankies, and irons them. smile

Galen Thu 31-Mar-16 14:27:18

I still use hankies

Liaise Thu 31-Mar-16 14:22:24

At my grammar school (co-ed) we wore navy blue knickers with pockets. You could only wear your pleated gym shorts if you were playing hockey or having a period. We all caught verrucas from the communal shower. I always felt embarrassed because I was small and thin. Often nearly missed the coach home trying to dry off and get dressed. Gym slips were measured weekly by the female dragon (deputy head). If they weren't the right length above the knee there would be big trouble. The occasional rebel would come in white knickers and world war three would start. I tell these tales to my granddaughters. I'm sure they don't believe it.

All these stories really bring it all back. How repressed we were and yet it would be interesting to go back for a few hours.

AnnieGran Thu 31-Mar-16 13:46:27

I didn't go to a boarding school, but my state grammar school insisted on liners under the horrible thick dark green knickers. Nobody ever checked and we all stopped wearing the thick knickers except on a gym or sports lesson day when our wrap around sports skirt used to blow open showing our undies. The boys from the next door school would race across to the dividing fence when we played hockey and shout teenage boy ruderies.blush

My very lovely DH does the ironing because he is better at than me and IRONS my knickers! I think men who have worn uniforms to work are very particular about ironing.

However, he won't use tissues to blow his nose and I put all his grotty hankies in a bucket of bleach once a week. I don't know anyone else who still uses proper handkerchiefs.

Crafting Thu 31-Mar-16 12:32:47

pompa grin did he take you down a peg or two?

Galen Thu 31-Mar-16 10:27:52

Same here. Cotton ones to go under the grey ones!
Horror, horror, matron discovered a pair of flimsy pretty nylon ones in one girls draw!
They were confiscated!

Penstemmon Thu 31-Mar-16 09:54:03

carolmary we had knicker linings too at my boarding school..just cotton knickers to go under the bottle green ones! We were allowed per week's laundry: one pair of green knickers and 2 linings , one vest, two school blouses, 2x prs of socks, a towel and a pair of pajamas/nightdress and one sheet and a pillowcase. Cardigans and tunics were taken home at half term along with your 'mufti' dress (no trousers!) to be cleaned! We bathed 2 x week and hair wash 1x fortnight. However washing and tooth brushing morning and night was rigorously monitored and heaven help you if you left a hair in your hairbrush! This was a Quaker school in the NE of England.

carolmary Thu 31-Mar-16 09:34:07

Oh Marmight did you go to the same school as me? (Christ';s Hospital) I have never met anybody else who knows what a knicker lining is. Ours were made of calico!
In my last year or two we began to be given aertex ones .

downtoearth Thu 31-Mar-16 08:00:21

Didn't have bathroom as a child and as everyone else says underwear shak'em and turn'em ,I just assumed everyone did the same as me clean all through everyday. I am fussy hate someone walking past who looks and smells whiffy and hold my breath.I bath and wash my hair daily also....we balance equation though OH can be a soap dodger and hangs on to everything we have been known to tussle with his underwear which resulted in a split from earhole to breakfast time ?..he had to change them then....his socks are so strong they could March to the machine and wash themselves .I do an early morning recce and pinch them and put in machine.....we balance each other out I reckongrin....love bleach hate dirty toilets....now hoovering on other hand..only iron mine as and when..beds weekly ...

Coolgran65 Thu 31-Mar-16 00:15:23

Bras like barrage balloons...... has someone seen my washing line ??