Dry Cleaning and Laundry Tips

Thanks to climate change, the world is getting warmer. And Illinois is no exception. In fact, according to average summer temperature rankings prepared by the National Weather Service, 2018 saw one of Chicago's hottest summers since 1873! This brings a whole host of questions. Among them, there's the age-old puzzle of 'how often should I wash my clothes?' This may seem straightforward enough, but some are still confused when it comes to laundry day. We're here to help you out. 

And if you suddenly feel the need to wash your clothes, remember we offer pickup and same-day delivery services. We got you.

Underwear

Let's start with the clothes we wear every day. With the exception of bras, underwear should be washed after every single use. These come in contact with our skin and sweat the most. Wearing these items more than once is just asking for trouble from the hygiene police. Don't forget that this category includes your socks, too.

Washing bras really depends on the weather and how much activity you've done. You can get away with washing bras after 3-4 uses.

T-shirts

Well, there's some argument whether t-shirts can be reworn. As a general rule, if your clothes start to smell, it's better to wash them for your sake and others. T-shirts should be washed after one use. But if the weather is cold, and you hardly sweat, and you passed the sniff test, then maybe you could give it another shot.

Button-down Shirts

These are a little more tricky than t-shirts. If you're the type to sport an undershirt when you're wearing one of these, then you could reuse button-downs. Or else, you need to wash these after every use, too, particularly if you're wearing them under the hot summer sun.

Jeans

Yes, jeans are resilient and reliable but you do have to wash them from time to time. They are the workhorses of your wardrobe and they can withstand a beating. Assuming your pair has passed the sniff test, you need to wash jeans after 4-6 uses, or about one whole week of wearing them.

Sweaters

Like with button-downs, you can reuse these babies to up to six times when you wear undershirts. If you don't, 1-2 uses should be fine.

Gym or Workout Apparel

Wash them after one use. It's tempting to reuse a piece of clothing when you know you'll just sweat on them again. But even if you're not bothered by the smell, you still have to wash them after one use if only for the sake of hygiene.

Suits/Blazers/Casual Jackets/Dress Pants

Depending on the season and the material used in the suit, but you should be able to reuse is up to six times before you need them washed. Dress pants need to be washed after only three uses. This means that over time, the color of your pants may fade quicker than that of your suit. For this reason, some prefer to buy two pairs of slacks for every one jacket. Please note, too, that these clothes may need extra care when washing. Often, they should only be dry-cleaned. Don't worry, we also offer dry-cleaning services for your suits and suitpants. 

Pajamas and Other Sleepware

We actually sweat a lot when we sleep. For this reason, sleepwear should be washed after 3-4 uses. 

Having read through that, there's now no excuse for not washing that pair of jeans. But it's not all a hassle. Keeping track of which items to wash and when can give you a chance to use resources like water more efficiently. Plus, you can have us do all the work and have us pick up your dirties. Or you can call us if you have more questions about reusing your clothes.