With laundry ranking typically low on most people’s list of favourite household chores, new data from Bosch sheds a fresh light on the public’s attitude towards dodging the wash basket. Interestingly, men are more likely than women to feel self-conscious, dirty or embarrassed about wearing a top without washing.
Men admitted to wearing underwear two times before throwing them in the wash. Whilst this level of hygiene may be questioned by some, women aren’t totally in the clear either wearing their bras an average of eight times, despite men thinking they’re washed after two!
58% of Brits said that they have no problem with other people re-wearing items multiple days in a row, despite a quarter feeling dirty themselves.
However, one in ten women confessed to being worried about a peer’s welfare if spotted re-wearing items too frequently. Men exercised a bit more leniency, with just one in twenty owning up to the same thought.
With so many hang-ups, Bosch has also set out to get to the bottom of what drives us to feel this way. Almost one quarter of people revealed they feel pressure from society to look presentable and 16% believe a second wear could leave a bad impression.
There’s no easy way to spin it, these pressures are causing us to wash clothes more frequently than is necessary, resulting in potentially avoidable environmental impact.
As the climate crisis escalates, most people are starting to think about how they can weave sustainability into their everyday activities. With this in mind, 27% of Brits often consider the environment when doing their laundry, though 18% still admit to putting a wash on, even if the machine isn’t full.
Bosch spokesperson says:
While it may sometimes feel like we are up against a never ending stream of washing, it seems that if we can all make a conscious effort to reduce the amount of relatively fresh items creeping their way into the wash bin, everyone can limit their washing impact in some way.