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The article didn't spend a lot of time discussing the type of washing machine used. But in my experience that makes a big difference. Front loading machines se
by PhantomGremlin 7y ago
The article didn't spend a lot of time discussing the type of washing machine used. But in my experience that makes a big difference.
Front loading machines seem to be quite gentle on clothes. Perhaps because they don't use an agitator? My mostly 100% cotton clothing lasts for years and years. My family is tired of seeing me in the same clothes.
But maybe another big difference is between men's and women's clothing. The women's stuff feels very lightweight, very delicate. I'm not surprised that it doesn't hold up as well as men's.
And then there's fashion. My girls buy jeans that start out with holes in them. How long can that last? In contrast, by the time my jeans have holes in them they are definitely worn out.
- benj111 7y agoI find its the drier actually. Prior to having a dryer I hadn't thrown out a t shirt due to collars and stuff wearing out, after getting the dryer they just fall to bits after a few years.
- davidw 7y agoEveryone hang dries their clothes in Italy, and we kept doing that when we moved to the US. It definitely is a win-win in terms of making clothes last longer and using less energy.
- benj111 7y agoYeah, unfortunately England, in winter, isnt really conducive to drying clothes outside.
- davidw 7y agoNeither is a lot of Italy, nor Bend, Oregon where I live. In winter, you put the drying rack next to a radiator or heating vent or whatever, inside.
- benj111 7y agoYeah, but then you get damp, and mold, been there, done that.
- viklove 7y agoYou just have to find a compromise. I tumble dry my undershirts, underwear, etc, but line dry my button downs, sweaters, hoodies, jeans, etc. I wash those less often anyway, and line drying them saves money because those are the pricier items in my closet.
- mikekchar 7y agoWash more often. If you wash every day or two, the amount of water in your clothes will not be super significant. If you wash once or twice a week, then your relative humidity will spike. You can buy super efficient washers, so power consumption is not really an issue (especially in comparison to using a drier). The other thing you can do is to "change the air" in your house every once in a while, especially in winter. Just open the windows and let it breathe. Letting the cold air in reduces the water carrying capacity of the air. When you heat it back up, the relative humidity drops. I know these kinds of things are not common in the UK, but when my wife and I lived in England for 2 years, that's what we did and it works very well.
- war1025 7y agoClothes actually dry pretty well inside in winter because your air is dry, so the water gets pulled out quicker. Just need a bit of airflow.
- zhdc1 7y agoLast apartment had and air circulation system for hang drying clothes. They would dry in a couple of hours and we never had to deal with shrinkage or wear. Our new apartment has a front loaded. My wife's clothes were in awful condition after a couple of months. I refuse to use it.
- mumblemumble 7y agoMy clothes started lasting a lot longer after switching to a Haier portable washing machine and line drying my clothes. The Haier has no central agitator, and I'm sure that helps, but, of the two, I'm guessing the bigger impact comes from line drying. The contents of the average lint trap would seem to suggest that tumble dryers really do a number on clothes.