If your laundry basket could talk, it would probably say, “Please… I’m begging you.” But since it can’t, plenty of us wait until there’s a sock crisis or we’re down to our emergency underwear before doing anything about it.
Laundry isn’t the worst chore out there, but let’s be honest… it’s nobody’s idea of a good time. Unless you’re one of the very rare laundry lovers out there (and yes, they exist), you’re probably just doing the bare minimum to avoid mildew and social shame.
Still, most people are taking care of it themselves. A new poll found 55% of Americans always do their own laundry, while 5% say someone else always handles it. Everyone else falls somewhere in between, depending on how desperate the wardrobe situation gets.
Now, do we enjoy laundry? Eh. Only 9% of people say they love it, and 23% say they like it. On the flip side, 12% dislike it, and 5% flat-out hate it. 49% are totally neutral… the Switzerland of household chores.
The survey also asked how many times people wear different types of clothing before washing them… and spoiler alert: the results range from reasonable to “I’m gonna stand over here.”
Underwear: 80% of people wash it after one wear (as any decent society should). But 5% of people wear the same pair four or more times before washing. Yes, that’s real. And yes, men are more likely to do it.
T-shirts: 55% wash after one use. 10% wear them at least four times, which might explain why some shirts are more vintage aroma than vintage style.
Non-jeans pants: 29% go one-and-done, but 21% say, “Eh, one more wear won’t hurt.” (It might.)
Sweaters: Only 19% wash after a single wear. A whopping 32% go four-plus wears, relying on the magical cleansing power of “airing it out.”
Jeans: Just 16% wash after one wear, and 36% stretch it past four. Men, once again, are more likely to live on the edge. (Or the edge of someone’s olfactory tolerance.)
So, next time you wonder if those jeans can go another day, just remember… you’re either part of the majority, or part of the reason Febreze exists.