How often do you wash your knits?

[WolfofStateSt]

How often do you wash your merino or cashmere sweaters? I swear I have worn this one knit probably a dozen times with a T-Shirt underneath, should I wash it or just wait?? I don’t like when you have a soft sweater and then you wash it and loses some of that softness.

For reference I already have special detergent for these sweaters and I always wash on delicate cold and dry flat.

 

[torfjord]

I never wash wool knits unless they get stains. I’ve gone several years without washing sometimes. They normally never get smelly. If they do, wash them.

 

[MrProper]

Stinks/smells or has stains? Washing. Otherwise not.

 

[WolfofStateSt]

I never wash wool knits unless they get stains. I’ve gone several years without washing them sometimes. They normally never get smelly, but if they do, I wash them.

Yes, when I started getting into higher quality clothes, I used to wash everything after every wear, but as I have learned more about clothing, I’ve started to lean into it. It ain’t broke, don’t fix it. I have less laundry to do the nicer my clothes have gotten. I wash my T-shirts, socks, boxers, and jeans after every wear. But I almost never wash my flannels, selvage denim, and knits.

 

[WolfofStateSt]

Stinks/smells or has stains? Washing. Otherwise not.

Yeah, it smells fine, and there are no stains. I also have a knitwear mist from N.Peal, which I can use if I want to freshen it up. The Hanes T-shirts I wear must do a good job of protecting the sweater.

 

[torfjord]

Yes, when I started getting into higher quality clothes, I used to wash everything after every wear, but as I have learned more about clothing, I’ve started to lean into it. It ain’t broke, don’t fix it. I have less laundry to do the nicer my clothes have gotten. I wash my T-shirts, socks, boxers, and jeans after every wear. But I almost never wash my flannels, selvage denim, and knits.

You wash your jeans after every wear?!??! Boxers and T-shirts and socks is perfectly reasonable, even recommended, but jeans!!!??? Why…? Do you roll in mud with them?

 

[WolfofStateSt]

Do you wash your jeans after every wear?!??! Boxers and T-shirts and socks is perfectly reasonable, even recommended, but jeans!!!??? Why…? Do you roll in mud with them?

It depends on the pair of jeans; since they are all Levi’s and Wranglers, I would say I wash them after every other, every two wears. And yes I do roll in the mud with them lol.

When it comes to my Sugar Cane denim jacket, that I have only washed twice: once to shrink it to the right size and the second time because it was in fact covered in mud, it was also hailing that day, I’ll say that their denim really is a protective layer.

And the trick I have found for washing my Sugar Cane denim is to use Hiroshi Kato denim soap and wash it on cold delicate, line dry it and then throw it the dryer on no heat spin only. Otherwise when I line dry denim, it drys too stiff.

 

[WolfofStateSt]

P.S. While I may have exotic taste in jackets and knitwear, my blue-jean wardrobe is probably the same as every other regular American man's.

I have two denim pullovers, one from RMC and one from Buzz Ricksons. I have never washed either of those; I’m afraid too, lol.

 

[cbez]

Never

 

[Eagledog]

I wash knitwear and jeans every time they get used. It removes the dust we encounter on daily walks in the field. And also removes the restaurant smell from them if we go out to eat. Even if it is worn for half a day and I change into something else like shorts because it warmed up they still get washed. My 6 pairs of Wrangler jeans are from 2012 -2015 and have been washed and dried hundreds of times in my Whirlpool machines on medium warm settings.
The knits get gentle setting. Smartwool merino tops and Injinji socks get washed with the jeans. They are at least 10 years old and still look new. The smartwool gets worn 6 months out of the year. Pinebury and first light are my summer merino tee shirts. They get washed with jeans,shorts and everything else.