TAKEA LOAD OFF!

Hold the detergent - there's a growing trend to do laundry less often in a bid to save the planet - and it can save you money too

- MAXINE PETERS

SEPARATE lights from darks, wash, dry, iron, fold, pack away, repeat. And repeat. And repeat.

Laundry is one of life’s thankless tasks – the kind of chore that doesn’t make you feel in control no matter how hard you try. As soon as the washing basket is empty, it fills up again. And RIP to all those socks that go into the machine and never make it out again. 

But listen up, laundry loathers: you don’t need to do washing as often as you might think.

There’s a growing global trend toward washing clothes less often – or even not at all. And it has nothing to do with laziness or slovenliness and everything to do with the planet.

The no-wash and low-wash movement has gained popularity recently with environmentalists and sustainable fashion experts embracing it.

“If your clothes don’t smell, then don’t bother washing them,” says Mark Sumner, a lecturer in sustainable fashion at the University of Leeds in the UK.

“And when you’re going to wash them, be clear about what to do to get the garment clean but in the most effective way.”

That, proponents of the no-wash movement say, includes taking care not to overwash a garment, which can ruin the quality of the clothing and lead to garment dumping, which has a catastrophic effect on the environment.