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How often should we wash our clothes? That very question sparked aheated debatebetweenTodayshow co-hostsAl Roker,Sheinelle Jones,Craig MelvinandDylan Dreyer, who laid out their laundry habits in a segment aired last week.
The discourse definitely left us with questions, and PEOPLE turned to expertCarol Mehas, the founder of sustainable laundry and cleaning supply brandarbOUR, to weigh in on the loaded topic.
“Fun fact about the heated debate on theTodayshow is that many of the talking points are true,” states Mehas.
Before creating her line of detergents, stain removers, household soaps and more, Mehas worked in product development and marketing for big-name beauty brands including Sephora. She’s also a mom of three (and pet parent to her dog and two horses) who’s all too familiar with the search for a streamlined yet clean laundry routine that works.
Ahead, Mehas breaks down whenandhow you should wash some of your wardrobe staples.
Pajamas
“Your skin is shedding 24 hours a day, but in the evening, as you relax, your skin goes into double time while your body is regenerating,” she says.
Similar to Roker, who stated that “the average person perspires a cup of sweat every night,” Mehas says, “Research shows that both men and women sweat at least a cup of day…if not more!”
In conclusion: “You’ll want to wash your PJs and bed linens as often as you can — ideally every other day,” Mehas says. She also suggests making small changes, like routinely washing your pillowcases or switching them out for a fresh set.
Jeans
Mehas believes that cleaning denim “requires a few extra steps to make it last between washings.”
After two to three wears (that is, when worn over underwear), she says to turn your jeans inside out to avoid any disruption to the fabric’s hue. Then, go in with a pH-balanced detergent to prevent color fading and to remove dirt particles from the material. “It’s best to hang dry and dry gently on a cold setting in the machine if you need to save time,” she adds.
Workout Clothes and Activewear
There are many factors that make workout clothes and activewear one-time-wear pieces. “Not only is the sweat and dead skin from your body absorbing onto the fabric, so are all the germs and toxins from highly touched areas like gym benches, yoga mats and stationary bike seats!” Mehas notes.
She advises investing in a specialty detergent for washing these items, such as arbOUR’sActivewear Detergent, which thoroughly cleans in between clothes' fibers without sacrificing its quality and neutralizes bacteria to eliminate odors.
Wool Sweaters
“Detergents will NEVER work on wool fabrics because they are not pH-balanced,” reveals Mehas, who recommends using acleaner with a neutral pHwhen washing wool items, sweaters and any other pieces that are considered to be “gentle.”
“Standard detergent will actually attract more dirt to the wool because of the gel base attaching itself to the fibers,” she says.
source: people.com
