when to wash

"I like my money right where I can see it; hanging in my closet." - Carrie Bradshaw

When I was younger, if my clothes were on the floor, my mom would tell me she wasn't going to buy me new ones anymore. Though I am fairly confident this was an empty threat (she's a giver), it basically brainwashed me into being slightly obsessive when it comes to clothing care.

Whenever I go to someone's house and see their beautiful clothes on a pile in the floor, it makes me cringe. Hundreds of dollars strewn about the room...

I'm a major advocate for reduced clothing washing*, meaning not doing it every time you wear something (unless they're work out clothes). Real Simple recently produced a guide to washing clothing and although I think a few of their schedules are a little frequent, for the most part, I can endorse it.

*Note: I'm also an advocate for increased showering, and do it at least twice a day. If you opt for fewer showers, I suggest increasing your clothing washing. They're correlative.