November 21, 2025, 1:54 pm | Read time: 3 minutes
It’s long been known that blue jeans should be washed as infrequently as possible to preserve the fabric and the environment. But how often should materials like wool, polyester, or cotton be put in the wash? And when is it enough to simply air out worn clothes?
30 degrees, 40 degrees, 60 degrees—washing clothes in an environmentally friendly, gentle, and efficient way is a science in itself. High temperatures are rarely necessary; modern machines and detergents clean clothes at 30 or even 20 degrees. In fact, the washing machine isn’t always needed. Sometimes, just airing out worn clothes is enough to make them fresh again.
The Idea Behind the “No-Wash Movement”
The “No-Wash Movement” is a trend from England that focuses on washing clothes as little as possible and instead simply airing them out. For instance, the British “Guardian” reported on a man who now only washes his clothes about every six months. We don’t want to go to such extremes, but airing clothes instead of washing them can have its advantages.
When Is Airing Clothes Better Than Washing?
If clothes aren’t visibly dirty or smelly, you can just air them out. That means hanging them on a clothes hanger or line in fresh air for a few hours. This works particularly well with wool, but there are other fabrics that don’t attract dirt and therefore rarely need to be washed.
Alternatively, the freezer can help: lightly musty but unstained clothes can be frozen overnight, and by morning, they’re almost like new with unpleasant odors gone.
Benefits of Airing
Airing clothes instead of washing them offers several benefits. Washing machines are energy hogs. Using them less often logically saves water and electricity. Not washing is good for the environment. Plus, a trip to the balcony won’t harm the clothes themselves. Washing too frequently can wear out our favorite pieces. Individual fibers can lose strength and break, and colors can fade over time.
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Is Airing Instead of Washing Unhygienic?
Clothing like shirts, sweaters, or pants can be aired out and worn again without concern—there’s nothing inherently unhygienic about it. If you’ve worn your clothes several times or visible stains have appeared, they should still go in the washing machine. If you still want to save energy, you can simply lower the temperature. Depending on the detergent and fabric, our favorite pieces can be hygienically clean even at 30 degrees!
Also interesting: Why washing machines have a window, but dishwashers don’t
When Airing Clothes Isn’t Suitable
In general, the closer the clothing is to the skin, the more often it should be washed. Airing out underwear is not a good idea. It might work for a bra that needs to lose the unpleasant cigarette smell after a party on the balcony.
It’s also very unlikely that used towels or sweaty clothes will smell fresh after a night in the air. Moreover, it would be quite unhygienic not to wash sweat-soaked textiles—they belong in the washing machine at 60 degrees. Even with polyester or cotton clothing, airing isn’t always enough. Even if shirts smell fresh afterward, stubborn stains, like the notorious collar grime, show up later. And sometimes, a wash is simply necessary.