What care costs in time

Short answer: About an hour a week including washing, plus six hours a year for season changes and reviews. That is the whole account for an ordinary wardrobe, and it is less than most people expect.

The account

Care sounds like a big job, but when you add up the time it is manageable. About an hour a week and six hours a year cover an ordinary wardrobe. What feels heavy is usually not the time but the lack of a fixed rhythm, so tasks pile up into one large heap.

The week

One wash, a change of towels and a look in the drawer. The washing time itself does not count, because the machine runs on its own, but hanging up and folding takes about twenty minutes. The rest of the hour goes on sorting, changing towels and checking that nothing is missing for the days ahead.

The machine does the work

Washing time does not count, because you are not standing at the machine. You fill it, press start and do something else. That is why the week's time is mostly about hanging up and putting away, not the wash itself. With a fixed time it becomes a habit that needs little thought.

The month

Lint, seams and an empty machine at sixty degrees. It takes ten to fifteen minutes once a month, and it catches the faults that would otherwise grow. Make it a fixed item, for example the first Sunday of the month, so you do not have to remember. See bamboo t-shirts for men.

Lint and seams

Go through the clothes for lint and loose seams and remove what you find. A few minutes with a fabric shaver and scissors for loose threads stop small things turning into holes or wear. It costs little time, and this is where the few minutes give most, because faults are smallest when they are found.

The empty machine

An empty machine at sixty degrees is ordinary maintenance that keeps the washing machine clean and free of odour, so it does not pass it on to the clothes. It runs without you doing anything, and you only start it and come back. Check that the rubber seal and the detergent drawer are free of residue.

The year

Two season changes and one emptying of the wardrobe, that is three afternoons. It is the part of the plan that gives most, because it shows what you actually own. Count two hours per afternoon and you reach the six hours a year. After a review you know what is missing and can buy with care. See bamboo clothing for women and bamboo underwear for men.

What takes longest

Folding takes longest, and it goes fastest when you do it while taking things down. Take the laundry off the rack and fold it straight away, instead of leaving it in a heap you have to go through later. That way you only touch each piece once.

Is it worth the time

It noticeably extends the life of what you wear every day. If you care for clothes with a fixed rhythm, they keep their shape and colour for longer, and you buy new less often. An hour a week means fewer unexpected holes in the wardrobe and more calm, because you know what you have and what needs doing.