Excusez-moi? Sweaty gym clothes don't need a daily wash
You can wear your gym clothes up to three times before washing them. Well, that's if you agree with guidelines set by French authorities.
One of the first things you do when you get home from the gym is take off your sweaty workout clothes and throw them in the laundry basket.
However, French officials say you don't have to wash your gym clothes every time you workout.
That sentence alone is probably enough to make your mother clutch her pearls, but there's logic behind the lunacy.
Last month, France's Ecological Transition Agency shared interesting guidelines for washing clothes. The guidelines caused a stir in Europe and have since gone viral on social media worldwide.
The agency's research found that you can wear your workout clothes at least three times before washing them.
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Not only is rewearing sweaty clothes allegedly not harmful for you, but it also has other benefits.
The benefits? Increasing the longevity of your clothes and saving on your water bill.
These two reasons alone will have a positive effect on the environment. Wear more, wash less and decrease your carbon footprint.
We are Team Captain Planet, but wearing sweaty, smelly gym clothes twice (or worse, thrice) is a step too far on the quest to save the planet.
"The benefits doesn’t outweigh the harms to our nostrils. No thank you," one X user remarked.
According to the experts, the French are on to something.
Dr Carolina Quintero Rodriguez, a senior lecturer and program manager of the Bachelor of Fashion (Enterprise) program at RMIT University, says the guidelines make a lot of sense.
"This recommendation stems from legitimate environmental concerns – each laundry cycle consumes significant water and energy. Frequent washing can also degrade fabrics more quickly, contributing to textile waste," she said, per the New York Post.
Some of the other suggestions French officials shared include:
Washing jeans after 30 uses
Washing t-shirts after five uses
Washing bras after seven uses
Mmm, maybe the French should stick to looking effortlessly chic and revolutionising fashion.
Sorry, not sorry!
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Main image credit: iStock