ARE YOU WASHING YOUR CLOTHES TOO OFTEN?

ABOUT 25 per cent of a garment’s carbon footprint comes from the way we wash and dry it. In 2017, the Waste & Resources Action Programme (Wrap) said UK CO2 emissions had fallen by 700,000 tons in five years because people were washing at lower temperatures (30c and less) and ironing and tumble-drying less often.

This really does make a difference — and it prolongs the life of your clothes, too.

Washing brings other problems: plasticbased fabrics such as polyester and nylon shed thousands of tiny fibres which go on to contaminate waterways and end up ingested by fish — and ultimately by us.

Let’s agree underwear and socks should be washed after every wear. But for everything else, stop and evaluate. Does it really need full immersion, or could a squirt of stain remover fix it? Or an hour or two airing on the washing line? Try these DIY instant stain removers:

FOR OIL: Apply a generous amount of talcum powder or dry shampoo and leave for a few hours to absorb the oil. Scrape it off, then give the stain a gentle scrub with cold water and soap or washing-up liquid.

RED WINE: Blot gently (don’t rub it in further), then apply salt to absorb the wine. You can also use bicarbonate of soda.

BERRIES: Turn inside out, pull the fabric taut and pour boiling water through the stain from behind. For stains on cotton, try rubbing in a little whitening toothpaste with a toothbrush, then rinsing.

CHOCOLATE OR BLOOD: Turn the fabric over and hold it under the cold tap to loosen the stain. Avoid heat, as this will cause it to set. Massage in detergent, working your way from the outside of the stain inwards.

For dried-in blood stains, soak in white vinegar for 30 minutes and rinse in cold water. But be very careful with delicates.

Try refreshing clothes with Day2 Dry Wash Spray (£5, wilko.com), it’s like dry shampoo for clothes and neutralises odours and softens fabric. Each bottle, makers claim, can save about 60 litres of water.