Since the space of the hanging clothes outside is limited, people need to do laundry every day. Many other developed countries use a clothes dryer instead. Even though most households in Japan have a washing machine, a dryer is not very common.
Almost all laundry machines in Japan work with cold water and possess a horizontal drum, which is less aggressive for the clothes and is loaded from the top. Liquid or powdered Japanese detergent brands are a fit for this kind of cold cleaning and are effective at removing smells and slightly dirty clothes.
Japanese people don't use dryers due to cultural preferences. Most locals believe that sun-dried clothes are usually cleaner and well disinfected. With electricity costs high in Japan, locals prefer finding ways to lower costs, and minimizing the usage of driers is one of them.
Everyday laundry also makes folding, ironing, and hanging easier because you'll only handle a few items at a time. If you have kids who keep changing clothes frequently, everyday laundry is the best option for you since it enables you to keep up with your laundry.
Hanging Laundry on The Balcony
Tokyo's damp and humid weather makes the perfect breeding place for mold and mites in your home. Hanging your clothes, duvets and futons on a hot sunny day can help keep these unwanted friends away. Use the natural power of the sun to kill bacteria and dry those clothes!
"The wet clothes expel moisture into the air as they dry; which, if not ventilated enough, can condense on cold surfaces and eventually develop into build-ups of mould and mildew," says Lee Devlin, Managing Director at Homecure Plumbers. "Where possible, dry wet clothes outside or use a dryer.
Outdoor drying takes advantage of nature's unique deodorizing and stain-fighting powers. The sun and fresh air do more than dry, they continue to clean your clothes. Direct sunlight helps naturally bleach and disinfect laundry – removing visible and invisible dirt and bacteria.
Every three to four times you wear or use them: bath towels, bras, slips, dresses, sweaters, skirts, pajamas, slacks and jeans. Weekly: sheets, pillowcases and bath mats. Monthly: mattress pads, bathrobes and pillow liners.
How often you should do laundry depends on what you're washing. Clothes you wear close to the skin, like underwear, socks and bras, should be washed frequently, while other types of clothing can be worn multiple times before washing.
I would recommend setting aside one or two days a week where you do the laundry. Wait till you have enough dirty clothes for the whole load, otherwise, you're being wasteful. If it's an emergency and you need something cleaned, hand-wash it.
Australians Don't Use Dryers
While Australians use washing machines, they don't find it to be a necessity to use the dryer. Dryers are expensive and cost a lot to run. Because of the extra expense, they typically air dry all of their clothes.
Most Aussies rightly pointed out that the three main reasons for not using a dryer was: the cost factor, it's safer for the environment, and of course - they can shrink your clothes. “The real question should be why do Americans use a dryer when the sun and wind is free?” one counter-questioned.
Why are Japanese homes so cold in winter? Japanese homes are cold in winter because they are built for summer. Japanese summers are very warm and humid, leaving no escape from the heat. Aside from that, mold and mildew are big problems in Japan, causing respiratory and health problems in severe cases.
Many Japanese people take a bath more or less every day. In some parts of the world, people may refer to showering as “taking a bath,” but not in Japan. In Japan, simply showering does not count.
Cleanliness is a Part of Buddhism/Shinto
For many people, cleaning is just a daily routine, but it is also a great thing for both your physical and mental well-being.
In Japan, it is common to do laundry every day for couples or families. Single people typically do laundry 1 to 3 times a week. A family with small children will sometimes do it more than 2-3 times a day.
How often you need to wash your bras isn't an exact science. But dermatologist Alok Vij, MD, says that as a general rule, you should wash them after every two to three wears.
In those days, the people were wearing saffron coloured clothes. Saffron colour is meant for Jupiter. If we wear saffron, it protects us from negative rays and vibrations. Since Thursday is meant for Jupiter, we are advised to avoid washing clothes on Thursdays that may wipe our good fortunes away.
A good rule of thumb is to wash your jeans after every 3-10 wears, or when they start to smell. If you're regularly active in your jeans (think: manual work, anything where you work up a sweat), wash them every 3 wears, but if you're working at a desk, you can probably go through multiple wears without washing.
When to wash. Rossi generally tells his patients they should wash their hair once or twice per week. But if you've had chemical treatments that can make your hair drier — such as bleach, perms or relaxers — you might want to wash it less than once weekly to avoid breaking or brittle hair or split ends, he said.
The Experts Weigh In
The American Cleaning Institute, however, is a little more lenient with its suggestions, recommending that pajamas are washed after three or four wears. Good Housekeeping magazine says once a week is the longest you should go.
Try washing before 4 p.m. or after 7 p.m. – Many energy companies charge extra for electricity during their “peak hours,” which see increased energy usage. During the summer, run your washer early in the morning – energy use peaks on hot afternoons.
It is said in Vastu Shastra that negative energy is at its peak at night. In such a situation, if we wash clothes at night, then this negative energy enters our clothes as well and when we wear these clothes, this negative energy enters our body through clothes. Which is not good for us in any sense.
You can leave washing out overnight, but it may not dry as effectively without the sun's rays. Laundry left out overnight may further dampen due to mist, dew or unexpected rain. If you need to leave laundry outside at night, it's best to do so in the summer, since the air will be warmer and drier.
A: Yes! Nothing bad will happen to your washing if you leave it out overnight, other than it will get a little damp from any dew. In the height of summer you don't even need to worry about dew. (I sometimes peg my washing out before I go to bed in summer so that it gets a head start for the morning.)