With the weather hotting up and British summertime (kind of) upon us, things can get a little sticky – especially in the bra department.
Muggy weather, the furnace that is the London Underground and rushing around on the school run all up the body temperature, leaving sweat and dirt on your clothes – especially those that come into close contact with the skin.
Offering her top tips on how often you should wash your clothes, fashion designer Stella McCartney has revealed some surprising advice when it comes to washing your bras.
Sir Paul’s fashionista daughter – who is a friend of Victoria Beckham – has insisted that, although she is “incredibly hygienic”, she doesn’t change hers every day.
Stella sparked a debate between fashionistas and hygiene experts when she opened up about how often you should wash your clothes.
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Arguing that over-zealous washing could actually damage your wardrobe staples, Stella told The Guardian: “I wouldn’t change my bra every day and I don’t just chuck stuff into a washing machine because it’s been worn.”
She also revealed that she isn’t a fan of “dry cleaning or any cleaning, really”.
Nose pegs at the ready, Posh!
Stella revealed: “Basically, in life, rule of thumb: if you don’t absolutely have to clean anything, don’t clean it.”
So is life-long vegetarian Stella – who is known for her commitment to the environment – right? Experts are divided.
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The Daily Mail reports that microbiologist Dr Katie Laird of De Montfort University suggests you wash your bras every one to three wears, given that they are near the sweat glands in the armpits.
She revealed: “I would wash clothes in intimate contact with the skin every day.”
Others said that factors such as the weather should be taken into account.
Dr Lisa Ackerley told the paper: “She’s probably right to say you don’t need to wash your bra every day, but it depends on the weather, whether you sweat a lot and how much you – and your friends – can tolerate.”
The British public were quick to reply to Stella’s comments. One said: “Stella McCartney is either nuts or a very dirty lady when is comes to washing her clothes.”
Others said that Stella must get “pretty smelly” .
Others were on Stella’s side, saying they “totally backed” the star, while some cited the need to use less water and plastic as a reason to wash their clothes less.
i believe people wash clothes far too often anyway. They wear something for one day and it goes in the wash! Seems silly to me! Is Stella McCartney right – should we stop washing our clothes? – BBC News https://t.co/DHDjENc9RE
— Therese (@theresemacdona6) July 8, 2019
Others called the star’s advice “absolutely disgusting”.
One wrote: “I’m just reading about Stella McCartney who says that she does not regularly wash her clothes, her advice is to just brush off the dirt that’s absolutely disgusting.
“The thing is some people like the smell of sweaty bodies, I think it’s disgusting. I wear clothes once in my job.”
What do you think? How often do you wash your bra? Head over to our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix and let us know!