Most Have a ‘Dirty Laundry’ Secret, Survey Shows

WILTON, Conn. — Has anyone in your household ever worn a pair of socks more than once before washing them, or gone more than a month without changing their bed sheets? A national survey by Wisk® detergent reveals that four out of five people admitted to at least one dirty laundry secret.

Top common laundry behaviors included:

• Going more than a month without changing bed sheets; in fact, only half of consumers wash their sheets once a week
• Taking dirty items out of the laundry basket to wear, with more women than men admitting to this activity
• Nearly one in three women admit to wearing the same bra for several days in a row, while close to one in three men admit to having worn the same socks or underwear for several days

Most people claim that they “just know” when an item needs to be washed—but what they may not know is that the average wash load contains 20 times more body oils and sweat than visible stains, Wisk says. It offers a new “Deep Clean” laundry detergent that seeks out and attacks trapped body oils and sweat.

“Our Wisk survey resulted in findings that would gross out most people, especially when you consider what the build-up of trapped body oils and sweat could be without regular washing,” says Bridgette Miller, senior brand manager for Wisk.

The survey was conducted online during a one-week period in April and included a national probability sample of 1,000 U.S. adults (500 women and 500 men) ages 18-64.