The When-to-Wash-It Handbook

Skirts

How often you should wash them: After 4 to 5 wears.

What to know: Chances are you’re not doing anything strenuous in skirts, so you can wear them multiple times. Just refresh nonsilk fabrics with a 10-minute spin in the dryer with a dryer sheet, suggests Steve Boorstein, host of Clothing Care: The Clothing Doctor’s Secrets to Taking Control! DVD ($20, amazon.com).

Exception to the rule: You can be more lenient with circle and A-line styles, which hardly skim the body. But “whites and silks are prone to discoloration and should be cleaned after every wear,” says Brian Sansoni, vice president of the Soap and Detergent Association, in Washington, D.C.