One sure way to lighten the load is to keep things clean in the first place— obviously not forever, but long enough to break the wear-once-and-wash cycle. Use aprons— tough ones that protect clothes from spots that would otherwise send them straight to the hamper. "Hang aprons in the garage, in the workshop, wherever you get messy— and wear them," says Cheryl Mendelson, author of Home Comforts: The Art and Science of Keeping House ($35, www.amazon.com).

A better protection against wash pileup is to wear designated clothes for grimy activities. Have play clothes for children to play in, and worn-out garments reserved for fabric-destroying jobs, like painting or working on the car.