時裝設計師建議：衣服能不洗就不洗

天天洗澡和換衣服的現代人已經習慣於將衣服扔進洗衣機，並且定期“辭舊迎新”。

但是有人卻認爲，過於頻繁地洗衣服以及用洗衣機洗衣服會大大縮短衣服壽命，而且也不環保。他們的建議是，衣服能不洗就不洗。一件衣服穿十年，一年洗一次。這......你能接受嗎？

"Basically, in life, rule of thumb: if you don't absolutely have to clean anything, don't clean it."

“基本上，生活中有一條經驗法則：如果你不是非洗不可，就不要洗。”

Fashion designer Stella McCartney said this in an interview with the Observer this weekend, adding that she picked up the tip while working for bespoke tailors on London's prestigious Savile Row. Instead, she says, the "rule" is to "let the dirt dry and you brush it off".

上週末，時裝設計師斯特拉·麥卡特尼在接受《觀察家報》的訪談時如是說。她還補充道，自己是在爲聲名顯赫的倫敦薩維爾街製衣店打工時學到這一竅門的。她指出，常規做法是“讓污垢風乾然後刷掉”。

bespoke[bɪ'spok]: adj. 定做的，定製的

It may have been a throwaway comment at the end of the interview, but something about this line stuck with readers - many of whom have been doing several loads of laundry a week.

這也許只是在訪談結尾隨口說出的言論，但這句話蘊含的內容卻讓讀者念念不忘——許多人每週都要洗大量衣服。

So does she have a point? Is it better to avoid washing your clothes?

她說的話有道理嗎？不洗衣服是不是更好？

Killing the planet one microfibre at a time
洗衣服脫落的微纖維正在一點一點地毀滅地球

This isn't the first time McCartney has recommended not washing our clothes. In fact, she has long advocated avoiding the washing machine - both for the longevity of the garments, but also because of the impact washing them has on the environment.

這不是麥卡特尼第一次建議不要洗衣服。事實上，長時間以來她一直提倡儘量不用洗衣機，既是爲了延長衣物的使用壽命，也是因爲洗衣服會對環境造成影響。

Laura Diáz Sánchez, from the Plastic Soup Foundation advocacy group, agrees with this, particularly when it comes to high-street clothes, which contain more synthetic materials such as polyester and acrylic.

來自塑料湯基金會的勞拉·迪亞茲·桑切斯同意這一觀點，尤其是儘量不洗商業街買來的衣服，這些衣服所含的聚酯纖維和腈綸等合成面料更多。

"Every time we wash our clothes an average of nine million [plastic] microfibres are released into the environment," she tells BBC News. "The way we wash our clothes affects this, as well as the way our clothes are made - but the more we wash our clothes, the more microfibres are released."

“我們每次洗衣服，平均會有900萬個（塑料）微纖維釋放到環境中，”她告訴BBC新聞說，“我們洗衣服的方式以及衣服的製作方式都會影響環境，洗衣服越頻繁，釋放到環境中的微纖維就越多。”

When you do wash, she recommends setting the machine to a lower temperature and using liquid detergent: "Powder detergent creates more friction between the clothes [during washing], so more fibres are released, whereas liquid is smoother. The less friction there is in general, the fewer fibres are released."

如果你一定要洗衣服，她建議將洗衣機調到冷水模式，並且使用洗衣液：“洗衣粉（在洗滌過程中）會在衣服之間製造更多摩擦，因此會釋放更多的微纖維，而洗衣液則更順滑。總體上，產生的摩擦越少，釋放的纖維就越少。”

She advises against overloading washing machines for the same reason - fewer clothes in the drum means there's less friction.

她不建議把洗衣機裝得太滿，也是出於同樣的原因——桶裏的衣服越少，意味着摩擦越少。

The art of caring for clothes
護理衣服的藝術

But it's not just about microfibres. Washing an item of clothing too often can drastically shorten its lifespan, meaning that you're more likely to throw it out and buy something new.

但這不僅僅關乎於微纖維。過於頻繁地洗一件衣服會急劇縮短這件衣服的使用壽命，這意味着你會更早地扔掉它去買新衣服。

Prof Andrew Groves, head of the fashion design course at the University of Westminster, tells BBC News that the friction in washing machines is what gets rid of the stains, but is also what distorts a garment's shape and color.

威斯敏斯特大學時尚設計課程主管安德魯·格羅夫斯教授告訴BBC新聞說，洗衣機內產生的摩擦可以去除污漬，但也會讓衣服變形掉色。

"I have garments in my wardrobe that I've had for decades that look brand new, simply because I know how to care for them," he says - adding that this goes for both high-end and high-street pieces. The better you look after your clothes, he says, the longer they last, and the more sustainable your fashion is.

他說：“我衣櫃裏有一些衣服已經買了幾十年，看上去還是嶄新的，就是因爲我知道如何保養它們。”他補充道，無論是高檔衣服還是商業街衣服都需要保養。他說，你越善於保養衣服，它們的使用壽命就越長，你的時尚也就更加可持續。

This is particularly true when it comes to lingerie. McCartney told the Observer that she "wouldn't change my bra every day", which is something lingerie designer Naomi De Haan agrees with.

對於內衣來說尤爲如此。麥卡特尼告訴《觀察家報》說，她“不會每天換胸罩”，內衣設計師娜奧米·德·韓也認同這一做法。

Ms De Haan's official advice to people who buy from her label, Edge O' Beyond, is to hand-wash the bras in lukewarm water after about five wears with something mild like baby shampoo.

德·韓女士對購買她品牌Edge O' Beyond產品的用戶給出的官方建議是：在穿着胸罩五次後，用嬰兒洗髮露等溫和的清洗液在溫水中手洗。

While the items she sells are more on the luxury end, she tells BBC News that this advice applies to high street underwear as well - though she says sports bras should be washed more often.

雖然她出售的胸罩比較高檔，但她告訴BBC新聞說，這一建議也適用於商業街購買的胸罩，不過她指出，運動胸罩應該洗得更勤一些。

"Machine washing can destroy things like delicate lace or silks," she says. "It can also make the wires pop out, it can make the colors fade, and if it's got a moulded cup it can make it go all misshapen."

她說：“機洗會破壞精緻的蕾絲或絲綢這種嬌貴衣物，還會讓鋼絲外露，使內衣褪色，如果內衣帶有塑形罩杯，機洗會導致罩杯變形。”

If you absolutely must machine wash, she adds: "Always do up the hook and eyes to stop any snagging, use a lingerie bag, don't wash with too much heat, and reshape when it's out and hang it to dry or lie it on a flat surface."

如果你一定要機洗的話，她補充道：“一定要把掛鉤和排扣扣好，防止內衣被鉤破，將內衣放洗衣袋中清洗，不要用過熱的水，在取出洗好的內衣時要把罩杯形狀調整好，懸掛或平鋪晾乾。”

snag[snæɡ]: v. 鉤破

But most importantly - never, ever, tumble dry.

但最重要的是——永遠永遠不要用洗衣機把內衣甩幹。

Leave your jeans alone
別洗牛仔褲

Sarah Clayton, head of the Love Your Clothes campaign by environmental charity Wrap, also suggests not washing your jeans, but airing them between wears instead: "If they have a stain you could try spot-cleaning them with water rather than washing the whole garment."

環保慈善機構Wrap發起的“珍愛你的衣服”宣傳活動的領頭人莎拉·克萊頓建議不要清洗牛仔褲，穿着後在通風處晾曬即可：“如果牛仔褲上有污漬，你可以單獨用水清洗髒掉的這一塊，而不是清洗整件牛仔褲。”

Letting your jeans fester unwashed may sound a bit unsavoury, but one man in the know swears by it - Chip Bergh, the CEO of Levi's.

讓牛仔褲放着發臭也許聽上去有點噁心，但有位行業內部人士卻極其推崇這種做法——這個人就是李維斯的首席執行官奇普·伯格。

People were a bit disturbed in May 2014 when Mr Bergh proudly declared that the pair of jeans he was wearing at the time had never been washed.

2014年5月，當伯格先生自豪地宣稱自己當時身穿的那條牛仔褲從來沒洗過時，人們都感到有些難以接受。

Fast-forward almost five years to March this year, and he told the US broadcaster cnn that he still hadn't washed them - despite the pair now being about 10 years old.

時間快進到今年3月，將近五年過去了，伯格先生告訴美國cnn說，他這條褲子還是沒有洗，儘管這條牛仔褲已經買了十年。

Prof Groves agrees with Mr Bergh, and recommends sticking jeans in the freezer in order to kill germs instead.

格羅夫斯教授認同伯格的做法，並建議將牛仔褲放在冰箱裏殺菌。

"Most people I know, when it comes to their denim, don't wash it at all," he says. "Which might seem strange - it's a pair of jeans that they might wear every day. But it's usually because they don't want the color to fade."

“我認識的大多數人都不洗牛仔褲，”他說，“這也許看起來有些奇怪——這可是他們天天穿的牛仔褲。但他們的理由通常是不想讓牛仔褲褪色。”

This, he says, is an attitude he hopes people will apply to all of their clothes - not just their jeans.

他說，希望人們可以用這種態度來對待所有衣服，而不只是牛仔褲。