28 August 2023 , 12:35
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Parents are spending almost £1,000 over the course of their child's school life – just on washing and drying school uniforms, research has found.
These energy costs come on top of the £149.70 a year spent on buying these uniform items in the first place – with the average school-aged child getting through 42 jumpers, 58 shirts, and and 49 pairs of trousers, between the ages of four and 16.
Parents will also have to fork out for 55 polo tops, 55 blouses, and 42 pairs of school shoes during the years their youngsters attend school.
And underwear is the clothing item that needs replacing most often, with the average pupil getting through 89 pairs during their school career – followed by 82 pairs of socks.
The survey of 1,300 parents, of school-aged kids, found that the top reasons for replacing uniform items include general wear and tear (71%), their kids outgrowing them (74%) – or uniform simply getting lost (30%).
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But a third of parents admit they struggle to afford buying new uniform – especially given that one in three find themselves having to do so during term-time, rather than just at the start of every new school year.
Parents spend £150 a year on new school uniform items - with a third saying they struggle to afford it (SWNS)The research also found that parents will wash school uniforms a total of 1,248 times during their child's school life – setting them back £20.60 in energy bills each academic year.
And those who own a tumble dryer will spend an additional £45.45 a year in energy costs, putting uniforms through 1,147 drying cycles in total.
Combined, this will set parents back by £924.70 over 14 years of their child’s school life – based on current energy costs.
A spokesman for Utilita, which commissioned the survey, said: “Back to school is an expensive time for parents, but it doesn’t just stop once the new term has begun.
“Kids are constantly growing, and are also extremely good at wear and tear, so buying or replacing uniform is a constant cycle throughout the entire year – which takes a toll on finances and washing machines.”
It emerged that parents spend a whopping £1,796.40 over an entire school lifetime, with 36% always buying their child a complete new uniform before the start of each school year – and 49% using high-street brands or supermarkets to do so.
However, 36% say they buy the majority of their kid’s clothes from the designated school uniform shop.
When these items no longer fit, 39% will donate them to charity, while 35% will give them to the school, and 31% hand them down to a sibling.
And on top of these costs, they spend £924 over the course of their child's school life - just on energy costs of washing and drying uniforms (SWNS)And when it comes to branded school uniform, the OnePoll.com study found 87% agree these versions are more expensive than non-branded.
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Unluckily for 57%, their child’s school requests that they wear this – which makes it difficult to recycle or reuse once the child no longer needs these items, according to 34%.
To ensure their little one’s uniform lasts as long as possible, 43% buy a few sizes up, so there is more room for them to grow, and 39% will always use family hand-me-downs.
More than four in 10 reckon the time to buy new school uniform comes around far too quickly, with only 18% looking forward to this occasion.
And nearly four in 10 have a relaxed approach about this, as they will start thinking about it a few weeks before school starts – although 28% prefer to get organised a month in advance.
Utilita has launched its “Smart for School” project, which looks at how families can make small changes to their school uniform habits to save big, while having a positive impact on the planet.
Commenting on the initiative, Archie Lasseter, head of sustainability, said: “Supplementing half of the new items we plan to buy, with pre-worn clothes from the school shop, will chop the school uniform bill in half.
“By doing one uniform wash and dry cycle a week, instead of the average 2.4, this could save parents £168 a year in energy.
“This could be reduced even further by washing at 30 degrees Celsius instead of higher temperatures, and even more if swapping the tumble dryer for a clothes airer. Even having a smart display somewhere visible in the home can effectively contribute to this.”
UTILITA’S TOP FIVE UNIFORM WASHING TIPS:
- Drop the temperature down to 30 degrees to save energy
- Always use an eco-setting when available – it takes longer but is cheaper
- Shop around for a good cold-wash powder to get the best wash
- Don't rely on the washing machine to remove stains – do this manually where possible
- Aim to only do one big uniform wash per week, instead of the average 2.4
TOTAL NUMBER OF UNIFORM ITEMS A CHILD WILL GO THROUGH DURING THEIR SCHOOL YEARS:
- Underwear – 89
- Socks – 82
- Tights – 71
- Shirts – 58
- Polo tops – 55
- Blouses – 55
- Iron-on badges/logos/motifs – 50
- Trousers – 49
- Skirts – 47
- Hats – 43
- Jumpers – 42
- School shoes – 42
- PE daps – 41
- Ties – 40
- PE kits – 38
- Blazers – 37
- Jackets – 36
- Book bags/school bags – 36
- Coats – 34