Scientists from the University of Leeds—and, it should be mentioned, Procter & Gamble—say the best way to keep clothes looking fresh for as long as possible is to use the coldest, shortest wash cycle.

Washing machines aren’t what they used to be. Some new appliances have over a dozen cycles, and then there are a slew of other things to consider, including water temperature, spin speed, cycle ...

When you buy an item of clothing, the idea is typically to keep it looking new for as long as you can. (This clearly doesn’t apply to things like sweatshirts and sleeping T-shirts, which only get ...