Are undergarments and towels including in the prohibition of doing laundry during the nine days?

Question:

Are undergarments and towels including in the prohibition of doing laundry during the nine days?
Thanks so much for this amazing site!

Answer:

Thank you for your compliment, it is appreciated!

Towels and lines are included in the prohibition of not doing or wearing newly laundered clothing. However undergarments that are worn against the body to absorb sweat may be  changed to avoid discomfort, even if they were washed before the nine days. However regarding actually washing them in the nine days, this should not be done. If you don’t have anything else to wear, it is permitted, but you cannot add other clothing to the wash. See Sources.

Sources:

O:CH 551-3, 14.

If someone has to wash clothing during the nine days, the question is asked what is better, to but new or to wash the dirty ones. If the Clothes are not cheap, inexpensive ones, it would seem that it is better to wash them than to buy new. (See Tzohar 12 pg. 159-3 in the name of R’ Eliyashiv zt”l also see M’bais Halevi Bein Hamitzarim 5759 pg. 14- 2*). But if they are cheap items, such as cheap underwear, then it would be better to buy them. Ashrei Ish  O:CH 3- chap. 69-54 in the name of R’ Eliyashiv, Emes L’Yackov ftnt 513, R’ Y. Berkowitz shlit”a.

However if you are doing laundry anyways for young children that got everything dirty, then it is better to put your undergarments into their load. R’ Y. Berkowitz shlit”a.