WashTag is an open-source project with a simple idea:
👉 wear clothes longer, wash smarter, and track usage.
Many garments (like jeans, sweaters, jackets) don’t need washing after every wear.
Yet we often wash them out of habit, wasting water, energy, and wearing out fabrics unnecessarily.
WashTag helps make more informed decisions, without complicating your life.
WashTag’s goal is to track clothing usage and washing in a simple, non-intrusive way.
Specifically:
- reduce unnecessary washing
- extend garment lifespan
- decrease water, energy, and detergent use
- provide insight into how often we actually wash our clothes
WashTag does not decide when to wash for you:
it provides data, and the control remains yours.
- Simple: one button, one app, no extra fuss
- Passive: doesn’t disturb you, doesn’t spy
- Durable: battery lasts years
- Honest: does a few things, but does them well
WashTag is a small Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) tag you can attach to a garment (e.g., jeans, t-shirt, sweater).
Each tag:
- represents a single garment
- stores the last wash date
- communicates with your smartphone via BLE
- lasts years on a coin cell battery
- Pair WashTag with a garment using the app
- Select type and color (e.g.,
jeans-black) - Wear normally
- When washed:
- press the tag button
- WashTag stores the wash timestamp
The app can then show:
- how long since the last wash
- monthly washing frequency
- simple, clear statistics
To make tags easily recognizable:
-
Unpaired
- WashTag
-
Paired
- WT-jeans-black
- WT-tshirt-blue
Clear and readable without needing the app.
- Bluetooth Low Energy 5.1
- Ultra low-power chip (Renesas DA14531)
- Replaceable CR2477 coin cell battery
- Estimated battery life: 3–5 years
- Physical button to record washes
- No display required
- No Wi-Fi
- No mandatory cloud
It’s a tag, not a smartwatch.
The WashTag app will allow you to:
- pair tags with garments
- read status
- view statistics
- export usage data (future feature)
App philosophy:
- minimal
- local-first
- no account required
WashTag is open source, but not uncontrolled.
This means:
- firmware and app code are public
- documentation is open
- forks and contributions welcome
This does not mean:
- changing the project’s purpose
- adding unnecessary features
- turning it into a gimmick
Open source is for:
- transparency
- trust
- collaborative improvement
Not for complicating the project.
- Idea and vision defined
- Hardware platform chosen
- SDK / firmware access verification
- Base firmware
- Companion app
- Real-world testing on everyday garments
Project is early-stage, but with a clear direction.
Contributions are welcome, especially on:
- low-power BLE firmware
- app UX
- real-world testing
- documentation
Before proposing major features:
👉 open an issue to discuss it.
Apache 2.0
WashTag won’t revolutionize the world.
It simply helps us wash less by choice.
And sometimes, that’s already enough.
If you like WashTag and want to support its development, you can contribute here:
PayPal.me/fast0n