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What’s the laundry routine in your household? Share with Fairy Non Bio - chance to win £300 voucher! NOW CLOSED

579 replies

JustineBMumsnet · 18/01/2018 15:40

Doing the laundry is one of those chores that can seem never ending; every time you think you’ve completed the load, the cycle begins all over again. Cue the laundry routine. With that in mind, Fairy Non Bio want to know what the laundry routine is in your household.

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Do you have a laundry bag/basket for each member of your family? Perhaps you do all the whites on one day and colours on another? Do you iron as and when or all at the same time? Or maybe you pride yourself on not having a set routine?

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What’s the laundry routine in your household? Share with Fairy Non Bio - chance to win £300 voucher! NOW CLOSED
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EcoCleaner · 18/01/2018 17:56

Ok, my laundry system is complicated but it works.

Laundry starts first thing on Saturday morning (sometimes Friday night if we have no plans)

We have a washing basket with 3 sections on in it. Darks go in first as there’s more darks than anything else. Sometimes 2 or 3 loads just of dark clothes - underwear, jeans, t-shirts, work trousers etc. These get washed with liquid on a cottons 40 wash.

On alternate weeks, a Light coloureds load follows. We don’t have enough light coloured clothes for each week so I save these up over 2 weeks. This consists of mixed light coloured t-shirts and pastel coloured work shirts. Minimum iron 40 with powder.

I make up 1 tumble drying load out of the above as I never put jeans, t-shirts or jumpers in the dryer. They go on the clothes horse.

Everything goes on the line in summer.

Next up is delicates. Mostly synthetic jumpers on delicates 40 with gentle liquid soap flakes.

Then it’s onto the hot washes, which usually spill over into Sunday. Bedsheets and towels all get washed on cottons 60 with powder.

Doing the hot washes last means that at the end of laundry day, the dryer washer gets a clean on the inside as well as the clothes so it’s clean and ready to go the following week.

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FlukeSkyeRunner · 18/01/2018 18:11

Um, I empty the laundry basket when the lid will no longer close, sort into coloureds/whites/towels and pants, then wash it. That's it.

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Cheekyandfreaky · 18/01/2018 18:17

Do you have a laundry bag/basket for each member of your family?
No, we have one central basket but then the kids are little, so maybe this will change as they get older.

Perhaps you do all the whites on one day and colours on another?
We do whichever there is more of on a given day.

Do you iron as and when or all at the same time?
Very rarely do I iron. My husband does his shirts as as and when he needs them and I will iron things like fancy dresses when I need to. I find most stuff, including the kids stuff is fine as long as I put it in the dryer and give it a shake but maybe I’m a slattern.

Or maybe you pride yourself on not having a set routine?
I wouldn’t say pride myself but life is so unpredictable with a baby and 3 year old, puke ends up on everything I own at the moment and then there’s random explosive nappies and then there’s nursery doing craft stuff and for god knows what reason not using aprons etc The point is we do it when we need to which seems to be everyday and all the time!

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Cheekyandfreaky · 18/01/2018 18:19

@EcoCleaner I felt tired reading that! Wow am in awe, I think I am defo in slattern territory.

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EcoCleaner · 18/01/2018 18:30

Cheekyandfreaky, DH is a policeman. Works 6 day shift rotas so I’ve got to keep on top of the laundry to make sure he has clean, ironed uniforms

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SleepForTheWeek · 18/01/2018 18:39

I do 2 washes every other day - darks and lights (including whites, but I use a colour catcher). I load the washing machine the night before and set it to come on at 7am, this way I can have both washes done by lunch.

I put the stuff needing tumbled together from both washes - to save me putting it on twice - and the rest goes on radiators and a clothes horse if necessary.

I iron on a Monday and Thursday - probably 1hrs worth each time.

I (try) to put clothes away as I go to stop them piling up.

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Zebee · 18/01/2018 18:43

One basket for everyone when it getting full sort out which load needs doing white or dark. (Normally dark). Extra washes at weekend for uniform.

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Summerdays2014 · 18/01/2018 18:45

I do a load pretty much every day. I wash mine and my husbands separately from my 2 year olds - no idea why really!!! I really want a tumble dryer as it’s so hard to get things dry at this time of year. I’ve got a big heated airer but it’s still great.

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HerSymphonyAndSong · 18/01/2018 18:51

We don’t have a tumble dryer so I do more frequent, smaller loads in the winter so large loads aren’t sitting drying slowly on airers in the spare room. In the summer everything goes out on the line. There is currently only H and me so no more than 2 dark loads and 1 light load in summer, more in winter (plus H’s rugby kit and cycling gear which he sorts out)

However in May I am having our first child, and we hope to use cloth nappies, so we will likely need to get a tumble dryer. I hope to get as much as possible out on the line though

I only ever use a little bit of washing liquid, never fabric softener - H has v sensitive skin and will get eczema flare-ups with anything heavily scented. Also I like my towels like cardboard!

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Millipedewithherfeetup · 18/01/2018 18:53

Wash daily. Darks. Whites. Colours (split these into pinks/red, blues and multi). I always use power and wash everything at 30 degrees. Tumble dry what I can and rest on an airer hang outside if weather permits. I don't iron very much. Dh does his shirts buy that's his choice. If clothes are taken out of the dryer straight away and hung/folded then it's not needed. Also find that stuffing clothes into a washing basket also creases clothes washing daily reduces this considerably.

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BrieAndChilli · 18/01/2018 18:57

There is 5 of us in my house and judging by the amount of washing there is there might even be people hiding in the attic!!
I don’t have a routine, I try and do a load every day but life is busy and that doesn’t always happen then the washing piles up even if you only miss one day and it seems to take about a week to catch up!

I normally wash darks and colours and chuck whatever in and then do a lights load on a Friday once all the kids white school tops are in the basket.

If I have a ton of washing to do I try and sort it into stuff that can be tumble dried and stuff that can’t, the stuff that can I then sort into light small stuff (underwear, tshirts, fleecy pjs etc) and heavier stuff like jogging trousers and hoodies and towels.

Sheets get done seperatley if I can as I can’t stand finding stuff all tangled up inside!

Ironing is done if it really really really needs it which is not very often!

Currently have an airer if clothes that are probably dry, wet stuff in the washing machine, a large pile of clean dry clothes to put away and an overflowing basket. 2 days ago the dirty basket was empty and most stuff put away!!!

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Theimpossiblegirl · 18/01/2018 19:04

My routine is quite simple. I shout for everyone to stop hoarding their washing, do a couple of loads to empty the basket, got back an hour later to find it full again!

I do the bulk on a Friday night/Saturday morning, with bedding midweek and the odd extra wash.

Pretty sure DD1 puts stuff in the wash to save folding it and putting it away.

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CoffeeOrSleep · 18/01/2018 19:09

One laundry basket only, wash goes on at least once a day, often twice.

Always feel like I'm playing catch up and don't have things washed on time.

I think this time of year when I can't dry much outside doesn't help, there's always stuff everywhere in various stages of drying.

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PickAChew · 18/01/2018 19:10

I do a lot and often. At least a load a day. Having a dryer helps.

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InvisibleToEveryone · 18/01/2018 19:12

I do a darks wash more often than a whites one.

Whites usually on a Friday, 60' wash . Mainly school shirts.

At least once a day do a darks wash, 40'.

Bedding in the winter is every other week, simply because I don't have room to dry it all.
Our bed one week, kids the next.
In the summer it's every week as I can use the lines.

Towels done once a week, minimum of 80' wash, only a smidge of powder and no softener.

All ironing on a Sunday, usually just school uniform.

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popsocks · 18/01/2018 19:15

We have a laundry basket in our bedroom and the children each have one in theirs.
I usually do a load every couple of days and bung everything in together on a mixed wash.
Towels i do separately on a hot wash, usually twice a week.
In the summer it all goes on the line and in the winter it gets hung on radiators and over the banisters.
I dont see the need to put the dryer on unless desperate for something as have the heating on, so may aswell use that.
Things usually are dry in a day/night.
I strip all the beds at the same time and hang over the banisters too.
The school blazers are hung on a hanger to dry and my husband irons the school shirts ar the same time he irons his work shirts.
I am not loyal to a particular brand of washing powder, i see what is on offer when i buy it.

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picklemepopcorn · 18/01/2018 19:16

I wait until I have a lot. I sort into jeans, whites, coloured Cottons and synthetics. I weeded out the white clothes over time- no boys/men's white underwear or t shirts, for example.
I tumble each wash as it's ready if I have a lot and limited time. Usually though, I spread it on airing racks or outside. I have octopuses to take the socks and underwear. It makes getting it on and off the line easier.

When the weather is really good, I do a towel wash, duvet wash, pillows etc. The first sunny windy day of spring, I go around the house gathering stuff up to do.

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DuskPanda · 18/01/2018 19:23

2 laundry baskets in our room one for darks one for whites, one laundry basket in the older two DDs room and 1 basket in younger DD's room. At wash time the two basket from DD's rooms get emptied and sorted and added to the darks or whites basket from our rooms. Whichever basket is overflowing the most gets done first. Darks are split between very dark, black and navy's and coloured darks reds, pink, orange etc. Do around 8 loads a week.
Majority of underwear, towels and bedding gets tumble dried in winter other washing goes on a clothes airer in the spare room and as much as possible get dried on hangers to minimise ironing. Dry clothes go into two baskets mine and the 3 DDs in one and DH's in the other. DH irons school uniform and his work shirts on a Sunday. I iron periodically during the rest of the week everything else.
It's a constant battle and never is any washing basket or ironing basket empty!

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AllTheWayDown · 18/01/2018 19:42

We have a shared laundry basket. The rule is if it's not in the basket it's not getting washed. Won't go round searching for everyone's washing. Normally do about a load every other day, it's only me, dh and dd plus dsd on weekends. We always do darks & colours separately on a 40 degree wash and will tumble dry most things, only a few things get hung on the radiators. In the summer everything apart from underwear goes on the line. We do bedding & towels & dh work gear every weekend. Fabric softener goes in with everything. We only iron as and when, none of us can stand ironing so avoid it where possible!

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Womensplaceisintherevolution · 18/01/2018 19:55

We have one laundry basket for us all. When it's full I sort out the colours and wash accordingly. Towels and gym clothes go in for an extra hot wash.

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EmpressOfTheSpartacusOceans · 18/01/2018 20:09

My laundry system is very simple because it's just me & I don't iron.

Colours in one bag, whites in another, towels & bedding in a third. One wash per week for each. Out on the line in summer, on the airer in winter.

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EggysMom · 18/01/2018 20:11

One laundry basket for all.

Wash Friday night - our son's school uniform and other clothes, plus anything else (colours) to make up a load. Undies get tumbled, the rest goes on an airer.

Wash Saturday morning - son's white polo shirts and anything else white/very light. Polos and undies get tumbled, the rest on an airer.

Wash Sunday morning - coloureds. Radiator and airer for all in winter, outside line in summer.

Wash Sunday evening - bedding and miscellaneous stuff. Radiators. If summer, this might be moved to Saturday morning so as to be put out on the line.

Ironing? What's ironing!

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ChristmasTablecloth · 18/01/2018 20:12

We are a family of 4 (two adults and two teens) and we do a wash more or less every day. I don't see how people could get by on any less than that - we certainly don't wash everything after every use.

We have 4 laundry baskets. I announce what wash is going on that day and everyone has to appear with their clothes in that category (dark trousers and socks, dark tops and scants, brights, pastels, lights, whites, bedding, towels, woolies). We hang on a large clothes horse in the winter - any passing person will be appropriated for this task - and on the line in the summer but only on a day where the forecast is so good that I'm guaranteed not to be getting washing in off the line before it is properly dry. Tumble dryer goes on in emergencies (very rarely).

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ErinSophia · 18/01/2018 20:30

In my house we do dark washes on a Sunday and light washes on a Friday, keeps things simple and saves time. Xx

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Cheekyandfreaky · 18/01/2018 20:31

@EcoCleaner fair enough, not judging at all, just impressed!

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