To want to cry at my sister's washing?

What a lovely thing for you to do.

If you are house sitting till next weekend, thats 7 loads you'll be able to get done. Is that not enough to get through it all? 1 load a day. Get as much as you can hung outside.

To be honest most of us washer-dryer owners know they're shit but aren't fortunate enough to have a utility, so one appliance space in the kitchen it is!

Jeez I must be the dullest person on the planet because this all sounds so bloody exciting to me! I’d actually be in my element tackling all this and sorting it all out. The weather is on your side OP and you have plenty of time so don’t stress. You should be able to get 3 loads done and dried outside per day and maybe one load on the indoor clothes horse. Get all the dirty stuff piled high in one room, go round the house and double check you’ve got everything then just sort into smaller piles by colour and just work your way through it one load at a time. Once it’s clean and dry fold it all up into piles by person that they belong to.

I’d start with items that will dry quicker and that way you’ll get through a lot more because of drying space and times, shirts/blouses is use clothes hangers and hang on door frames.

I'm sure your sister will be delighted to come home to both a clean house and no washing.

Some people are being funny about it but having been in a situation where I was easily overwhelmed I was extremely grateful when mum used to do give me a hand. Some days even now she will be at my house to look after smallest child and when he is at school she will run hoover round, do some washing or ironing etc.

It absolutely is not expected but I admit I am grateful to come home to an empty washing basket or clean bedding.

You really are a lively sibling!

Yes, this.

Honestly, pile it all into binbags and take to the forecourt washers. You'll be amazed how much fits in there! You could get it all washed and dried in a couple of hours.

I'm sure your sister will be super grateful for all your help!

Nowhere to take the laundry for service washes (and dries)?

I've done that when looking after a friend's flat before. Did the duvets, pillows, bedding, towels etc. Dropped them off for service washes because the flat had a washer-dryer and it would have taken five hours plus or so between a laundry load, splitting it into 2 for the dryer (drying only took a very light load).

You are very kind bless you. I wish I had a sister like you.

Check the sizing of the children's clothes. I have 3 all over 11... And I find random joggers aged 9 in the washing basket.
Out grown clothes need weeding out!

My mum has done loads of washing for me when I'm struggling (as a lone parent), mainly bedding, by taking it away and returning it all dry and clean- you could do the bedding in your house and all clothes in their house, OP, that way you have two systems going and it won't all get muddled up. I help my (older) kids occasionally now, you just need a hand sometimes in life.

If they've bought new for holiday sounds like they need to get rid of some clothes. I bet they wont all fit in the drawers and wardrobes once all clean.

But it seems no good deed goes unpublished these days.

🤣 You're right. I presume OP just wanted to be told what a great sibling they are.

All I can think is that I'd hate someone coming in and doing this, One if my kids would not have been happy if someone moved their stuff either. Hopefully OPs sister isn't like us. 😬😅

Once she's back you could enquire if she'd like you to help sort out the DC clothes.

We had 4 DDs, we went through and pared back how much of what they had. 10 pairs of white school socks each, each child has their own design. Minimal amounts of leggings, jeans, tops, dresses. Was ruthless and let them wear their nice clothing all the time. It meant that with one wash daily most stuff was dried overnight on the airers and there were empty drawers to put them away in.

Most we put the large clothing on hangers to try as made putting it away quick and no ironing. Pants and socks dried in the tumble drier and the kids sorted them out into pairs and piles and put them away 👌

I don’t think it’s the worst thing in the world to have it on a 2 hour wash (apart from the electricity cost).

It means it gets a proper wash and then she’ll be more likely to only need to give it a quick wash the next time they’re worn.

Especially if they’ve been sat there for a while or she’s not had time to give them a proper wash for a while.
Whilst it’s not piling up and the sun is shining, then a longer wash may be better anyway.

I'm stunned that your sister has that many clothes.
It's not the washing, but the drying that is a pain.

Not heard of ''forecourt dryers'' but from memory of using laundrettes they can be really hard on clothes compared to 'Domestic' ones.

Even if you just take the 'big' items and towels {Duvets, sheets and towels} these are generally tough enough to withstand commercial washing machines, and your sister should be glad.

Could get expensive though.

Well done, a really kind thing for you to contemplate doing.

No advice to add just wanted to say what a lovely thing to do and what a kind person you are. Brought a tear to my eye reading your post ❤️

Mines a Samsung but reading up on the Hisense it’s similar for drying

it has a cupboard dry and a timed setting. I’d personally recommend the timed setting, it takes me around 3.5 hours to dry a full load of toddler clothes as a guide (and by full load, the drum is only half full as the dryer won’t dry a packed drum)

smaller loads of completely tumble dry safe stuff is a way to clear it overnight or if you’re at work through the day, and the times you’re there just do a wash and stick on the line.

hope that helps!

Fast 15 is for 1kg of washing though not for larger loads

I put my
King size duvet in one, yes it was expensive, but it was very convenient.

Sounds like she’s overwhelmed. I’m pretty sure she will appreciate your help but please don’t worry if she doesn’t seem to be grateful - she may have mixed emotions of shame, anger, gratitude etc all mixed in.

If she gets back and is open to a conversation about it then I’d highly recommend that she tried to minimise the clothes she has for each child. A quick way to do this is to put all the clothes together and pull out a capsule wardrobe per child (eg their favourite 5 shirts, 2 trousers, 2 jumpers, 2 dresses, 3 jammies and 5 sets of underwear). Put everything else in large bags or vaccum pack and put in the attic or under the beds. A smaller inventory will be so much easier to manage and keep on top of. Once she feels more in control of everything she can, if she wants, gradually re-introduce more clothes. But she may find that she doesn’t want to, once she’s used to the ‘less is more’ approach!

By the way, I’m making a big assumptiom here that your DS is the one who is responsible for washing. If it’s actually your BIL or both of them instead, then the same advice applies but just read ‘him’ or ‘them’ instead!