AIBU to ask my lodger to cut down on washing machine use?

How did it go?

Also hope that people are generally wetting their toothbrush, turning the tap off, brushing teeth and then rinsing toothbrush. Not leaving the tap running. It's such a waste of water.

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wash cost like 50p, so if you would rather he only do 3 a week and not 5, you are getting wound up over a £1 a week.

fair enough to raise it from a general sustainability pov but I'd be careful about pushing it too hard, it's relatively minor in the round

TBH I’d have thought 4-5 loads a week for one person was really excessive, not to mention wasteful.

The OP said ‘spin dryer’ which isn't the same as a tumble dryer.

Well I don't see how I could do less than 4, because there's one for bedding, one for towels, one for whites and one for coloureds in a normal week. Short of overloading the machine, there's nowhere to cut back. But at less than 20p a wash I'll live with the 'waste'!!

I think you have to be straight with him - he clearly has no common sense 🤯
Don't lose the message in polite wording - just be straight with the idiot him.

Are you just washing your own things because I think washing 4/5 times a week is a lot to wash for 1 person

ETA it is none of my business I'm just curious.

I think you are being quite controlling to be honest. I definitely do that many loads. Sometimes due to disorganisation/ADHD I forget something so need and have to do another wash. Thankfully I have my own house but really if all else is well I’d leave this. You could lose a good lodger over something so minor.

My SIL had lodgers for years. The rent always included all bills, on a "fair usage" basis. Over the years she added to that to give some guidelines, eg no heating on if not home, no excessively long showers. I think she said max 4 loads per week for washing, regardless of how full they were, ie fine if he washes single item but it counts as one of his loads.

TBH I’d chuck towels in with the bedding or the whites. But then I’m not one of those clean-freak MNers who must have a clean bath towel every day, because of dead skin cells on a used one, not to mention deadly lurking germs…

This is really reasonable for you to share. There’s environmental as well as cost considerations. Anyone who owns a home would understand this.

I think just raise it in a low-key (but clear) way and give him a chance to amend his ways. You are not asking him to do anything unreasonable - just act like a reasonable adult!

Size of the machine must make a difference as there is no way we could fit some of the described laundry loads into our machine. We also do more washing and use the tumble dryer for various health related reasons. I wouldn’t run less than half a load, however.

I’d just roll my eyes at this tbh

Yes I am actually quite surprised at the number of people that wash towels and bedding together? My washing machine is full with kingsize duvet cover, sheets and pillow cases. It's a 8kg capacity one. No way could I fit the towels in!

OP please update I'm invested

Well in my experience two bath sheets, a couple of gym towels and three of four hand towels (from bathrooms and cloakrooms, before you assume I use them once...) will overload a standard sized Miele washing machine if you put them in with a set of king sized bed linen. Perhaps if I had an industrial machine they'd fit. But then there wouldn't be enough space on the line to dry all of that at once, so it'd be a pointless excercise :)

Especially if his rent includes electricity, she can say something! Even if the contract doesn't specify 'reasonable use', that can surely be implicit.

Do you mean when do I run it so it doesn't annoy me? The machine lives in a cupboard and I shut the door. I work upstairs, so I can hear it, but only quietly.
Or do you mean so I can hang stuff afterwards? Because I work at home I can put it on and stop work briefly to hang things whenever I need to. In good drying weather I do try to put it on early so I can get it out into the garden for maximum sun.

Could you just tell him he can do two loads a week. Anything extra you will charge for. When my exdh was a lodger when he was young his landlady didn’t allow him to use the washing machine. He went to the launderette. Keep in mind this is your house and your lodger rents one room with, I’m assuming, reasonable use of bathroom, kitchen. If he started taking three baths a day I’m sure you’d act quickly. What he’s doing sounds unreasonable to me. I’ve shared my home with students, adults and looked after children so have experienced most scenarios

It's because they get so heavy with water. I don't wash mine in the washing machine, I stick it in a bucket with very hot water and washing powder and leave it to soak, then rinse it with the shower, wring it out and hang it up outside. If you wash it with other bath mats or towels it should spin. My bath mats are hair magnets so I don't like putting them in the washing machine.

Presumably people who say stuff like this have a 12kg washing machine. Mine is only 7kg so I can't just throw everything in in one go. I've got three fleece blankets, a single fitted sheet and a baby towel in my washing machine and it sounded a bit iffy on the spin cycle just now!

My family of 6 does 5 loads a week and that includes all the bedding at weekends!!!

Ask him to limit him to limit to three loads per week - lights, darks, bedding.