I can't keep up with my washing. Am so ashamed.

[Conspiracy3]

Firstly I have really bad depression. Anxiety. Other mental health issues at play (personality disorder)

Family of 7.

Ive tried today to sort it and I have about 12 baskets of washing to do.

I'm sat here crying my eyes out. I just can't do it.

Even when I have a huge sort out it just piles up again.

The kids SEEM to have too many clothes but then the older ones have a growth spurt and need more and stuff gets passed down.

There's bags and baskets of washing everywhere.
I don't drive so can't go laundrette.

I just want to have a bonfire and burn it all and be nudists

I'm so embarrassed. So ashamed.

I just can't keep on top of it

OP reading your thread I just want to come round and do it all for you.
Since no-one can actually come and help it's going to be a project for you and perhaps the two oldest children? All the stuff that's nor dirty that you say is laid on worktops - get DC to put away.
Make it a race.
First fill the washer and put it on. Don't fuss about colours or whites just bung it in at 40C on the quickest shortest wash.
Do you have a garden? If so hang outside. Do you have airers? If so fill them before using dryers, just because it takes forever to dry from scratch.
Bung another load in as soon as it's empty. Don't worry if yo don't empty it before bed it can wait until morning.

5 dc here. New system here is dc have to get their own stuff in off the line!!
And then put them away!!

Hey op don’t cry your just having a bad day. I was on top of my washing two weeks ago now it’s huge again like yours. You can only do what you can do be kind to yourself. You do enough you are enough inbox me if you want to talk more xx

I always put in a load last thing at night.

Then first thing in morning take load out, stick it in dryer, new load on.

As things come out of drier fold immediately - don’t ever let it pile up. It takes five mins max.

That’s two loads a day without thinking about it. If you’re at home and not working you can get at least another load on.

Mostly don’t worry about it. It’s just laundry.

Are there any of those 18kg washing machines on a petrol station forecourt or car park near you? I've used them when I've had a build up of laundry to clear. It's a great way of getting a big loads of towels, bedclothes etc done quickly.

Try and break it down eg whites / colours.
As soon as it's dry get each person to put their own stuff away. If it's left on the side it will just end up back in the washing pile again.
Try and get them into a routine it's a lot to keep on top of washing for 7 I'm sure.
I personally like washing (hate ironing), maybe one or two of the kids could have it as their job ?
Hope you feel better about it soon.

@justsew me too , I actually like doing laundry.

With this weather you could probably get 2 or 3 loads dry in one day.

I tend to sort into lights & darks mainly-I don't like to over complicate!

Occasionally underwear & towels make a load.

Id there anything that could just be put out to air?

Any big stuff-towels/jeans/sweat tops that would decrease the load significantly?

Do you also have airers that you could put outside to dry on?

My best advice is to put a load of washing on every single night. Even if it’s only half a load (although with a family of 7, that probably won’t happen), but it helps to keep on top of it. I find it so boring doing the washing and like feeding everyone, it’s just a job that has to be done all the time (unlike hoovering and dusting that can wait).
Hopefully, you’ve got a load on now and when that’s finished, get another in and the first outside to dry. Do you have a washing line or rotary dryer outside? I’d keep the washer going as much as you can today and just keep pegging it out. You know you will feel better once it’s cleared. Leave the washing out over night if it isn’t dry by dusk as the early morning sunshine will start drying it quite early (don’t worry about it being darked on just this once).

If you can find the strength to go through the clothes that everyone owns, or even just the younger children, that will probably really help too, the less clothes they have, the less they will wear.

for you though, I hope you can get sorted.

Can you get the kids to help sort into colours/towels/bedding etc? Thats a chunk of the job done so you can just bung it in washing machine.

Can you try to minimise the future washing a bit? I have 4 kids and the washing is my least favourite task. At the moment I’m putting everyone to bed in tshirts and boxers (minimal folding). I’m trying to get a couple of days out of shorts if they are clean.

Just get one done and sorted the another on and you will feel so much better as you get then done. It’s the bloody putting them away that I despise!

When I have lots to do I put the lightly soiled stuff on a quick wash just to get it done. Even on a long wash you can get three done in a day easily.

We’re a family of 6 and I (usually) do
3 loads of bedding
1-2 loads of towels
2 darks
2 coloured
1 white

a week.

I have one basket in the bathroom, if clothes aren’t put in there they don’t get washed. When I get up in the morning I pick up a load from the bathroom and put it in machine when I go downstairs I fold it straight off the line (or out of dryer) into piles for each person. I put the piles on the stairs and everyone puts their own away.

Basket is usually full on sun-tue as those are the days I wash bedding and towels but it only takes a couple of loads to get it mostly empty again.

I use big bag for life bags to transport it from basket to machine to line. One bag holds a perfect amount for my 8kg machine. When I have lots to do I sort it into a couple of bags and just not having the overflowing basket makes it look better

I’m sure if you power through a few loads it will look a lot less overwhelming

I hate it when washing piles up. It feels daunting getting started because not only do you need to sort it and put it on etc but then sort and put away once dry.

But it feels so good to get t done.

I utilise the 30 minute wash cycle. I can get 4 loads of washing done on a good sunny hot day. One in as soon as I get up. Once that's finished it's straight on the clothes horse outside.

Next one in - towels on a 60 minute. Tumble dry those.

Then 30 minute clothes. On clothes horse when dry.

Bit later another load that can be tumble dried. Put in when towels are done.

Evening after tea before kids in bed I told all dry washing. Pile pet person. Older DC can out their clothes away. I do younger and my clothes. DH does his. Towels easy.

It is hard to get on top bit after a few days like that you can cope much more easily.

OP I feel terribly lazy reading this thread.

unless I think there's a chance of it running - new or run in the past - it all goes in the same wash, gets hung on the line or in on clothes hangers and returned to drawers / wardrobes. If they want it ironing they do it themselves except for school shirts.

I'm sorry you're finding yourself in this position. I feel like opening the champagne when I see the bottom of my laundry basket, its utterly relentless.

Don't be ashamed, we all get behind with things from time to time.

What about you wash and dry (drier and outside if you have space), one kid organises per day, each kid then folds and puts away their own things?

OP I was muttering to myself at at the washing line last night that the washing is endless, and it is. As someone else has said, don't see it as something to be completed, it's like eating you have to do it every day, it's just a thing that you do.

Get your DC to help, sounds like they're old enough. Mine are 13 & 14 and will strip & remake their own beds (lots of complaining when they first started but don't give in) and bung in the towels as well.

My MIL uses those colour catcher sheets and reckons they're fab. If you grab yourself a box of those then you won't even need to sort the colours just whack a pile into wash and let it go.

Would it help you to have a washing routine, like a timetable written out, or would that feel oppressive to you?

Just do one load in the morning when you wake up then during the day dry, fold and put away.I have also struggled immensely with this as I have four kids so don't put too much pressure on yourself! This method now works for me. If you have a laundry room or area make a target one day a week for it to be completely empty of clothes (all put back to the wardrobes) take it one day at a time

Gather children
Get kids to go through the washing who is age appropriate
And see if there's anything that can be donated, be very very hard about it

What's left sort into piles, put on short washes not full, put in a scoop
Of cheap whitener from B&M in the big tubs
Once one done get kids to load tumble dryer and the washing line
Hang on hangers

Rinse then repeat

I’ve done 3 loads today. The sun has inspired me and the fact it’s not meant to last. I will do another load tomorrow and will be caught up (apart from today and tomorrow’s clothes) I tend to do a load a day (when there is a load) first thing in the morning. I hope you’ve managed to sort a load out and in the machine by now or sent it to the laundrette.

I dont get this? It's not difficult. Pick up the first load. Stuff into machine. Dump detergent in. Press on. Job done. Make it one of the kids jobs. The 6 year old does the washing here, it's his little job. He likes pouring in the fabric conditioner.

One kid puts it in the other gets it out. Your only job is to hang it up. Use different baskets for whites, colours etc and separate them as they are taken off.

Just had a hideous thought. Tell me you don't do ironing....

Have 3 baskets - colour, lights, dark. Have everyone sort their dirty clothes into the baskets when taking them off. When a basket is full, it goes in the wash. This is what we do!

Give yourself a reward for each load you put in!

Family of 6 here too, and I remember the days when the laundry piles were so huge they would have crushed a small child!
Colour catchers were a game changer for me, reduced the need to sort by colours and really did prevent colour run accidents.
Also, get the children to help with the sorting, and putting away, or at the very least sorting their pants and pjs.
Like others too, I used a service wash occasionally when overwhelmed.
Now, they all do their own laundry and we have to form an orderly queue to use the machine. Heavens forbid if I touch my son’s laundry in case his pants get mixed up with his dads