How does washing work when you're staying with family?

[christmascharade]

I'm just curious as the ways DP's family and my family approach this are so different, and I'm wondering who's family is the odd one here. (Maybe both of them!)

Say you were staying, as a family with DC, with your parents / the ILs for 2 weeks, how would you wash your clothes and who would do it?

Would you maybe not wash clothes at all, as you bring enough clothes with you and take your washing home? Or put your washing in a house laundry basket and it's all washed together, probably by your mum? Or ask if you can use the machine and do your wash separate from your parents'/ILs washing? Or something else?

And is this a big performance or something that happens quietly in the background?

And how does it work in your house if you have visitors? Is it the same?

At my parents' I just put it on. Sometimes my dad irons it for me before I've noticed! At PIL's I would ask and then just put our stuff on. Wouldn't mix it with anyone else's.

Been at my parents for 4 nights over Christmas. Did two washes and it was nice to come home with 3/4 of the bag washed and ironed ready to just put back in draws.

I do my own laundry at my parents, have done since I was a teenager. At FIL's it goes in with everyones which his housekeeper sorts out.

If I am a guest: "do you mind if I did some washing?"

If I am the host: "I am doing a bit of washing later if anyone wants anything putting through?" But also don't mind guests doing their own washing at my house.

I wouldn’t put it in a relatives laundry basket. I keep it separate in a bag then wash when convenient - my mum would run it through or I’d do it but it’s not a big deal.

When we used to stay with MIL for more than just a few days she would always tell us she was putting a load on and did we want anything washing.

In your case I would just ask if you can do a wash load.

When I've stayed it's generally a help yourself to washing machine/ dryer. Helpful when you've got small children who seem to create a lot of laundry. Obviously I'd make sure it was out machine promptly etc.

My mum used to just say ‘I’m putting a load on, let me have anything that you want washed’.

2 weeks 😱 the horror!!

I definitely wouldn't be taking 2 weeks worth of clean clothes for kids or us.

If it was us I wouldn't need to ask to use the machine I'd just do it and know it would be a non issue.

When DS and family come here they know how to use the washing machine and where powder etc is. When I stayed with them DDIL would ask me if I had anything to go in the washing machine, no big deal either way.

If it was my parents they would be on it. They would be asking if we need anything washed, ironed etc. However my in laws (as much as I love them) don’t do their own cleaning or washing, so I’d either have to ask to do a load or take it home and do it there. I’d most likely take it home from in laws as they are a bit tight about electric and heating even tho they have solar panels and are very well off.

I’d never stay at their home (in laws) for 2 weeks tho.

At my mum's or sister's, they would ask if we had anything that needed doing when they was putting the machine on.

MIL would offer the use of the machine, which saves us both the embarrassment of her handling my undies