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Original poster

Daughter paying for laundry

110 replies

Starbonnet123 · 25/03/2022 10:35

My daughter is 19 and still lives with us at home and will do for quite a while I think . She doesn't pay rent as we don't need the money and we'd rather she saved as she does want to buy a house . She works and gets well paid for her age .
The question is what should I charge her to do her laundry? She wants me to do it as she "hasn't got time" and doesn't want the hassle and i won't do it for her as it's taking up my time , I work full time , and me doing it brings me no benefit whatsoever so my husband thinks I should charge her to do it if I want to .
What do mumsnet think is the going rate for laundry ?

OP posts:

Bunty55 · 25/03/2022 10:38

I would not dream of charging my daughter for laundry services but that is just me.
I would wash and dry her clothes but as I no longer iron I would leave that job for her to do.
If she chooses to iron her stuff then she should make a small contribution to the electric bill is all

TinaYouFatLard · 25/03/2022 10:39

She needs to find the time.

Harrriet · 25/03/2022 10:39

Stick to just not doing it. It's her job to make time and she could always pay for a service wash at the launderette.

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LaraDeSalle · 25/03/2022 10:39

We never charged mine ours as their stuff went in with ours so it was no bother for me.

However, if she wants things laundered outside of your laundry times she should do it herself or take to a launderette.

TeenPlusCat · 25/03/2022 10:41

I think either it gets done as part of the 'family wash', or she does it herself as part of being an independent adult. Her paying you for laundry is just weird.

GodspeedJune · 25/03/2022 10:41

I think it would be better to leave her to do her own. She says she hasn’t got time but you work and are busy too. She’ll need to fit basic household chores into her routine like we all do.

Watchkeys · 25/03/2022 10:41

It's not your responsibility, even if she pays you millions. None of us really have time to do our laundry, but, as adults, we manage to get it done.

Blossom64265 · 25/03/2022 10:43

She needs to do her own laundry. Making time for boring chores is part of being an adult.

BlanketsBanned · 25/03/2022 10:44

She doesnt have to pay rent but you want to charge her for laundry, does she contribute financially at all. She needs to find the time to do it unless if its just a few small things that you can put in the family wash.

PerseverancePays · 25/03/2022 10:47

She's being cheeky; where does it end? It's a chore and like all chores we would love a fairy to come and do it. Tell her it's part of becoming an independent adult, fitting in chores. Unless she's a junior doctor on mad shifts, I would also expect her to be chipping in with other chores like in a proper house share with other adults. Please do not do any of her chores, you are not doing her any favours.

Xiaoxiong · 25/03/2022 10:49

I can't imagine any job that a single 19 year old living at home is doing that doesn't leave time for laundry. Tell her this is part of "adulting".

If she really can't find the time and is making good money she can take her laundry out for a service wash.

Easterbunnyiswindowshopping · 25/03/2022 10:51

Soldier ds brings bag fulls. Fiver a bag washed /dried /folded here!!
He earns more than me!

Nittersing · 25/03/2022 10:52

I have a daughter of a similar age ( 3rd year uni and has two part time jobs). She does all her own washing. She also has to clean/scrub and mop the family bathroom and toilet weekly as well as stack/unstack a dishwasher daily and clean up after any meals she cooks.

I do not get her to pay board but she is expected to be saving the majority of her income each week so that she has a nest egg put away to buy a house after she graduates. Her older (23yrs) and younger brothers (17) have a similar arrangement.

PollyPutTheKettleOnKettleOn · 25/03/2022 10:53

She wants me to do it as she "hasn't got time" and doesn't want the hassle and i won't do it for her as it's taking up my time

Her problem, not yours. Don't do it.

ReadyToMoveIt · 25/03/2022 10:54

I wouldn’t charge her, but I also wouldn’t do it for her. She will be the one to suffer the consequences of having no clean clothes, won’t she?

Whatelsecouldibecalled · 25/03/2022 10:54

My mum charged me rent at 10% of
My earnings from the moment I had a job so 16. Taught me good financial management.

What I didn't know at the time was she saved it and offered it me back when I went to uni. I declined. She did the same when I returned home from uni and was saving for a house. Again offered back.

I would do the same.

hellcatspangle · 25/03/2022 10:55

Don't you just Chuck all the washing in together? I would carry on doing that but not do her ironing as that takes extra time. Tell her to hire an ironing service if she can't be bothered to do it!

AlisonDonut · 25/03/2022 10:59

Surely you taught her to do it in her early teens? So it would just be part of 'being an adult' now she is working?

I mean, it's not like you have to take a whole day to wash it down by the river and put it through a mangle. You put it in a machine and press a button, and then presumably put it into another machine and press another button?

MuggleMadness · 25/03/2022 10:59

I think this is a really stupid idea!

You said you don't have time, how does charging her suddenly mean you have time?

How long since you did family washing? It makes no sense to me for people in a family to each do their own washing, unless you just shove everything in together (don't separate out colours/towels etc)

I'd do it as part of the family laundry (but she'd be on her own with ironing). But if hers is going to be done separately ask the cheeky little madam why she thinks YOU have time to do it, but she doesn't!

Are you seeing any proof of savings?

I'd assign her some jobs, if she's not doing some housework off her own back. Allowing her to be so self important us doing her NO favours.

comfortablyfrumpy · 25/03/2022 10:59

I think she'll need to make time.

I have older teens. I get them to put their own washing on or at least bring it down next to the machine so one of us can make a load up and put it on.

marriednotdead · 25/03/2022 10:59

Nope, your daughter is living rent free which is lucky enough in itself although I totally understand your reasoning.
Expecting you to supply maid services as well because she hasn't got time is taking the piss, why is her time more valuable than yours? (Clue- it's not.)
If it's too much effort for her, she can use a service wash at the laundrette. Last time I checked, that was about £8+ per load to wash and dry, and it needs dropping off and collecting.

I've got a 25yo still at home (who does pay rent). He asked me to batch cook his meals for him as he doesn't enjoy doing it and offered to pay me but I declined for several reasons. If I wanted to do overtime I would, I need to rest more. It's a life skill that he needs. He's done his own laundry since he was about 14.

I cook us meals which he shares sometimes and put the odd load in the dryer if he's not about but he's very much treated like the equal working family member that he is,. I think your DD would benefit from understanding that unless she can afford to outsource, then such chores are part of adulthood.

Hidingin · 25/03/2022 11:01

You just said you don’t want to do it and you don’t have time
How does charging her help with that?

LadyMacduff · 25/03/2022 11:02

Don't do anything that requires effort.

I wouldn't mind throwing her stuff in provided it was in the washing basket, but I would not go looking for it. Nor would I iron it, put it away or do any special wool/delicate/bedding washes.

SpacePotato · 25/03/2022 11:07

You simply tell her that YOU don't have time and don't want the hassle.

I'd also be offended if my child offered me money to wash their clothes because they couldn't be arsed doing it themselves and thought it beneath them.

Original poster

Starbonnet123 · 25/03/2022 11:10

Thank you for all your replies , I think I worded it "I haven't got time " wrongly , I meant as one PP said why is my time less important than hers .
I get fed up of being good old mum that can manage all these grown up things magically 😁

OP posts:

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