To ask how I could possibly cut down on laundry?!

[Userno73627384738]

just had a smart meter installed and realised that a large chunk of our electricity goes on washing clothes - and drying in the dryer if not good enough weather to put outside. I have an airer which I use for a lot of it but I have too much washing to dry it all indoors. I tend to put socks, pants, t shirts pjs etc in the dryer. We go through a lot of pants and socks. But things like jeans, hoodies, school uniform on the airer.

both my machine and dryer are recent ish models. About a year old.

but how do I cut down on washing??

I have two kids, both have additional needs and can get very messy. Either accidents or food or mood from out playing. They need clean clothes every day, sometimes twice a day. I'm exhausted from all the laundry.

I tend to wash white shirts and other whites on a Friday afternoon..

Dp wears the same trousers for a few days for work but obviously needs clean work t shirts every day. Sometimes he'll wear a jumper for a few days 🤷‍♀️

I tend to wear fully clean clothes every day as I get messy and sweat a lot!

the rest is washed daily with all my other stuff. It's always a full load of darks every day, if I skip a day it'll be 2 the next day.

we use towels for about 3 days then washed. I have a separate wash basket for towels and tend to wash all together once or twice a week.

dd also suffers from severe allergies so bedding has to be washed once a week and her allergies are kept under control. I have a 10kg machine and thankfully all our bedding fits in one go but it's drying it if it's not dry outside. This summer has been great for line drying but that will soon change..

we have a dog but she's small. I tend to wash her bedding weekly but may change to Eve et 2 weeks, she doesn't get it overly dirty but like to keep it fresh!

so how do other people cut down on their laundry time?? Am I just destined to have continuous piles of washing every day? I see on here that some people only wash clothes once or twice a week! How?? I understand in adult only homes but what about with kids??

sorry if this is the most random boring post on a Saturday afternoon. I'm just sick of continuous washing and paying the price for it!! 😓

Tough one. I would soak clothes so some of the stains/dirt becomes loose. Then wash on a shorter cycle on a 20/30 degrees and see if that makes a difference.

Dog bed - 1 a month. Mine only gets washed when visibly dirty.

Towels - every fortnight. Make sure you air them every day.

Bedding - every fortnight (maybe allergy child once a week?)

Clothes worn until dirty. Sponge cleaned for marks. Trousers usually once a week. Couple of days for tops. All underwear changed daily.

Heated airer for clothes. Maybe just tumble bedding & towels.

Should cut down usage a lot.

Yes it and does and I often use it for odd things that need washing quickly.

Toilet accidents - yes, bottom half needs changing.

food and drink spills? No. Sponge it off / baby wipe it down / rub at them with a tea towel and then Carry on.

Bio laundry powder removes most things at 30. Maybe I occasionally need to use a prewash stain spray.

How about them having a back to front adults shirt on when eating - we use adult shirts for older kids in school when they’re painting - cut the sleeves off at elbow level. They’ll be long enough to cover their laps too when sitting down. After eating, they just need a quick wipe down with a damp cloth and left to dry. They could even decorate the shirts themselves with fabric pens to personalise them. (get shirts from charity shops if you don’t have a Dh with a supply!)

I’d also suggest double spinning the washing to remove as much water as possible before putting them in the dryer.

Ty! This is definitely something I need to think about. I tend to use non bio due to my eczema but I have been using persil bio for some things and my skin has been okay...

Towels are every couple of weeks here, you're clean when you use it and we all have our own.

I wouldn't change clothes just for being mucky, nothings going to happen to them. Totally understand that's different re toilet accidents.

I've never had a dryer and managed when Dts were tiny and refluxy and pooing on everything issuing the heated towel rail in the bathroom and having two sores in the bath (bath never gets used here).

You could put soiled underwear in with other stiff on a hot wash & clothes on a lower temp.

I always thought washing clothes at higher temps shrunk it all anyway!

Does anyone know what airers are good for small spaces?

I have a massive minky airer in my kitchen but don't have a lot of room in the house elsewhere.

also tips on drying indoors when it's cold and wet outside? We already have a damp problem and our heating system isn't the best - a blockage somewhere so really worried about the winter.

i have bought radiator airers before but there downside is due to crap design of our house our radiators are often behind furniture or in awkward so can't necessarily use them!

I do towels and bedding once a week, on different days. To be honest, I can’t cut mine down any more.

Fab thanks. I remember wearing my grandads old shirts as aprons at school 💗

Dp suggested the spinning too. Something I need to think about.

I agree, especially if at home.

My younger two who play out and are forever getting muddy wear those (admittedly awful looking) nylon tracksuit bottoms/shorts and sports tops. They don't stain easily and are pretty much dry in minutes.

With the bedding do DD's weekly with either yours or the other DC's to cut down a bit.

Google your speed wash power usage. Mine is the lowest of the settings and things like otter uniform, my dresses etc all get clean on that cycle. Just turn the spin up to max to aid drying.

That's cut out a few washes. Plus I used to wash everyday with the machine rammed. I wash every other day now. I try to streach clothes just a day longer.

Drying washing indoors is really not a good idea unless it's occasional. It will create a mould problem.

Have you thought about only laundering on a dry day so you can line dry. Even on a winters day most stuff will dry. As we don't have much laundry for ecological reasons we hang damp stuff in the airing cupboard to finish off. But a good single clothes line is much much better than an airer as the clothes can flap in the wind.

Yeah I don't do it all on the same day unless absolutely needed. Bugger that 😅

as in op Dd has serious allergies. Her bedding definitely needs washing regularly but the little miss also climbs into our bed so kinda means ours have to be too. I really can't be assed to change it half the time! Dog doesn't sleep on our beds often either.

as for towels very much the same. Dp thinks you can use a towel for weeks as you are clean when using it but they start to smell damp even when aired and dead skin cells! We go through a lot of towels generally, especially in the summer if the kids have had the pool out etc.

we seem to go through a lot of hand towels too!

I do bedding every 2-3 weeks. Leave it open to air, open windows every day in bedrooms for at least an hour.
Towels weekly, hung up to dry between uses. Washed with dishcloths/ tea towels etc.
My son also has accidents so bottom half needs daily changing at least. Tops last 3 days. Daughter’s clothes last longer.
Adults tops last thee days at least, jeans /dresses etc much longer. We hang out and sniff next morning, if it doesn’t smell all good!
Generally, everything is reworn unless smelly (pits and crotches are sniffed for all clothes 😂) spills are sponged immediately and carry on.
Obvs underwear is changed daily.
Oh, and DW and I wear Japanese aprons at home over our clothes if cooking\ cleaning etc, or dressing gowns over clothes when cold.
We don’f smell, honestly!

It's a total myth that the enzymes in biological washing detergent cause skin irritation.

So pleased it's not just me that does the sniff test😆

Get a dehumidifier and windows need to be open where you are drying cloths

Sadly we do already have a mold problem especially upstairs. We find drying laundry in the kitchen okay... but probably couldn't upstairs.

I do try and wash clothes on the sunnier or dryer days but where I live it rains so much during the autumn and winter it would be over spilling if I waited for a dry day! I admit that I could probably put it out more in the winter. I live right on the coast and the weather can go from calm to insane in 5 minutes but it is always windy which is good 😅

we don't have an airing cupboard either which is a bit of a pain! Something I do miss about our old flat where we had one - I didn't have a garden or a dryer there - not sure how I ever managed but there was 2 less of us 😅

This.

You have a choice OP, lower your standards and lower your bills, or keep your standards high and have high bills.

I've swapped to 40 degree washes for towels and bedding instead of 60. I barely ever use the tumble dryer, if it's wet outside we hang everything on an airer from the ceiling.

I put piles of dry linen on our sunniest window sills or in the porch (the warmest places in our house) to get them really dry before they go away. While in use the towels hang permanently on the banisters on the landing.

We try to wear clothes for as long as possible before washing - we've both got a good sense of smell and would tell the other if needs be. We hang clothes up every night so they get a bit of an airing. The exception is underwear, obviously, that's changed every day!

I'd prefer not to have to do these things but something's got to give.

Check your water companies website. If you use more water due to your child’s allergies you may be able to go into a lower tariff. Got to be worth a look.

Mil stole borrowed my dehumidifier and never gave it back.