How many loads of washing do you do a week

[Newpuppymummy]

Boring I know but I’m just trying to figure out if I’m doing an excessive amount and how to cut down.

One adult, two teenagers and a one-year-old. I would say I do around 14-18 washes a week. Normal?

Why are you disinfecting towels? We have more than two, we use two as there are two of us. Obviously a bigger family would use more owels and therefore do more washing loads a week.

Sometimes I wash mine several times per week if I've had a particular bad time of menopausal night sweats.

I like clean fresh bedding. Change the bottom sheet and pillowcases twice a week, duvet once a week. Once a week I use a medication that makes me wake up pouring with sweat as well

Apart from that I don't wash stuff often (except gym clothes), don't use a dryer, don't fly and am frugal with heating and water so it's a drop in the ocean

7 or 8 per week. Family of five.

It’s funny how people on here put down those who wash too much but I would rather be clean than wash sheets monthly, jeans twice a year etc.

A real eye opener.

2 adults, 4-5 washes a week.

This is really one of the least worrying things about this thread I think. Tea towel only wash (what?!) on a boil wash … !!!!

Who has enough tea towels to fit a washing machine anyway? You’d need like 70?!

@mydogisthebest
Even if you feel you have to wash everything after one wear why can the clothes not sit in the laundry basket until you have a full load? Do you only have 2 tops, 2 pairs of trousers etc?
Surely to goodness most people do this? I mean DH’s gym stuff gets washed after one wear because it’s sweaty - which is every day of the week - but I don’t have nearly enough stuff to put a wash on every day so it just waits in the washing basket until I have a full load.
My DC go to school in clean clothes, if I feel like the bedding needs a wash I’ll happily wash it, gym stuff and swimming stuff washed etc etc but still we are doing washing every other day or so.. it’s just not such a big deal.

Have been putting off bedding for a while admittedly to wait for a break in the rain but looks like we have a dry spell coming so all the sheets will be outside soon.

If you need to wash more often to be clean then I don't think anyone is arguing you shouldn't. Obviously things like night sweats, bed wetting, dirty jobs exist. I wash things when they are dirty, as in they look dirty and can't be spot cleaned, or if they smell. We are clean.

It really is. We tend to wash things after one wear yes, but I'd consider these "dirty" as they've been worn.
I don't really run any wash cycle for small loads, generally the machine is close to full.
What I can't get my head around here is putting clothes we have worn back into a wardrobe with clean ironed clothes.
What id love to be able to reduce somehow is use of the tumble drier here but we have no alternatives that have worked without taking days to dry. The heat here just escapes unfortunately....
And bed linen I'm sorry 100% should be laundered weekly as a minimum. Each to their own I guess!

@DoubleShotEspresso hiw long do you have to be wearing something for it to be considered “dirty”? An hour, 5 hours, 10hours?

By your standards all clothes in the shops are dirty then? Do you try clothing on in stores? Do you put them back on the rail after trying them on? I’m genuinely intrigued.

An hour? Nooo
5 or 10 hours then yes of course as I'm assuming in that time I'd have been in and out the house, maybe in the car or on public transport etc... I'm not changing outfits ten times a day obviously, but if my clothes have been on all day then yes I consider they need washing, same goes for school uniform, DP's shirts/trousers/t-shirts etc... I'm really not a wasteful person (detest throwing away food and try to reuse whatever we can at home).
As for clothes shopping I rarely buy them and cannot actually remember the last time I went inside a shop to try things on, but if I were to, then yes I'd either purchase them or put them back on the rail!
If I do buy clothes these days it tends to be online (purely as I don't get much time to go out shopping )so try them on at home and wash them when they arrive the same as I would if id bought them directly from the shops. Is that what you mean?

And bed linen I'm sorry 100% should be laundered weekly as a minimum. Each to their own I guess!
I'd absolutely do this if it needed it, it would be much to soon for us as we wear pyjamas. It would be difficult to need to wash things so often so that it affects people's bills so they can't afford heating. We are lucky I know.

@Athenen0ctua

You're not lucky.

Just sensible and not wasting time and energy washing clean stuff

3 times a week. One person. Whites, darks, colours, delicates, mats, tea towels, bedding, towels. Some things are not done every week, only when I have enough for a load.

Sometimes I have to make do with a half load as there simply are not ever enough of the same to fill the machine. My machine adjusts for weight, and uses less water and less washing time as necessary.

It’s very uplifting to never have too many piles of clothing waiting to be washed. Get it done when you have the time and energy rather than waiting for this and that. That’s the only way to stay on top of things.

I am extremely frugal with energy use with everything else, the heating has yet to come on for example, and hot water is only turned on for 30 mins once each 24 hours.

I will not however compromise on cleanliness. Human beings should smell fresh and airy, if they have the possible to do so. It’s a charity to others to have a pleasant scent. And it’s great for mental health/confidence. The best night’s sleep is going to bed thoroughly scrubbed in fresh sheets. Beautiful.

I have had to learn the hard way in my 20s to establish all of this because I was not taught the virtue of these habits growing up.

Instil the importance of these skills early in children, it’s harder to establish a solid routine as an adult. Much easier if it’s part of your make up.

@DoubleShotEspresso What I can't get my head around here is putting clothes we have worn back into a wardrobe with clean ironed clothes - I think many people have a place (eg shelf or chair) where clothes go if they have been worn but do not require washing. That's what we do anyway.

It's not putting people down, it's a very real concern for our planet.

While I think many people are washing things that don't need washing, making work for themselves and costing money (particularly if they have to tumble dry), I know there are people who need to wash things very frequently because of disability, mental illness and health conditions. I'm lucky I don't need to do this as money is tight as it is.

In your opinion maybe

Ahhh the dreaded "chair/exercise bike/shelf, I actually removed furniture to avoid this type of pike but guess it works for many here.

*pile

2 adults , 1 child , 1 toddler and 1 baby max 6 washes a week

I think it's a bit of both. I know some people do need to wash things frequently because their clothes get dirty for whatever reason, and others because they have a compulsion and would struggle not to wash clean clothes even if it was negatively affecting their life. I do try to be sensible too and make sure I am only washing things that need it, on the lowest temperature required as it keeps my energy usage down and money is often tight.

@Athenen0ctua

• In your opinion maybe

I think it's a bit of both. I know some people do need to wash things frequently because their clothes get dirty for whatever reason, and others because they have a compulsion and would struggle not to wash clean clothes even if it was negatively affecting their life. I do try to be sensible too and make sure I am only washing things that need it, on the lowest temperature required as it keeps my energy usage down and money is often tight.

For what it's worth here, I don't think we ever wash "clean" clothes, I mean they've been worn for a matter of hours which for me yes warrants washing. I don't use high temperatures for much aside from towels and bed linen... money here is incredibly tight anybody reading this leaping to the assumption we are frivolous (or can afford to be) is seriously mistaken.
The real challenge here really is drying clothes without the aid if a tumble drier- I've been experimenting recently, no method or gizmo has worked yet.... tumbling is seemingly our only method but is our biggest element consumption wise.

@DoubleShotEspresso That's why I recognised that I was lucky that I don't need to do that. I don't need to wash much after just one wear and only need to wash everything at 30. I would find your situation incredibly difficult both in terms of the work, and the energy usage if it meant I then couldn't afford heating.