I’ve had fucking enough of laundry.

[Fatmamslim]

I hate it I hate it I hate it.

there are four of us in the house.

We work full time and there never seems to be enough time to keep on top. We live out of clean folded baskets.

do you have a working system to stop it feeling like an endless avalanche of shite

The only thing that works for us

• Do a load every day on a timer for when you get in at night
• Use a dehumidifier and have enough drying racks for one big load
• Put dried load away every night

You’ve got to just keep chipping away at it

Well first of all I don't think there is anything wrong with living out of a clean and folded basket!
Things that work well for me:

• Smaller loads done more frequently
• Separating loads into things that I want to iron/ will need more careful folding and things that don't need any particular care.
• Removing clothes that I need to put away from the basket and leaving on beds, so that I put them away before I go to sleep

Laundry is my favourite chore!

I do at least a load a day. Another if towels or sheets or delicates.
Complete each load right through to putting it away.

My solution - have two xl drum sized washing machines, we have 2 10kg machines. I do 4, maybe 5 loads all at the weekend on saturday morning, dry it all over the weekend, and fold it all sunday afternoon, and then everyone puts their own away. My washing line takes 2 loads at a time, and I have two airers as well which I put outside when the weather is good enough, or in the conservatory otherwise. I don't do laundry during the week unless it's absolutely essential. I felt like I was drowning in it too, it's not so bad now.

I appreciate though my solution requires space and a plumber!

I have a system which now works.

3 of the same laundry baskets, which when full, is a full load.
Put a load on as soon as it's full.
Tumble dry.
Fold in front of tv.
Put it away as soon as I go upstairs for bed.

Oh and DC fills a basket too, I do the same with theirs, so it's easy to put away as that 1 basket is all their stuff, not mixed in with mine.

I've given in and got a person who cleans and does laundry and ironing.
So no I never found a solution I could make work.

Laundry is my favourite chore. Years ago I lived in a flat with no washing machine. I put all the washing in the bath to soak and then hand washed it and rinsed it in the bath. Opening a machine door and loading it up is bliss compared to that.

I've got 4 coloured baskets, whichever is fullest gets washed that day. Hang up on a drying rack above the dehumidifier.
Each person has a crate for their non hanging items, everyone puts their own away.
Hang anything that'll want ironing straight on to hangers to minimise creasing. When dry this all waits on another rack and gets ironed once a week.
We never run out of clothes, and aside from the ironing I don't spend more than 10 minutes a day on laundry, then about half an hour once a week on ironing.

Little and often. That’s it.

and it won’t take as long as you think if you give it a solid 10-15 mins every now and then.

Set a timer for ten minutes, pop headphones in and sort quickly by person into bags. Don’t think, just sort into bags.

then set another timer, and tip out one persons stuff (ideally onto their bed or near their wardrobe) and quickly fold and match socks etc.

that’s enough for me to keep on top of clean laundry.

Don't wash everything after one wear, in my house only pants and socks get a wash after one wear. Towels after a week.

I use a hand towel to dry myself after a shower. So a lot of space is saved in the washing machine.: fewer loads.

Don’t wash something unless you really have to. Or use a quick 20 min cycle if things just need a quick refresh.

Do a load every day, before bed, on a wash and dry cycle, then you can hang it to air if needed, first thing in the morning.

Everyone to bring their laundry down as soon as it’s produced, and put it straight in the machine (just don’t allow anyone to wear anything brightly coloured 😅), which then gets turned on every night.

@Fatmamslim you haven’t said what your wash set up? Washer, tumble dryer, washer dryer etc?

I put a load on every night before bed and take out and pop on the airer when I get up in the morning. It’s usually dry by bedtime the same day so I fold then.

Im strict with what I iron, if it’s smoothed our before putting on the airer it doesn’t always need ironing.

Any ironing needed is done Sunday evening so we’re set for the week.

No solutions here OP but I love the accurate description of 'endless avalanche of shite'.

I once watched Grand Designs and they'd put a utility room in with two washing machines and two tumble dryers and I fantasise about it A LOT.

Like other poster's have said 1 or 2 loads a day. It's much more quicker and as soon as they are dry I hang fold and put away. I would sometimes load the washing in the morning and set a timer to wash just before I come home then I would hang up the washing. By evening they dry. It doesn't require as much effort as piles of laundry waiting for you. With the things that need ironing I just iron while watching a show in the evening and have hangers ready.

The solution which works for us is washing things less often. Sheets and towels can go much longer than people think without getting dirty, though towels must be hung up in a good spot immediately. Trousers and jumpers/sweatshirts etc, can last for a long time, and if there is a spot of food on them it can be scrubbed off in a few seconds. Underwear, socks and shirts need washing, but are not so bulky.
People might not approve of my method, but it is how I grew up and we always smelled fresh and looked clean. Modern amounts of washing are not necessary!

You’re not on your own. It’s absolute bollocks.

Four of us here too. Too many clothes . Fucking everywhere . I’ve just had major surgery so my husband is doing it . He’s trying but it’s a nightmare.

What is the secret ? I don’t get it.

My routine is put a load on a timer for when I get in from work. I immediately hang it out and it dries overnight. In the morning before I go to work I put it away. I do this every day without fail. If there is a lot I may do an extra load over the weekend, especially if the weather is good and I can hang outside.

Stop ironing. Stop folding. I would be insane if I was still doing either of those things. Our drawers are messy and most clothes creased, but they are clean and that is the main thing! We iron things individually for special occasions and That. Is. It. Life is too bloody short.

If you have space, can you put another washing machine in? That was a game changer for me. Two running at the same time makes so much difference.

Burn your dirty clothes and buy new ones every day. Works a treat.

Yep I hate it too. It’s just never ending. You miss one day and somehow the baskets are overflowing and there’s zero clean clothes for anyone.

I have got a fairly decent routine going where I put in a load every morning before I go to work and then hang out/on airer/in dryer when I’m back for lunch or home with the kids after school. I don’t work full time. It seems to work for me anyway. Except when I skip a day and I feel like I’m drowning in washing.

Its such a boring thankless task

Wash things as little as possible, I mean don’t get smelly but really check if it needs it. Spot cleaning us your friend. I have a set of scruffs for grubby jobs that I keep in the conservatory.

How do you all pay your electricity bills if you are doing so much washing?!!

This works for us - really consider what actually needs washing. We both WFH mostly, and I'll wear the same clothes 2-3 days. Of course change underwear socks daily, and workout clothes. Saves a lot of money to.

I put a load on every morning when DSD is eating her breakfast. DH hangs it up when he gets home from work. I sort the pants, socks, clothes into piles as I take it off the clothes horse. I iron everything on a Sunday afternoon/evening.