Who's up for a tackle the fucking laundry mountain accountability thread?

[Anotherfrozenpizzafortea]

It's the bane of my life. I just CANNOT get into a routine with the laundry and it's everywhere. 3 kids, a dog and 1 adult. Always piles of dirty washing, wet washing hanging around, airers (I do have a tumble drier but it's old, hugely inefficient and expensive to run) and piles of ironing.

And yes, I know I don't need to iron ANYTHING but I'm a vit of a stickler for an ironed shirt (and I love sleeping in ironed sheets more than I hate ironing them).

My new year's challenge is to get on top of it all, get it all done and then get into some sort of routine so I'm not constantly stepping over piles of washing, or shifting baskets of ironing, or rummaging for an outfit for me or the dc.

To hell with the superstitions about washing on new year's day too, as I've just seen on another thread!

Once I've conquered the washing, maybe I can start on decluttering.... Anybody want to join me?

Having a dryer or poss a dehumidifier is the way to go. Also does everything need washing? Children ie teenagers will say an item is dirty after 15 mins wear. I have to use dryer otherwise the house would prob have mould given the amount of water that the dryer gets out even after 2 spins.

I know this will cost money but could you take the mountain to a laundrette? Pop it all in one of those huge washing machines and then dry what can go in an industrial dryer and take the rest home? Maybe ask neighbours or family if they could let you use their dryer for a cycle?

Take the big stuff to a service wash. Bag it up, dump it, pick it up clean dry and folded.

Dehumidifier. One day/weekend focused on clearing the mountain.

Have a proper sort out and send the stuff you don’t need to the charity shop/ fabric recycling bin. Replace with non-iron stuff.

Consider whether you’re washing too much. If you’re one of those people who washes jeans and pullovers after one wear have a serious word with yourself about your responsibility to the planet.

Never, ever iron bedlinen, underwear or pyjamas.

On decluttering…oh yes I am with you.

Huh...I didn't know it was 'bad luck' to do a wash on NYD.

I wondered why I've never been one to have much luck...

I do the laundry for 3 adults, myself and 4 cats; see what I mean? No Luck.
I too have a dryer that's very old, and I 'save' it for that odd occasion when I must have something dried without relying on weather conditions.
In other words, it seldom ever gets used.
I have lots of room to hide baskets of the stuff, and I make use of the outdoor line, even in winter, and also the indoor racks.

I haven't ironed anything since my DC wore school uniform shirts.
I wouldn't iron a sheet if you paid me, which no one would btw, that was something my Gran did, not I.
That's why they invented Permanent Press 😁

Decluttering I do constantly, it makes things much easier and I love the un-cluttered look, clutter adds unwanted and unnecessary stress to my days.

As for when I do the laundry; anytime the sun shines, or even if it doesn't and even if it's freezing.
You can't beat the scent of slowly defrosting and drying items as they hang on the racks.

Joining please. I recently bought a tumble dryer and it has changed my life. Laundry mountain is now a mere mole hill!

We've got a washer dryer and I try to put it on every single day without fail. It's great for bedsheets as you just stick them in dirty and take them out clean and dry.

It does have to be every day though otherwise textile mountain rears its head almost immediately!

I manage laundry very well, it's just about the only thing in life I am truly on top of! Here's some things that help me:

• i started to wipe clean kids clothes every day. Much of the dirt on the outer layer is wipeable and doesn't need washing. I think I reduced laundry by about 20% this way.
• I wash 3 main types, dark, bright colour and white or light colours. One wash per day usually. Additional weekly loads are towels, dishcloths, bedlinen or random extra stuff. I have lots of delicates bags so no need for special washes.
• I spent over £120 on a laundry basket recently. It separates items but lifts out so no more rummaging for things. It has really reduced dust around the house too. If I could afford it I'd buy one for each kids room. It's the Joseph Joseph Tota Trio system, game changer and worth the cost.
• cottons and underwear are tumble dried and a basket stays downstairs beside the drier til full. Other items are on a large rack in a spare room/ office. It's annoying going up and down the stairs but better to have them out of sight. In my old house they were in the kitchen so I consider myself lucky to have the choice. Clothes from the rack get folded into a basket on the floor when dry.
• twice a week I merge the baskets and put laundry away. This is part of kids chores so I do one day they do the other
• odd socks go into a bag and is sorted once a month.
• I never iron unless there is a particular item that needs it. Dh does shirts as he needs them. In summer I iron some T shirts, never in Winter. At best I iron a collar of a shirt if it's to be worn under something else.
• The wash goes on 1st thing when I get up, i just push a button. I sort the loads and leave them in the machine when doing other laundry jobs, otherwise I feel like I'm always doing it.
• I hang wet laundry up before I leave for work or as soon as I'm home, organising the next load as I go.

Wow you're so very organized @buybuysellsell!
What a great post very detailed it sounds like a lot when you read it but I'm sure it isn't because you are so well organized and everyone in your household seems to be doing their share.
That special laundry basket sounds really useful!
Happy New Year!

I moved house six weeks ago and stopped ironing

I previously always had a basket load of ironing that I never got to the bottom of

Things now get put straight ways and if need I will iron but it's not happened yet. Maybe in the summer for t shirts and tops

The new heat pump dryer arrives soon!!