Can we talk honestly about Laundry?

[Giggleslikespickles]

I have a husband and two young boys and I CANNOT keep on top of my washing unless I become obsessed and it’s all I do and all I think about (yes I’m over exaggerating but genuinely feels like this sometimes)

I need some helpful tips or like minded people to make me feel better about my failures 😝

I’m literally always routing through clean clothes that are still on top of the washing machine because I hate how soul destroying it is putting clothes into piles and then walking upstairs over and over again to put them away just to se them either thrown on the floor or back in the laundry - it’s monotonous, tedious and quite frankly boring

What can I do to make my life easier and embrace the task? I’m done being surrounded by clothes that aren’t in the places they should be

Deactivate your mumsnet account and use the time to do laundry

Put shelves up for clean clothes downstairs and make everyone dress there?

Wash less - make them wear things more before washing.

Make them carry their own clothes up and put them away. Then you just check it has been done before eg TV or whatever.

I’d activate the husband to step up frankly

( does everything actually need washing? Are you putting towels in after one use for example)

Is your husband doing laundry too?

How old are the children? From the age of 3 mine had helped to sort laundry although know DH and I tend to put that’s days load away while the kids are bathing/showering.

What's the tricky bit? Washing, drying, folding or putting away?

Could you make the process more streamlined by washing child A's clothes on their own, then there is no sorting process at the folding stage? They'd need their own washing baskets in their rooms.

How old are the kids? They should be able to put things away after age 4ish.

If the kids wear something for 2 hours and then put them in the wash, then tell them off and take them out. Put a sign next to the washing basket and teach them to think about it. Does it smell? Does it have baked beans on it? Does it matter if it's got baked beans on it and I wear it again tomorrow?

How much of this does DH get involved in? Maybe just wash yours and the kids clothes for a bit if he checks out of the whole process.

I feel this way too . Family of 4 , 2 sporty boys. It has to be a family effort.
So kids have to make sure they wear things several times each.
Clothes that need washing straight away like uniform / sports kit have to be brought to utility room and put in basket on the machine .

separate baskets upstairs for whites , adults and boys stuff.

When we get behind , I push myself to put a load on before I go to bed because it can be hung out in the morning. Everyone is reponsible for putting their own clothes away. I shout a lot if this does not happen. Husband does at least 50% because he knows I hate doing it and don’t have time.
Tops are all hung on coat hangers to dry and then taken straight up on hangers to wardrobes. I don’t iron at all.
It’s a constant battle !

If clean clothes are being put on the floor or straight back in the laundry, you don't need to wash them!

Or do you mean they get dirty again immediately? If we're just at home I don't care if they are wearing clothes with a bit of food down them.

Young kids don't sweat and smell like adults so ime we don't have tons of laundry. it's all the little pants and socks that do get changed daily that start to do my head in!

I don't know the answer but I hear you OP! Bloody hate laundry.

Although suspect @tooksometime might be right in my case 😂

I'm a single mum of 9 so it's a neverending job here, I think it's easier to just accept it's something that is never "done" you get to the bottom of the basket and 5 .invites later someone's had a shower or spilled a drink down themselves or wet the bed (or you walk upstairs to find a sock you didn't see when you were collecting washing 😬)
My washer and dryer are on constantly all day every day but I aim to put three laundry baskets of washing away every day. With a smaller family I think if you aim to get one load washed, dried and put away everyday it should keep you on top of it.

I don’t know how other people cope tbh, I find my family of me and (occasionally bed wetting) DC too much to keep on top of!

I try to switch my mindset away from perfection (having it all finished and an empty basket) to enough (as long as tomorrow’s clothes/bedding are ready that’s all we need).

Why doesn't your husband do his own laundry? I'd never wash a bloke's clothes. A, because it's not my duty, and B, I would be worried I might spoil them or they'd get mixed up with mine. I'd do my own laundry and that of my kids if they were under about 12.

I found my children shoving stuff in the laundry basket to save hanging it up - I‘m
the person deciding when clothes need to be laundered - apart from underclothes
of course.
even as teens conducting their own washing it has to be a valid washload, not hogging the washer.
Hoodie type tops, jeans /shorts, sweaters etc etc etc worn once, hang up please.
I’m not advocating returning grubby clothes to the wardrobes.

We wash too much and too often imho, wearing out garments.
Also at an age when we felt they could understand, we showed them the metered water bill - they were both amazed that we had to pay for water, in and out, a revelation to them, no more unnecessary washloads.
If your men are required to hang up their own clothes this nuisance will soon stop. Take charge, remember the golden rule
men are like puppies, we have to train them while young

You have never washed your partner’s clothing? Ever?

or a child over 12’s?

The only way I stay on top of it is to do a load every single day.

I put a wash on in the evening after dinner, to finish before we go to bed (I won't leave appliances running overnight after family friends had a house fire caused by a washing machine.)

First thing in the morning when the kettle is boiling the washed clothes either go in the tumble dryer or out on the line.

Then that dry load put away in the evening when DDs are getting ready for bed and the next day's washing put into the washing machine.

It's a pain but it does mean it's never a big job, just little and often. DDs know they can wear clothes at least a couple of times before they go in the washing basket unless they're really dirty but that underwear and socks needs to be washed each time. They also have just started putting away their own clothes and DH does his own too so it's not all left to me.

It’s about making sure you see the whole process through, and building in systems that make it easy to do so.

For example, I have 4 baskets for clean laundry. They are stacked in pairs. 1 is for the dc, 1 for dh & me. When a basket is full, it must be taken upstairs ready for emptying. Then there is always another one ready for filling.

for ages now, clothes being put away has been part of the dc’s bedtime routine (whenever there is a full basket upstairs). When they were small, I did it while they brushed teeth etc but now they do it themselves & I do mine & dh’s.

A lot of it is just getting on with it. Ie never go to bed with a full laundry basket!

Don't aim to have empty dirty baskets

Have duplicates eg I have 5 uniform sets, 2 of whatever sports kit etc for each dc.

Make stuff easier to put away, schools jumpers/shirts often dried on the hanger & then straight into wardrobe. Wardrobe has lots of shelves with boxes in, one for sports kits, socks, knickers, winter bits, etc.

Avoid ironing at all costs

Don't let dc change outfits 3 times a day unless necessary.

You just need to find a system that works for you.

Personally, I far prefer separating and washing by 'type'. I CANNOT bear having to empty a wash with some tops, shorts, socks etc all mangled up together. Then having to be dried in different ways (because tops go on hangers, trousers on an airer, underwear is tumbled etc).

We have six washing baskets in a unit in the bathroom:

1. Kids tops
2. Adult tops
3. All trousers/shorts/PJ's
4. Socks and pants
5. Towels
6. Sports wear

Everyone puts their dirty laundry in the relevant basket, when it's full it gets washed (each full basket fits nicely in one load).

I unload the wash, hang it all up or tumble it. When dry it gets folded and put away immediately, by me.

Even though elder dc are 17 and 15 and dh is a functioning adult, only I put laundry away to make sure it's done.

I do 100% of everything to do with laundry. Having two or more people involved in the 'management' of it just makes it more difficult ime. Not knowing if tops hanging up are properly aired or not etc. Dh and dc more than pull their weight in many other ways (I haven't mowed a lawn, cleaned a toilet or mopped a floor for about 20 years 😂). But the laundry, if it gets out of hand, makes the entire house look like a pit - there's just so much of it with 5 people. So they're hands off and I have a well oiled system.

I also don't wash things after 1 wear depending on the item.

I do the dirty sorting and washing bit. DH does the clean sorting and putting away bit. That’s the deal.

Honestly, moving the kids’ clothes downstairs has been life-changing. When we moved house, we were lucky enough to get a laundry room, and I decided to keep all the clothes down there in cupboards.

Now both DDs (8 and 15) just grab what they need. They’ve actually stopped changing outfits several times a day — sometimes they’ll even wear the same thing two days in a row (when still clean) because they can’t be bothered to come ask for something new!

No more piles of clothes in bedrooms, no more overflowing baskets, and no more me running up and down constantly putting stuff away. It all goes straight from the washer to the dryer, then into the cupboards — job done.

Definitely don’t wash everything after 1 wear.

Here I do the washing and drying but DH puts his own clothes away.
DC is 3 so does stuff in drawers (vests, socks, pjs) and I hang the clothes up.

I got annoyed with the constant carrying of clothes up and down the stairs so for DC, they undress for bed and dress for the day downstairs. Dirty clothes go straight in the utility room.
DH will also strip off trousers and T-shirts that need a wash before going upstairs to bed and I do the same.

Doesn’t solve the never ending washing but it definitely helps.

1. husband can do some laundry too
2. more laundry baskets

I don't have an obsession with the laundry basket being empty,but I obviously don't want dirty clothes lying around either. Therefore I have 4 laundry baskets, and just wash when each one gets full. I use one for darks & colours, one for lights, one for school uniform and one for towels and bedding.

Totally agree with drawers or baskets in wardrobes for children. It means they can put their own clean washing away a lot easier. DD2 is 5 and knows that socks, tights and knickers go in her bedside drawers, uniform in the drawer under her ped, pyjamas in the box in her wardrobe etc. She finds hanging up clothes trickier but DD1 aged 8 is fine now with that so she will get there. I think it's just sticking to a routine and teaching good habits.

Start training the kids to put their clothes away now. I didn't do this and I now have useless teens.

My DH does all the laundry. I hate it