How many days on average, do you leave wet washing in the machine?

[HisWife]

I leave it between 24-48 hours, If longer than that I usually run it again.

Am very very lax on most things cleaning-wise but wouldn't leave washing in the machine for longer than a few hours. Though probably wouldn't re-wash, just think oops and wear on stay-at-home days.

Was applauding self for finally not being one of the skanky ones on these sorts of threads, but did I just ruin it?

Longest would be overnight if the cycle hasn't finished by the time I go to bed so and then hung up after school run so I guess that would be 12 hours max. Any longer and you defenitely get smelly washing.

My trip down the washing/household isle in the supermarket will never be the same again now I know how the conditioner is supplied

A couple of hours, with the door OPEN to allow air to circulate at least to the top of the pile. After 4 or 5 hours it would need a rewash.

People dislike line-drying their clothes out-of-doors because fabric conditioner smells better than fresh air?!?!

Yesterday one of the first loads this year of properly line-dried clothes came in smelling faintly of hyacinths. Real hyacinths, the ones that grow in my garden, not some artificial perfume synthesised from crude oil.

Soon the clothes will start smelling of tree-blossom, and after that they will smell of freshly-mown grass.

Fresh laundry smells so much nicer in the summer than in the winter, when it is tumbled or aired indoors.

Line-dried towels snap and flap in the breeze, and are softer than indoor-aired towels (granted, not as soft as tumbled). Line-dried shirts also snap and flap in the breeze, and therefore need much less ironing than when dried in any other way - including tumbling.

As for the rain, that's just an extra rinse! Unless you live in a town with heavy pollution, rainwater is cleaner, purer, softer, and better for your clothes and skin than tap water.

I love washing clothes. sigh
It's my favourite chore.
Which is good, given that we have three kids (one newborn) so wash at least every other day.

none
slattern

I came back from hospital after having DS1 (was in for 5 days) and found the washing I'd put in when I went into labour was still in the machine. The smell was foul and most of what was in there never recovered, no matter how often it was washed.

I try not to leave it at all, even overnight. If it does stay in by accident and is smelly, then I wash it again.

Adair - would you like my address?

I love doing laundry, too. Everyone I know thinks I'm weird because of that.

Also, why would you open the door (blackeyedsusan) but not take the washing out of the machine?

You are supposed to take the washing out immediately and dry it, otherwise bacteria start to grow. So said Kim and Aggie, and I believe them. I would certainly remove it immediately in the summer.

I take mine out pretty much straight away. I have a delay start button on the machine as well so I can time it overnight or something. I love line-drying clothes, they smell so fresh.

I don't like leaving the washing machine or dryer on when I go out either - my parents know someone whose house burnt down when she went out and left the washing machine on

Adair- you're mad!

I take it out straight away whenever possible, never more than an hour or so, as I think it smells horrible... and I am pretty slatternly tbh.

Mine generally comes out an hour or two after it's finished. The machine is in the cellar and is still a novelty ater sharing one with 14 other flats for three years.
I not only love my machine, I love fabric softener too.

Days????

Err I take the washing out pretty much straight away. Sorry but it is absolutely minging to leave washing in the machine for longer than a couple of hours! Even by my low house keeping standards!

I'm feeling anxious just thinking about leaving it in the machine overnight

Heh, transfer. Me too

Taken out as soon as finished and put out to dry if
possible nothing nicer than fresh smelling laundry
in the house,cant imagine why it would be left in the machine for a couple of days thats total laziness imo

I take mine out within a few hours of putting it on. Ocasionally overnight, check if smells first. But I love the smell of clothes dried outside. Something so satisfying about putting the washing out and watching the clothes flap in the breeze.

Simple pleasures

Ocassionally

Oops. Another one who leaves it in, 24 hours sometimes

Why? Sometimes I forget, but you're right - I don't really think it matters that much. It is harder to iron though I'll give you that, so if there are shirts in there (the only thing we iron) I try and take them out sooner.

We have never noticed our clothes smelling bad or anything. I did rewash once when I left some in for a whole weekend though.

total laziness

Sorry, but I think this comment and others like it are completely ridiculous.

Hmmm ... some of us go out to work, you know, and don't have fancy machines with timers. I put mine in before I go to work, get it out and hang to dry or tumble when I get home. So I guess it's in there for 6 hours. Or run it last thing at night and hang it out in the morning. So again, in the machine for 6 hours. There's now way my household could run otherwise. I don't want to do laundry all weekend and I'm not getting up early or staying up late to do it either! I don't think we smell .