I just think this is crazy! Do I need to stop being such a mum?

[michelleseashell]

One of my friend's washing machine is broken so I'm helping her out by doing her washing. Rather than waiting around, she's just left me with two big bags of mostly baby clothes.

The thing is about 95% of the clothes are ruined! They're all gray and absolutely covered in bobbles. This is baby clothes so they can't possibly have had time to get in such a state. They've obviously just been put in with darks, jeans, on really hot washes etc.

I just don't understand it! I am literally aghast! Why would somebody do this? Isn't it just a terrible waste of money? These are all Next and Gap but even supermarket stuff can be kept in good condition, surely? A charity shop would throw these clothes out.

I put on a 'white' wash with a stain remover pouch and a colour catcher and the colour catches came out dark gray.

Aghast!!

Michelle - I agree with you. No excuses for grey washing!

It does seem so careless and wasteful and unnecessary though. I wouldn't get my (white) knickers on a twist, but still it would make me

Ds2's baby clothes have been through 3 kids before him - my pal's 2, ds1 and now him. THey are being passed on as most are still in good nick.

Colour catchers don't work ime.
Maybe your friend is of the opinion that so long as baby is warm and dry and the clothes are clean then it's not an issue. You can't really put a sloppy poo riddled sleepsuit on a delicate wash - sometimes you have to do 'really hot washes'.
I would have said that you were doing a lovely thing helping her with her washing. But comparing her whites unfavourably to yours and posting on the internet about it has changed my mind.

I was actually relishing the chance to do the laundry, linerunner. I am a total monica about my washing. I have a system and everything is scheduled. I just love making things look all lovely and smell nice and folding them up neatly. It really makes me feel like I've
made a difference in the world.

I know we're two extremes her and me but surely I'm more right, right? My way must be better!

Oh well. That was a pointless exercise.

Gaaahh!

Wrong thread.

I'm that cow in a dressing gown and curlers peering over into other peoples gardens and going well HER whites are less than white, aren't I?

No I won't say a word to her about this. She can't bear internet forums either so she definitely won't come across this by accident.

No. Your way is not better. In fact, it sounds obsessively unhealthy to me.

It's laundry. Not brain surgery.

But I can't do brain surgery :(

it was nice of you to help out but it seems that her slovenliness and your perfectionism you are rather enjoying telling others about

Michelle you aremaking me laugh so much! The glass of may have helped. I seperate my washes but ds when he was tiny did have various old, stained, holey clothes. I figured so long as he was warm he didn't care.

Maybe your friend was fed up of insipid colours for babys, and she'd dyed all the baby clothes black, and they've just faded in the wash?

"Slovenly" is not washing the clothes so that they are grubby.

These clothes are perfectly clean -- in fact, the condition they are in shows that they have been washed a lot. They just haven't been treated the same way you treat your baby clothes. If you think that's "slovenly" then you need to recalibrate your slovenliness detector; I recommend a few back episodes of How Clean Is Your House .

Your friend sounds like my Mum! She washes everything in one mixed wash, which I don't mind her doing when she is in her own house but she has insisted on doing it in my house too and ruined a good suit of ds1's by washing the pale trousers in with dark clothes and not washing the jacket so they were two different colours! Her whites are grey but she really doesn't see it. It was only when I went to live with my aunt at 18 that I realise that other people separated laundry and things didn't get progressivly worse with each wash.

We all have a touch of Monica in us about something?

Er - no. Your way is just your way. It's not "more right" to do the laundry your way any more than it's "more right" for your friend to feel (presumably) that there are far more important things in life - like playing with her kids, or working, or cooking, or a million and one other things - than being so uptight about clothes as long as the child has enough layers for the weather.

You're being unreasonable and judgmental and personally I would rather have grey bobbly clothes than a "friend" like you.

:o @ Beer

Obviously in the grand scheme of things it is totally unimportant, but I also don't understand why people ruin their clothes in the wash. I was pretty pleased with myself when I got to take over DH's laundry and get his clothes properly white again.

(We do share chores, but the laundry is my domain.)

Too true, LineRunner!

Another thing - the title is annoying. I've never considered perfectly white washing to be one of the defining points of being a mum. Is your friend less of a 'mum' cos her washing is grey? I doubt it. Maybe she's playing with her kids while your faffing with colour catchers, stain remover pouches and separating whites.

I am looking forward to the updates when she brings her next bag of washing round. Perhaps you could publicly tut over her dps shit skids and let us all know if she uses pantyliners.

Ha ha good one beertricks

Oh I don't really think she's slovenly. We're great friends. I just wanted to throw the word slovenly in there.

Ooh no she's left out her smalls. Bet they're in a RIGHT state! :o

If I toss my dingy bras in your direction will you sort them out for me michelle?