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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to give my friend musty clothes from the loft?

27 replies

ihatemycat · 16/12/2012 08:18

I've offered a friend all my DS's clothes from the loft. They span ages 0 to 5 yrs there's about 8 bin bags full and pretty much everything you'd need to clothe a kid. Having dragged them from the loft they're quite musty and crumpled, aibu to pass them on as they are or if it the done thing to wash them first? The thought of adding them to my current washing mountain fills me with dread!

OP posts:

Sirzy · 16/12/2012 08:21

Give them to her and tell her "they have been in the loft for a few years so will probably need washing through"

I would be greatful to be given the clothes, I wouldn't expect them to be washed first when that wash is just a refresh rather than them being dirty

MammaTJ · 16/12/2012 08:21

I would wash them first.

Each wash takes minutes of your time and you can get on with other things while it is doing.

Nishky · 16/12/2012 08:23

8 bin bags full of clothes- I would be so grateful I would happily wash them in a stream

that is an exaggeration clearly, but the point is I can't imagine anyone would expect you to wash them before handing them over

dexter73 · 16/12/2012 08:23

Yanbu to pass them on as they are but I would wash them first.

YouSeveredHead · 16/12/2012 08:25

I would accept and wash without a second thought.

Kytti · 16/12/2012 08:26

I would be very happy to get 8 bin bags full of 5 yrs worth of clothes. No need to wash first!

TheProvincialLady · 16/12/2012 08:27

YANBU but do explain that they have been in the loft and need washing or she'll just think your house smells

Lexiesinclair · 16/12/2012 08:29

She will probably put the bigger sizes in her loft until they fit her DS, so it makes sense that she washes them as and when she needs them.

minibmw2010 · 16/12/2012 08:32

Pass them to get and she can wash them. Have just given a big bag of maternity clothes to a friend with exactly same thing, she was happy to do it.

WitchOfEndor · 16/12/2012 08:35

What a lovely thing to do! I would probably wash them if they smelled musty, but on the other hand I would be happy to accept them unwashed! Depends on how musty they are really.

Inertia · 16/12/2012 08:38

I always wash first - sorry, that's not what you want to hear.

Iron and fold too - figure that parents of a new baby are likely to be busier and more tired than me.

Alligatorpie · 16/12/2012 08:38

I would wash them first,I would be uncomfortable handing over things that needed washing.

However, if I was receiving them, I would wash them before I dressed my child in them - even if I was told they were clean.

Am I normal?

Original poster

ihatemycat · 16/12/2012 08:50

Thanks everyone, valid point that most will go straight in their loft. I think I won't wash them but will explain they're musty and will need a good wash. Ordinarily I might wash them, but 8 bags worth is a bit much to do in one batch! Hopefully she'll understand!

OP posts:

DuddlePuck · 16/12/2012 08:57

Why don't you wash the stuff she's likely to need now? I'm assuming it would be baby stuff, so a washer full would be loads. It'll save her time when she's possibly run off her feet, and she can wash the bigger stuff as she needs it. (Although I have to say I know a lot of people who would rewash anyway).

It's a lovely thing to do anyway :)

EverythingsDozy · 16/12/2012 09:01

If it were me, I'd rewash them myself anyway so don't bother, just let her know. May I recommend those vacuum storage bags, they stop that horrible musty smell and keep them fresh. We have clothes in the loft that haven't gone funny / smelly / damp in the loft because of them

TandB · 16/12/2012 09:03

I would pass them on and tell her they need washing.

I wouldn't wash them as things take ages to dry in our house and I need the drying space for our own daily washes as DS2 is in cloth nappies.

CaHoHoHootz · 16/12/2012 09:03

Definitely don't wash them. It would be wasteful to wash things she might not be going to use. Washing 8 bags of cloths would take a long time.

ClairesTravellingCircus · 16/12/2012 09:07

What CaHoHo said, I was recently given bags and bsgd of stuff for my babies, but I didn't use all of it so it would have been a waste of their time to wash them first.

I would have washed everything again anyway...

honeytea · 16/12/2012 09:07

Maybe wash the first 0-6 months worth as she will be using them soon then leave the rest.

whois · 16/12/2012 09:14

If it was one or two items I'd wash them. 8 bags? No way!!!

If I was being given several bags of clothes I would be more than happy to wash myself, but would appreciate a heads up 'just to warn you they've been in the loft so they will need washing'

If I were giving clothes away I would let my formed know they needed washing, and if she got pissy about having to wash them herself i'd re-evaluate our friendship!

CurlyhairedAssassin · 16/12/2012 09:19

Definitely don't wash any of them. She might not want to keep all of them anyway and as others have said, most of them will go straight into HER loft and need washing when it's time to use them.

My DS also had terrible eczema as a baby and had to have his clothes washed in a particular washing powder with loads of extra rinses etc - if I'd have dressed him in the clothes that my sister passed onto me which smelled very strongly of bio powder then it would have really made his eczema bad so I used to wash them anyway.

PLUS, you will have enough family washing of your own to keep up with to do 8 bags on top of that. Whereas she can do them bit by bit as she needs them.

There's no question of you washing them! Just explain that they've been in the loft and that they'll need washing again.

SantaWearsGreen · 16/12/2012 09:47

Yanbu. I sold a massive baby bundle and I just couldn't manage to wash and dry it all on top of 3 lots of nappies and 5 people's washing (3 of them under 3) plus we air dry everything. I explained to the person, they didn't mind and said they would have re-washed it all anyway.

Your friend will just be grateful for the clobber. She will also probably wash it as she goes along anyway. 8 bags is too much to manage to wash imo.

chipsandpeas · 16/12/2012 10:06

i would wash them first however if someone was being that kind enough to give me that amount of clothes then it wouldnt bother me to have to wash them before using them

Collaborate · 16/12/2012 10:24

You're doing the favour for her. If she's getting something for nothing she shouldn't mind, and if she does mind then she doesn't really deserve them. If you expect to have them back then tell her clearly (seems to be more than a few threads about this).

DesperatelySeekingSedatives · 16/12/2012 10:30

DP's lovely lovely cousin gave us about 4 or 5 binbags full of clothes for DS last year and I was so grateful for all that stuff I was happy to wash it all myself! It's FREE STUFF!!!

If you were selling it then yes you should wash it but you're giving it away so no need to wash it. And there's 8 bags! It'll take ages! Think of your water and leccy bills if anything!

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