To not check pockets before washing clothes?

[Mamabear14]

There is a debate in my house this morning. Pair of jeans on floor next to but not on wash pile. I have washed them with his wallet in. He says it's my responsibility to check pockets before washing his stuff. I say he's 36 he can empty his pockets before chucking stuff on the floor himself. Fortunately there was no cash inside only cards so they will be fine once they dry I think. Should I check pockets? I don't even do that for my sons who are 8 and 10!

Similarly to emwithme etc., the laundry loader owns whatever is left in pockets. For reasons of not fucking up the machine (not someone else's phone/shopping list/old tissue/handful of twigs and stones) personally, I check pockets. And own that which is within.

I would also add that the laundry loader also has the following rights:

1. the choice to leave any items in the pockets and not wash the garment
2. not to wash any item not in the wash bin/basket, but thrown to the floor nearby
3. who ever loads and fucks up the machine because of not checking pockets in laundry pile, pays for repairs or fishes the coins out of the bottom of the machine
4. in the case of other adults in the household: I am not your mother

4b. in the case of older children in the household: I am not your slave 4c. in the case of younger children in the household: empty pockets and rehearse the 'don't put twigs/dead animals/old stickers/random shit in your pockets' speech and wonder about sewing up all the fucking pockets.

YANBU. I washed DH's ipod once. Not really my problem. Seriously in a family of 5, it's not a quick job to double check every pocket. If that's part of the job, then I'm on strike.

Any money found in the washing machine is mine. They soon learn to empty their pockets.

Check pockets, confiscate anything good that you find.

Charge a fee for getting it back.

People know they should empty their pockets here but I always check anyway. Less effort to do that than sort out a tissue snowstorm.

I have however been duped by sneaky ski trousers and combat trousers with pockets in the legs before. Those incidents led to the death of a mobile and a very clean but amazingly still usable passport respectively.

Did he intend them to be washed, or did he just discard them carelessly close to the pile?

If he didn't intend them to be washed, then of course he wouldn't have checked the pockets.

Though there's still no reason you should.

Some of you make it sound like a huge chore to do a quick double check on pockets.

All 4 of us stick a load in the machine ( me, DH DS,s age 15 and 18)
A lot of things don't have pockets ( towels, undies, bedding, jumpers, night waer, dresses, sports kits). The main things are really jeans and trousers. There can't br THAT many that is making you all whingedthat.
And like I said, it's not necessary one person doing al the washing so it's hardly chore of the century to spend a few seconds double checking to see if anything has been missed. I'm glad all 4 of us are in the habit of doing that, it saves having a potentially knackered washing machine.

Both DH and DS know to empty pockets before placing things into laundry basket. However, as I do all the laundry (and therefore I would be the one to remove bits of shredded tissue from everyone's clothes) I always check before I put a load of washing on. In fairness my lot only really put things in pockets of trousers or fleeces so I don't check shirt pockets -so it isn't really a bog job. In fact it's a lot quicker to do that than deal wth the consequences of a stray tissue.

I double check because I've left something in my own pockets before.

At 36 as a functioning adult it's his responsibility to do or not do his own laundry.

YABU to wash something that is not in the washing pile!

I never check. dh neither.
the noise the zippo and screwdriver made that fil left in his pockets were indescribable...

At 36 as a functioning adult it's his responsibility to do or not do his own laundry.
How on earth do some households function? If I was responsible for only my washing I'd be waiting ages for a particular load. Same with DH. Makes much more sense (IMO) to do a wash when there is enough clothes for a certain wash
Also if you only do stuff that belongs to you who does the joint stuff like bedding?

Crikey folks, just be kind to each other! It's a meant to be a partnership not a reenactment of the Cold War or something.

I don't mind checking pockets because I really, really hate tissues in a dark wash.

But for some reason I get apoplectic if DH doesn't undo the buttons on his shirt collars before putting them in the wash

YANBU.

I am not ferreting around in your clothing, and whatever is on said clothing, because you're too lazy to check your own damn pockets. If clothes are in the basket they're dirty, and because my husband works on cars, and works with chemicals, I'm not playing that game. If I notice odd weight when loading I'll check though.

DH has had his wallet washed once, and his pocket knife another. Wallet was pretty bad because it took a while to repair the damage to the leather.

Neither of us put tissues in pockets so that's not a risk. Pen's wouldn't sit in our pockets either so the only risk is money/receipts/hair pins. Hardly anything I own has pockets, or if it does have pockets its rarely washed (winter coat for example) so no problem there either.

They wouldn't get washed here if not in pile/basket. But if you must wash stuff that wasn't in the designated place, I think you need to check the pockets. Owner has not indicated, through the medium of placing trousers in the basket, that they want them washed and have checked the pockets.

The person whose clothes it is should check their pockets before putting them in the laundry basket. The person loading the washing machine should double check. It's not like it takes long to check.

FIL once left a spanner in his pocket after doing some DIY. MIL put them in the washing machine without checking the pockets. During the wash, the spanner came out of the pocket and smashed through the window on the door of the washing machine. They had to buy a new washing machine because neither of them had bothered to take 10 seconds to check the pockets.

"At 36 as a functioning adult it's his responsibility to do or not do his own laundry."

Does everyone in your family cook their own separate dinner too? Wash up their own plates?

I always double check pockets...just to be on the safe side...and I empty my pockets before putting things in the laundry bin ...but even so...
Recently I've managed to wash trousers with a tesco's receipt in the back pocket (you can read the tesco's bit on the back but nothing else)
Found it when I wore the trousers a few weeks later - not the end of the world except that is the pocket I always put things in for my voluntary/paid work ...suspect it was someone's expenses for something but so far (and I've asked around -slightly embarrassing ) no-one can remember giving me it - so I think I'm off the hook (couldn't have been for much or it would/should have been on a claim sheet)...

Also I have removed a biro from DPs supposedly emptied pockets. Not sure it would have done much harm in the washing machine but if it had made the tumble - also found a lighter (DP again) in the washing machine once...another I'm glad that didn't make the tumble!
A friend's DH left the takings from their business in his pocket - the cash was fine but the cheques were another story (a good few years ago when cheques were still commonly used - they lost a couple of hundred pounds).
So YABU - everyone makes mistakes ....no harm in double checking...

If it's not in the wash basket it doesn't get washed.

And if it is in the wash basket I presume someone has checked their pockets before putting it in wash basket

hakluyt
That my view and point I was trying to make.
Some of the posters here sound like they are student in shared digs rather thn. Them.

This post comes up quite regularly on MN and I always find it hard to believe that some people actually like their partner with some of the tatement that are made.
I get that people are supposed to check their own pockets and we generally do but occasionally people may rush or get distracted while changing. I know I have, I mentioned the ipod incident earlier.
Like I keep saying if everyone does a quick check it could save long term implications but I guess the more militant attitude son here aren't going to soften any time soon!

I check all pockets when putting a wash on and I get to keep anything I find. Normally get a few coins and sometimes notes as well. I decided not to keep the live snail I found in dh's pocket once though .

"I check all pockets when putting a wash on and I get to keep anything I find."

I will never understand the attitudes of some on this thread.

YABU. Yes Perhaps he should have checked his pockets but maybe he made a mistake and forgot. We all do that occasionally. I know I've done the same thing before. So I always check pockets before putting a wash on and if DH is doing a wash he checks pockets.