To turn all ds clothes inside out?

[Pyjamaramadrama]

He leaves all his washing inside out or screwed up in a ball. Dh and me get fed up of turning it back to hang out the washing and put it away. I've asked him to stop several times and if he's still up hand it back to him. He still does it.

Dh thinks we should give it back to him inside out so that he HAS to put it back, or better still just turn all his clothes inside out.

I'm thinking it's a great plan.

[Pyjamaramadrama]

I just don't like screwed up because when I'm hanging it out I have to flatten it all out or it wouldn't dry. I chuck it in the machine as it is.

We seem to have a lot of washing here. Four of us a dh who has filthy work clothes and a baby who's sicky so some days there's two loads a day.

It never occurred to me to just leave ds clothes inside out. Even though I'm scruffy about ironing I do like things folded and put away nicely. I'm definitely going to just leave it as I find it.

[PennyHasNoSurname]

How old is ds?

[Fairylea]

How old is he? If he's an older teen (16 plus) I would be showing him how to use the washing machine and letting him get on with it.

For someone younger I'd just wash as I'd find. Dh and dd (13) regularly leave things inside out and scrunched up. I just chuck in the wash and then in the tumble and then on their cupboards for them to put away. Not my problem beyond washing and drying them!

[DoreenLethal]

Any tips on getting people to switch lights off when they leave a room?

Every time you find a room with a light on and nobody in it, they go to bed 5 mins earlier. Or lose 5 mins of t'internet time.

No matter what age, give him a basket of his own and teach him how to do the washing, hang it to dry and fold it for storage.

[CelestiaLuna]

Best to wash and iron clothes inside out, so he's actually helping you

[StitchWitch]

My daughter's job has been to clear the airers by folding and sorting the laundry since she was about 10. My son has been emptying the dishwasher since he was about 7. Does your son have a chore?

[Pyjamaramadrama]

He's only 7. I don't think I can be bothered to start washing inside out as I've never done it before. I'm definitely going to start just leaving tops and trousers inside out.

He brings the wheelie bins in but that's because he loves doing it. He doesn't have any other specific chores although he's ok at helping when asked. He's very good at fetching nappies, towels and things for his baby brother.

He gets his room in a tip, leaves all the lights on and his clothes all over the floor.

I try to always call him back to turn lights off, pick clothes up and stuff but get fed up of telling him. Dh is as bad for leaving light on though.

Gosh this thread was only supposed to be 'lighthearted'.

[Pyjamaramadrama]

People who wash and iron the proper way inside out, do you then put it all the right way to hang it up?

I used to just iron as I go but dh convinced me that ironing was pointless so now I only really iron items that badly need it.

[GoringBit]

Any tips for getting an adult to turn lights out? DP will leave a trail of blazing light behind him and it drives me crazy. I've learned to just quietly go around after him and turn off, because reminders of any sort are absolutely ineffective. I don't get ranty about it, I just hate the waste of money.

[RealHuman]

Electric lights are a minuscule portion of your electricity consumption, especially if you use low energy bulbs. I vault remember working it out a while back and I seem to remember coming to the conclusion that you can cancel out all possible electricity savings from keeping your lights turned off by having one extra cup of tea.

[RealHuman]

*vaguely remember

[GoringBit]

Thanks Real, I know it's small stuff, I'm just increasingly bothered by wastefulness, whether that's good, water or money. I'll unclench.

[TisIthecat]

Re lights - I've told the kids that money is finite. They can either turn the lights off and save us some money with which we can buy biscuits or they can leave them on, kill the polar bears and not have any snacks. It's not working very well though...

[RealHuman]

I think with lights it's less about the few pence you can save turning lights off, and more about helping people get into a less wasteful mindset, where turning things off when you're not using them is a normal way to do things.

[MillionToOneChances]

The lights thing drives me mad. I have WON! I waited until the summer when the lights weren't totally essential, and said that they got two warnings and then they lost their lightbulb for a week. After I put it back I said ONE warning and then they lost their lightbulb for a week. They (mostly) don't leave their lights on any more

[GoringBit]

The odd thing with DP is that he's very anti-waste in other ways; we have minimal food waste, use composter, recycle, etc. It's like the lights are just off his radar, and always will be.

[Branleuse]

i dont understand this thread. Are you annoyed that hes given you his washing but not folded it up before hes given it to you?

Do people sort their washing out in a special way before its even washed???

[Pyjamaramadrama]

I have considered removing light bulbs but I thought it might be going too far.

Of course I don't want dirty washing folded but when you're hanging it out to dry it's a right pain if all the socks are screwed into balls, trousers are one leg inside out and with boxers and socks in, and zip hoodies with the arms inside out.

I don't usually notice until I'm hanging it out. When he leaves it on the bathroom floor j give it back.

[starry0ne]

He is not a teen ... only 7 so I am happy pockets are emptied.. I tried calling my DS back upstairs to turn the light off.. it doesn't make a scraps worth of difference... so I give up...