Seventeen Loads of Washing... I'm not am I?

[RedRainRocks]

AIBU in the slightest? Seventeen (spelt out so you're sure it's not a typo). 17 loads of washing this week I have done and put away. (As well as working 72+ hours) I accept I am a little bit OCD about the sheets and towels being on a hot wash alone and that only white things go in the white wash but I do not understand how this household can make so much damn washing!?!!! These are all full loads.

AIBU to ask how many loads you do on an average week, if towels and bedding are done at least once a week and if 22 flannels are an average weeks usage in your household?? I probably am but please ...tell me they are not going to put "now we have no clean clothes to wear" on my gravestone?

There has to be an easier way than this... Surely?

If I stayed in every time I put on the dishwasher or washing machine I'd never be able to hold down a job or a social life.

It's faulty appliances that are the risk, not using them at night. With the best will in the world we can't go around worrying that a a well- maintained reliable brand machine might suddenly burst into flames. The smoke alarm should deal with night time, and I'd rather a fire happened when everyone was out.

Family of 3 - DH and I need professional attire, DD mad into lots of sports and also messy, could do better on sheets but do wash towels frequently.

Usually approx. 4 per midweek (set up every night to wash while we're out next day, it's ready when we all get in at teatime). Mostly darks or colours, 1 whites per week.

Weekends usually another 1-4, for towels, sheets (generally about every 2-3 weeks, I know, shocks), and if we have had an extra heavy week of clothes usage (delicates load needed occasionally, bad weather meaning getting through more, coats needing cleaning reasonably frequently, gym gear or sailing gear needing a wash every 2/3 wears but not weekly, or the mud that happens at scouting events!!).

So realistically, I do about 6-10 per week. But I also have enough in wardrobes that if I fall behind, there are plenty of clean clothes to see us through. And I tend to prefer to wash lots and have things clean and dry but not necessarily folded or ironed (that's a big, once a week, job) so we can get something out that's clean but maybe slightly rumpled if needed (extra school match, "my favourite" hoodie needed, "I'd prefer the navy trousers for this week's overseas trip even though I already wore them this week", a rare wet/sick bed needing changing and clean PJs in middle of the night etc).

I have now got DD putting her dirty clothes into a basket in her room at night, and she will re-wear tracksuit bottoms and hoodies that are still clean (not loads of wears - but I am happy to get a 2nd wear out of those). We all change the layer beside our skin on a daily basis, and after work/school if necessary as well.

I also have smoke alarms in the house (3), and I not only clean the lint filter after every dry in the dryer, I regularly also check the bottom filter and clear out the bits that make it through to that (condenser dryer so there is a gathering on it). And check the washing machine filter regularly too, and clean the washing machine and dishwasher as appliances, as well as expecting them to clean my clothes/dishes.

Having done numerous fire safety training courses, I have seen the potential damage, but have also been told that, well maintained appliances used properly and in conjunction with a smoke alarm should be fine. (Fire brigade trains us for floor marshalls at work, quite apart from training I got at home as a kid (grew up next to an oil refinery) and in girl guides and later scouts.)

I do between 2-3 washes a day.
i have three children with special needs, I have to wash sheets everyday, they usually need a change of clothes 3 times a day each and endless amounts of underwear a day, plus towels and my clothes.

i duno tinky i am a bit nuts about germs so im prob guilty of using too much hot water in the shower ir running taps washing my hands too often than i am over clothes. I agree bath towels dont need a wash everyday. I wouldnt wash my cardy everyday either im forever taking it off and on anyway. Maybe 2 wears at least.

In the summer weather a full change of clothes is understandable but im colder weather if ur not in a cooking environment or messt job no need to change from.top to toe every article surely?? Underwear and docks everyday i agree but for adults other items dont need a wash daily.

I think mens work shirts get filthy with 1,day at work. I usedcto do my brothers dhirts and husband wen he had office job collars n cuffs were akways rank dirty lol

I find it interesting that often the people who do the most washing also shower/bathe the most often. Those that do must a) be completely spotless all the time and b) have astronomical bills.

i need to count but its a lot 8 of us 4 kids 4 adults. 2 adults dirty clothrs evrryday because they behave like kids.

I got a larger machine few months back.not 15kg though i went by reviews and higgest drum doesnt mean best cleaning performance so i opted for an 11kg better than the tiny drum i had before.

invest in a larger machine and think about wat u dont need to wash daily op, good luck! I detest putting it away takes a long time all left to muggins

I'm sorry but I'm laughing here at the people washing bedding and towels and flannels (22!!!) And dog bedding so regularly. We should do it more often maybe but seriously, everyone walking out of our house has clean clothes, doesn't smell and my house also doesn't smell. You are seriously both wasting your lives and environmental resources. Nobody gets a prize for only using a towel once.

I do a lot of washing, but have low bills. Most of the time I wash in cold water, on a n express wash. I don't have water bills.

Maximum 4 full loads a week and it's all done at the weekend. I never do half loads. We have a lot of clothes including underwear and school uniforms for DD so don't have to wash everyday to have stuff to wear.

I usually do 2 loads a day in an 11kg washing machine and then tumble do it. As the weather eyes better more and more will be on the washing line but we live in Wales so...
We are a family of 5 with one disabled teenager who regularly, despite "nappies", wets the bed. She also never wears clothes a second time, in fact they may need changed part way through the day!
I frequently feel like I live in a launderette. It never ends!

river * life must be tough with a large family a disabled child makes it more challenging. Im sure you are well appreciated. Same here mine doesnt end. I refused to put any loads on today i wanted one day of not doing too msny chores. But i know there are 4 hampers of laundry that need doing right now. and 3 baskets of clean laundry to put away im just ignoring it for 1day.

Ive been meaning to get rid of my small machine so when it broke down.a frw months ago i went for an 11kg too. There was a 15kg but the features and performance of that brand didnt seem as good when compared. Its cut down my washing but its still constant drugery most mums endure ey?

I do 2 loads each day, one before work and one after. I also do towels twice weekly. We have 2 adults 8&12 year old. We all wear clean clothes every day and fresh towel and pj's every other day.

I do 3 or 4 a week.
Dh does a filthy job and we mostly wear colours and black, so I do a white wash once a fortnight, bedding and towels alternate weeks, 2 ordinary loads of black/ colour.

I do more when it's nice out as I line dry.

I iron all clothes, bedding, tea towels and even flannels aswell as school uniform etc, wish i didn't but it's all I've ever known.
Remember my mum ironing my knickers as a little girl and I'm now doing the same for my dd, though I don't bother with my own( they're all done Kondo )
I make such work for myself and it's ALOT of hassle but it's nice to just be able to grab a change of clothes when needed and have all uniforms ready for the week.
Runs for cover....

Seriously Rabbit, what a waste of time! Uniform gets ironed. Not sure what would be gained by ironing pants! And bedding takes about 5 seconds to get wrinkled, so no point ironing that either!

To be honest, we're probably not far off that! Family of 4. DD has special needs and gets through more clothing - which is a factor. And I use 2 flannels a day with my Cleanse & Polish! The bottom of the dirty linen basket is an elusive thing, but very satisfying when I do occasionally see it :-)

Me, husband and baby. Husband - 2 loads. I do 3 or 4 but some might not be full loads (baby stuff) I do bedding every other week.

2 adults, one toddler. 1 load bedding, DH's bed one week, mine the next. 1 load towels - hand towels once a week, bath towels once a fortnight, flannel goes in with the towels. Hang them up spread out after use, and neither towels nor flannels get smelly except in that awkward season where it's too wet to hang them outside and too warm to have the heating on, in which case they'll get washed a bit more often. One load DH's stinky sports kit. 2-3 darks, one whites/very lights inc DD's bedding, one darker lights/brights. About 7 loads a week.

I probably do about that amount OP and that doesn't include weekly bedding (i do it fortnightly).

Some weeks i count about 21 loads. Full loads. And we have a large washing machine and tumble dryer which takes a lot more than my last machines.

The dc make about 1 load a day of their clothes, as do dh and myself (often dirty from the dc wiping stuff on us), Towels 2 loads a week (often covered in dirt from dc), one load of whites (dh under shirts and work shirts). one load of bedding (2 if it's our bedding as we have a super kingsize bed and the bedding takes up 2 loads). I also do fils washing, which is one load of clothes per week and one load of bedding or towels.

The other saturday we had been away and i had been so busy in the week that i didn't do any for 3 days and i did 9 loads to clear the backlog. I spend about 3 hours a day sorting, loading, unloading, reloading into the tumble, unloading, folding, sorting and putting away. Fuck knows how long it would take if i ironed everything too.

We have 9 flannels a week. One for dc faces and hands each day and 2 a week for me to wash with (i don;t have time to shower everyday so a couple of days i have a sink wash).

Sorry, meat to say 3 adults and 2 dc (another on the way so it's only going to get worse if they have reflux like the other 2 did :( )

One adult, DDs1& 2, DS. Probably 7-8 washes a week, 9k washer. Bedding now every 10-14 days (youngest 12) although DS can be more often (and more like weekly in the summer). Towels as and when. Sheets and towels go into the condensing dryer, everything else on a sheilamaid in the kitchen. I don't dry anything outside (West London: it comes back in dirty). Only workshirts get ironed. Divide between darks and lights (for colour runs) but mostly all at 40C for 30 mins. Bedding usually 60C. I rather enjoy it, although DS2's habit of changing her outer clothes more than once a day and putting two or more outfits in the wash each day is a bit trying at times. DD1 (15) puts all her stuff away, I put away all of DS's and usually some of DD2's (12).

MissRabbit - what hours do you work outside of the house? How can you possibly fit all that completely pointless ironing in?

Missrabbit my mum ironed or rather used a press to iron/press everything and I mean everything right down to nylon tights,dish cloths,socks!!

I do iron boxer shorts, pants, vest and pjs!

There's 4 of us. I do 6 loads a week, oh, and we don't smell!