Could they have been stolen?

[fizzingmum]

This is so weird and there are a couple scenarios, as far fetched and unreasonable as each other. A huge chunk of my OH clothes have gone missing. Nowhere to be found. All have been worn in the last few weeks. Gone missing are 5 pairs of jeans, 3 designer sweaters a couple of t shirts and some new shoes.
When clothes are dirty they go in the washing basket, this is taken downstairs to utility room twice a week, washed, dried and folded (I don't iron, just as it's needed). The folded clothes are then put into baskets or bags (big ikea blue bags, great for washing!) and taken to each persons room for putting away. We have been through every inch of the house and they are nowhere to be found. I was expecting to find a bag with everything in it and mystery solved. But literally they are nowhere in the house. So the logical conclusion is they are not in the house. But how? The possibilities are
A) someone has hidden them for a joke. But who and not really funny
B) they have been stolen. We are having work done in the house and have had 3 people in the house. My brother does the electrics. It's not him definitely. A plumber came around we have known for many years. It's not him. The builder has been here for 2 weeks now. I don't know him, he is a friend of a guy OH works with. Could be him but I dont understand why? The jumpers are new at Christmas but the jeans are old and frankly tatty. And OH is a big guy and none of the clothes would fit any of the people. I'm wondering if the builder could be doing it as a joke. (OH and his friend are on a weight loss programme together, maybe it's a lad banter thing?) None of my stuff has gone and there is cash in the house that hasn't been touched. Just XXL second hand clothes. . Do I approach this with the builder and if so how? It is driving me insane as all of the clothes have been worn up to about 2 weeks ago.

OH is furious about it and blaming me so he's not hiding another woman or secret life . I remember washing the items but lose track of them at the point of drying and folding. I suppose someone just walking in is as much a possibility as any other scenario, including a poltergeist. It is literally drinking me nuts, it's consuming my thoughts. I keep checking and rechecking everywhere. It's only Happened in the last couple of weeks as the items have all been worn recently. Only new person In the house is the builder. But he seems a genuine nice guy and he is half the size of OH. And why not take my clothes or cash.

My first thought was that he was secretly moving out. Then when you said about him losing weight that added to it. Sorry.

Checked the cars. If it was just one or even two items I could suspect maybe he left them at the gym. But he hasn't worn the sweaters to work and it's just too much stuff.

If he was moving out on the quiet, I suspect that he would not have highlighted the missing clothes to me. He is so frustrated that for the first time in forever, on Saturday he tidied the whole house from top to bottom to look for them. So some
Positives .

My mind boggles at a man who gets his washing done having the nerve to be furious about something getting lost. He could always do his own washing if his stuff is so precious.

Sorry, I know that doesn't help you.

I know this sounds a bit woo but I have had things disappear before, sometimes for weeks and weeks, and then just turn up in exactly the same place where I thought they had been all along, even though I had searched there multiple times and got other people to check as well. It is very creepy when it happens though.

When I was leaving home that's what did. I snuck out a few clothes and left my toiletries and non essentials behind.

Could be that he's just trying to make it look credible. Or just go with your builder stealing them if that seems more credible to you.

So there's the answer OP. When the clothes turn up, hide something else. You'll never need to tidy the house again!

My intial thought was that he took them somewhere. Him getting mad and blaming you could be a cover. Has he been acting different lately?

Have you checked in everyone else's wardrobe and drawers? Sometimes I put the wrong clothes in the wrong drawers when I'm rushing about trying to get everything done

Not acting differently, not sneaking off etc. He is losing weight because quite honestly he is a dead cert for a heart attack if he doesn't change his lifestyle choices. He has been left with one pair of jeans, he wouldn't do that to himself. As I said the jeans are really tatty and a large size, so of no value to anyone but him. But he doesn't want to buy any new ones as he is losing weight. This really isn't about OH, it's about some clothes that have been taken from the house by someone other than me or OH. I know wherever they are they are all together as I can picture the washing when I did it.

Oh god! Why does everyone automatically assume oh is up to o good?
I bet they have been put somewhere 'safe' and will turn up soon. I once got accused of throwing a brand new pair of DH's trainers on the tip when we moved house only to have them turn up about 2 months later in a box that we had put under the bed with all computer things in

Have you been doing any decluttering/sorting things into boxes etc? I lost a new top and spent ages hunting for it. DH had shoved it into a box of impractical shoes that lives on top of the wardrobe because they don't get used very often.

Oh, and I use blue Ikea bags for washing too!

I knew just from your op that someone, at some point along the line, would accuse your DH of having an affair. Seems to be the go to reason for bloody everything lately on here.

It would drive me barmy, too. Have you checked in everyone else's wardrobes in case they've accidentally been put away with someone else's clothes? I've done that multiple times. Towel cupboard?

I bet someone took them thinking you were just bagging them up to go to the charity shop anyway, and they told themselves that would make it OK. Maybe they only wanted a couple of the things.

Is it possible that someone (the builder ) broke something, panicked, put the bits into what he assumed was rubbish and took the whok e lot with him? Or accidentally picked up the blue bag and took it with him?
Alternatively, when you relax and think about it where does your mind take you when you think of the last place you saw the bag? I am the world's Queen of losing things and very often I keep coming back in my mind to a solution that seems impossible but very often there is some truth to it,
I know that sounds obvious but hopefully you know what I mean.
Lastly, you're not missing a Jo Malone candle aswell are you OP, a surprising number of Mumsnetters have had one pinched by a rogue builder!

In the light of the mug incident, it sounds like the builder. Try asking in one of the ways suggested up-thread. The builder might be smler than DH, but he might have some large family members whom the clothes would fit.

Oh god! Why does everyone automatically assume oh is up to no good?
You know why, MrsG, this is MumsNet.

Call on st Anthony?

Are you sure it wasn't binned by accident by someone tidying? If it was left near someone's tools or something it could easily be mistaken for rubbish and thrown away on their way out.

Is the builder the same size as DH? Scruffy jeans might be OK for someone who does that kind of physical work.

I feel your pain. I have had a pair of Converse disappear from my apartment, never to be seen again. It was over a year ago, and it still bothers me to this day.

It was obviously the builder, they just love to steal anything they can get their hands on....even clothes that don't fit them!

I think this is the answer. Superman takes an XL

Superman is a different kind of XL to my OH!