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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To leave DH over ruined underwear?

583 replies

Sprinklestar · 18/11/2017 20:16

Ok, sounds dramatic, right?
But... We have been together years, known each other forever. Today, yet again, he washed my hand wash only underwear in the machine and ruined it. I have lost count of the number of times he has done this.
It is just such a waste and will need replacing. We must have had this scenario every year for the past ten.
It's like that thing on the internet about the man whose wife left him over a cup left on the side, its the constant drip drip drip effect and never learning.
I can't stand his incompetence anymore. How hard is it to check a label? And not mess with the stuff in the separate handwash only basket?!
I am so angry.

OP posts:
EmilyChambers79 · 19/11/2017 09:32

how about 'the respondent repeatably destroyed the petitioners personal belongings, displaying no remorse or attempt to change their behaviour

Still wouldn't be enough for an unreasonable behaviour petition though.

Repeatedly destroying her stuff implies he is continually destroying her possessions. What else has he destroyed other than making a load of washing up using her handwash only underwear?

shakingmyhead1 · 19/11/2017 09:33

Just hand him the bra and panties and tell him the shop you want him to go to and make him take them to the shop and buy you the exact replacements, and remind him THE EXACT REPLACEMENTS! and if he needs to do it often enough he will remember!
and sometimes i force myself to remember the old advice column that we shouldnt get made when they do a job and its not to our standards, we should be happy they did the job and didnt leave it to us like usual ( or maybe it was if they do the job crappy we will redo it and they will never be asked again, very sneaky of them)

SchnitzelVonKrumm · 19/11/2017 09:34

Seriously, she should be grateful that another adult can use the washing machine incompetently? FFS.

EmilyChambers79 · 19/11/2017 09:36

He can just get them on. They were tight and lasted just a few weeks before he grew out of them

Why would you not take the trousers back or get your partner to take them back? Why make your child wear too tight trousers for a few weeks? To prove a point?

ChaChaChaCh4nges · 19/11/2017 09:39

Why would you not take the trousers back or get your partner to take them back? Why make your child wear too tight trousers for a few weeks? To prove a point?

Isn’t the more important question “Why would your H buy a different size to the one the OP has categorically told him is correct for the 5th fucking time?”

haveacupoftea · 19/11/2017 09:40

Everyone makes mistakes and this is a pretty small one as far as mistakes go. Take a step back and look at the bigger picture. Is he kind, loving, good in bed? Are you? Do you ever do small things that could be classed as irritating or thoughtless? I don't think any of us can pretend to be the perfect partner and you are attaching meaning to his actions beyond the more probable realty that he's just going through the daily grind and didn't mean any harm.

ferrier · 19/11/2017 09:41

This is obviously part of a bigger picture of incompetence but on the particular issue I's put my handwash basket in my wardrobe so he doesn't even see it and so it's totally obvious that it's not for him to touch.

Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g · 19/11/2017 09:41

sometimes i force myself to remember the old advice column that we shouldnt get made when they do a job and its not to our standards, we should be happy they did the job and didnt leave it to us like usual ( or maybe it was if they do the job crappy we will redo it and they will never be asked again, very sneaky of them)

Don't force yourself to remember this. Put it right out of your mind. It belongs back in the 1950s.

Also, stop generalising about men. It's as offensive as generalising about all women. My husband doesn't behave like this and neither do my father, my brother or my son. I know of plenty of men who are completely competent at a wide range of household jobs. A lot of the ones that aren't are that way because they have never applied themselves to the job in hand.

JacquesHammer · 19/11/2017 09:45

Is there anything more depressing than the "my husband doesn't event know HOW to use the washing machine" brigade. No doubt said with a tinkly little laugh and worn as some sort of badge of honour.

OP - I get it, it isn't the seemingly small action, it's the deep seated lack of thought of you and even what you've previously discussed that's an issue. I hope you can work it through

EmilyChambers79 · 19/11/2017 09:48

And just to throw this out there, I experienced DV from my ex. He disguised it as me being incompetent and unable to do things properly. He was obviously believable until the day he tripped himself up and I realised actually it wasn't me who was incapable. Some things he did were:

He used to wash up, I dried and put away. He then said leave the drying up, it drys better and we can put it away in the morning. We did and put it away in the morning (whoever got up first). After I went to bed, he would dry and put it away, saying he had got up first. This then manifested into him telling people he did the washing up, the drying and the putting away while I did nothing but each time I went to do it, he would shoo me away in the living room to look after DS.

He would add washing into the piles before I put them in the machine that I wouldn't notice was there and then that would get ruined in the wash (wool jumpers in with the bedding on a 60 wash) and them it would be my fault as I'd sorted the washing. He would even hide tissues in pockets. Again, it looked like I was incompetent at washing, even though I knew I was doing it right but he loved moaning about this.

I used to do the weekly shop. He'd unpack and put away. Formula, nappies etc would be missing even though I knew I had got them. He would then throw away the receipt and say I hadn't collected it so I couldn't prove it. Again, I was scatty and couldn't remember the shopping to everyone else.

He used to take DS out in the pushchair. Have a walk to the beach and spend a good 5 hours out so I could do college work. Absolutely offered to do this, told me to make the most of it, cuppa before he left etc. He told people I'd kicked them out of the house in one of my moods and he was scared to go back.

I'm sure the OP isn't doing anything like this but it's always worth bearing in mind that the person doing the wrong thing is not the abuser, yet most here assume it's because he doesn't care about her and is purposely destroying her property through hate.

PoorYorick · 19/11/2017 09:49

Is there anything more depressing than the "my husband doesn't event know HOW to use the washing machine" brigade. No doubt said with a tinkly little laugh and worn as some sort of badge of honour.

It's one of many things that, thank God, I do see only on Mumsnet. I've never met a woman in real life who thought it was funny or even acceptable that a grown fucking man doesn't know how to do laundry.

It astonishes me every time. I am attracted to capable men who get shit done, and I would have thought this would be fairly common. Is it really such an unusual preference?

EmilyChambers79 · 19/11/2017 09:53

Isn’t the more important question “Why would your H buy a different size to the one the OP has categorically told him is correct for the 5th fucking time

I've got a different size to what DH has told me to get. I couldn't remember the last trouser size DS had, I phoned he told me size and said get next size up. Next size up looked massive so I got the extra long size in the same size he had previously. They were too tight but right length. DH changed them when he went back to shop.

It doesn't mean I'm lazy or incompetent or it's worth a divorce.

Yes, maybe he should have got the size she said but the size difference between trousers looks huge at that age bracket so I can see why he didn't get the larger size.

But I think it's equally fair to ask why did you let your child wear them if they don't fit.

53rdWay · 19/11/2017 09:54

Is there anything more depressing than the "my husband doesn't event know HOW to use the washing machine" brigade. No doubt said with a tinkly little laugh and worn as some sort of badge of honour.

Indeed. My husband isn't like this but my dad is. Does not/'cannot' use the washing machine, 'doesn't understand' it. Has spent his entire working life working with much bigger and more complex machines in factories, but MYSTERIOUSLY still can't figure out the washing machine.

holdbackonthewine · 19/11/2017 09:55

I have exactly this problem with my cleaner (yes I know very spoilt). I have asked her not to do laundry AT ALL but still, every so often, she thinks she’s helping and piles it in all mixed up on 60 degrees (the default programme). Her English is poor and she can’t read.

She has been working for me for 10 years. In every other way she is wonderful, totally reliable and kind and so hard working so it’s not make or break for me, I try to be bang up to date with laundry when she’s coming (a great discipline for me) and if not I hide it. Would this work for you? If you’re happy in your relationship except for this one thing then stop this one thing happening.

Frustrating yes, relationship breaker, for me no!

Worldsworstcook · 19/11/2017 09:55

Lethaldrizzle

A woman after my own heart

Hissy · 19/11/2017 09:55

He went out of his way to “help” knowing that the basket was a Do not fucking touch, I don’t like the idea that it was malicious, but if he didn’t care/think, he’d have just washed the normal wash and forgotten the do not touch basket...

CraicMammy · 19/11/2017 09:56

My Dad was just like the OP’s partner, (though I doubt he’s ever used a WM in his life). Seeing how he behaved, I grew up believing that the only thing you could rely on a man to do was disappoint (and Dad didn’t leave me with scope to have very high expectations).

I was 30 before I discovered there were men better than him. You have one life, it doesn’t have to be full of disappointments.

ChaChaChaCh4nges · 19/11/2017 09:56

But have you done it 5 times, Emily?

iBiscuit · 19/11/2017 09:59

Emily, that all sounds horrendous. But op's H sought out her underwear - deliberately going into her designated "delicates" laundry bin. His reasoning - to make up the load - seems sensible. Putting stuff she's told him repeatedly not to machine wash in to make up that load however is not.

valuerangeweetabixandmilk · 19/11/2017 10:02

I also think the posters not getting it are in non abusive marriages. It sounds like nothing thats the whole point it is silent abuse.

EmilyChambers79 · 19/11/2017 10:07

Emily, that all sounds horrendous. But op's H sought out her underwear - deliberately going into her designated "delicates" laundry bin. His reasoning - to make up the load - seems sensible. Putting stuff she's told him repeatedly not to machine wash in to make up that load however is not

And to listen to my ex, I was deliberately lazy and entitled. As I said, I'm not suggesting OP is even close to what my ex was bit it seems a bit unfair that her DH is being accused of practically hating her and her clothes because he shoved some knickers in to make up a wash.

Though I also don't see how a pair of knockers really makes up a wash either, especially with bedding!

EmilyChambers79 · 19/11/2017 10:07

Knickers not knockers Blush

iBiscuit · 19/11/2017 10:08

That would depend on the cup size Grin

blankpieceofpaper · 19/11/2017 10:08

I wonder how those same posters on here would react if it was the other way round. That the husband had special clothing for a hobby or dry clean only trousers for a job/ formal occasion.

You would probably get - he made it clear, he's asked you enough times! Why couldn't you help him?! It's disrespectful and controlling!

You certainly wouldn't get: you have a wife who does the laundry, be grateful! At least she doesn't hit you or cheat you!

Depressing to read, and bloody stupid. What low expectations we set our selves and our partners.

IrritatedUser1960 · 19/11/2017 10:14

Quite agree Blank.

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