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Original poster

To ask how you manage to stay on top of the laundry pile

144 replies

Cigna · 06/04/2018 13:01

Our family has just expanded from 5 to 6 (whoohoo) and while it is mostly wonderful, I can already see that we have difficulties with the increased amount of laundry. We are not extreme in washing (towels last one week, as does bedding- clearly as long as no accidents happened), but we easily have 8-10 full loads every week. With both of us working full time (am now on leave though) we used to do all of the loads in the weekend with me sorting and folding in front of tv on Sunday. This seems no longer feasible as we cannot spent the whole weekend moving laundry from the washing machine to the dryer etc. How do other (big) families manage to stay on top? Kids are too small to help and especially the sorting per kid takes a lot of time. Any tips are gratefully received!

OP posts:
StormcloakNord · 06/04/2018 13:02

With great difficulty. I only have 1 DD as well. DP and I work full time and I feel like all I do is chase my tail with the washing.

Canwejustrelaxnow · 06/04/2018 13:04

I know a big family who have 2 washing machines and 2 dryers.

PurpleCrazyHorse · 06/04/2018 13:13

We only have two DCs and if our garage was a bit better I'd put a second dryer in there for the winter.

Otherwise, I wash on timer so it finishes about 6:30am, then put it straight out on the line if the weather is good (often while still wearing my PJs!). It dries all day and I get it in later. I fold items and pair socks as I go so stuff that doesn't need to be ironed can go straight away (multiple wash baskets are good for this, buy the same ones so they also stack when not in use). I find I iron less t-shirts etc when they come off the line as they don't get so creased. I only iron DH's shirts and school uniform.

DD is 8yo and she has to put away her stuff. I fold it all into a pile, pair her socks etc and she puts it in her wardrobe. She's been told that when she's 9yo, I'll be showing her how to put the washing machine on Grin unfortunately she's too short to reach the washing line!!

Currently I'm a SAHM but my 2.5yo can't be left unattended for long so I can only manage the essentials until he starts nursery in Sept.

Allthewaves · 06/04/2018 13:16

Iv 3 kids and tbh not very well.

I try to do a load daily and tumble it. But then it will be piled up and this happens all week. Then sat/sun I 'might' sort it and get kids to put their clothes away.

LifeBeginsAtGin · 06/04/2018 13:18

There's 4 of us. We wash everyday. Theres always something to be washed.

We change bedding and towels when needed (so more monthly), rather than every weekend.

RosaBaby2 · 06/04/2018 13:20

I really feel for you, it’s a nightmare and there’s just me and one child (another due in a few weeks) and at present I do about 3 loads a week but i normally save it for a Saturday morning, they all go on 39min washes and we don’t have a dryer. Sometimes if I’m feeling adventurous I’ll do a midweek wash!

Hypermice · 06/04/2018 13:22

Laundry gets dumped in one basket in front of the washing machine when dirty. Loads on daily or ad hoc and then into dryer. From dryer folded into individual baskets in front of the dryer. Very little of it ever gets put away, just pulled out of baskets and worn. Ironing is only for smart stuff.
Don’t save it for the weekend. A load when you get up, a load on before you leave the house or a load when you get in.

noeffingidea · 06/04/2018 13:23

It's easy for me now, because there's only me and my daughter, but I've always done it every day, or as soon as there's a full load. Wash, dry, iron if absolutely necessary, air, put away. It is quite time consuming, but I hate having loads of dirty washing.

Ylvamoon · 06/04/2018 13:24

Same here, family of 4 & wash every day. My DD is 14 and has to do her own washing (after several arguments about unwashed school uniform hiding in her bedroom...)
Make sure your kids help out if old enough!

SluttyButty · 06/04/2018 13:24

We bought a 9kg drum washing machine, then I stick those Dr Beckmann colour run sheets in and everything gets bunged in together on a 39min wash. Also have an 8kg tumble dryer. I used to faff about separating by colour etc but it took too long, far more copeable with my new method.

BabyBooDue · 06/04/2018 13:25

Soon to be 4 of us!

I have a washer and dryer, and a line which is great when we get a nice day Smile

I put a wash on every morning before work, with enough time to get it out before I leave the house. Any days there's not a full load is a bonus! If I leave it more than a day or 2 it's not worth the pain having to catch up!

Lostin3dspace · 06/04/2018 13:26

I don't. The house features backlogs of clothes to put away. Stuff in the ironing basket gets grown out of before it is ironed.

Heartworries · 06/04/2018 13:27

Average 3 loads a day. One is washed and in the dryer. When 1 load in dryer one load in machine. Anything not able to go in dryer is put on the line or clothes horse. We are a family of 5. I am at home though so have time to do this. Kids are so messy. Aged 4, 3 and 12 months. Plus dh and my clothes and uniforms. You never get on top of it. Its a lifw cycle of its own

TokyoSushi · 06/04/2018 13:28

Family of 4, I'd say we wash about 5 days per week, I usually put the washing in most mornings, set the timer so it's ready for when we come home, hang it out overnight & repeat.

A bit soul destroying to be doing it all the time but the basket is overflowing if we don't! DH does help too although his hanging out skills are rubbish

Appuskidu · 06/04/2018 13:31

I do a load every day, more if I’m doing bedding and just put it away as soon as it’s dried (tumble drier if cold/wet). I rarely have much in the laundry basket and it’s quite painless. Anything that needs ironing sits in the airing cupboard until Friday when I Iron it. Beds are changed fortnightly and towels just shoved in with normal loads -I don’t wash them or pyjamas daily unlike some people.

PoorYorick · 06/04/2018 13:31

If your machine has a quick wash cycle (ours is 15 minutes), that's really fine for anything that's not dirty as such, it's just that it's been worn and needs freshening.

FATEdestiny · 06/04/2018 13:32

We are a family of 6 (children age range 3-13). I do about 10 loads of washing a week. I'd suggest:

  • 1 load of clothes washing in machine as you go to bed every night. I call this the "Daily Load" and it usually empties the wash basket of all clothes apart from whites.
  • in morning move clothes to tumble dryer but don't switch on.
  • also in morning put a "Weekly Load" on if needed, to run while you're at work (things that are only washed once a week like towels, bedding, white etc).
  • upon getting home from work, switch tumble dryer on as soon as you walk in (or set a timer to do this).
  • fold and put away clothes from tumble dryer about 90m later. I get the kids to help where possible.
  • tumble dry Weekly Load during evening, if you did one.
  • if I can't be arsed to do the Weekly Loads during the week days, these all get done at the weekend.

My 13 year old earns £5 pocket money by ironing all shirts on a Saturday morning. Nothing else is ironed.

WotcherHarry · 06/04/2018 13:32

Another vote for multiple baskets! I'm a single parent of two children aged 5yrs and 2yrs and I work shifts as a nurse. I don't routinely iron anymore, stuff gets separated into our own baskets and I put away probably once a week (feels so good when I get empty baskets all around!). Anything that needs ironing is ironed before it's worn rather than before it's away! I am happy with how things are, it doesn't look untidy really as the baskets stack up and it's clean. I have just had to accept that completed laundry is a temporary victory!

Floralnomad · 06/04/2018 13:35

4 adults here , I find it pretty easy , I generally do 3/4 loads every other day , anything that tumbles gets folded and put away on the same day , anything that doesn’t tumble gets hung on my drying rack and anything that needs ironing goes into the ironing bag when dry ready to go to the ironing lady . Ironing gets picked up on Tuesday and dropped back on Wednesday when it is put away .

MissMarplesKnitting · 06/04/2018 13:35

Do a load a day.
Get a heated airer.

Millybingbong · 06/04/2018 13:37

Cull everyone's clothes. It seriously works.

We are a family of five and do 3-5 loads a week - extra two are fortnightly when we do sheets and towels. We only wash things that are actually dirty and I do it all over 2 days. Dry it on rack or line and sometimes 10 mins in tumbler.

I actually enjoy washing these days.

Lillygolightly · 06/04/2018 13:37

I don’t have much of a system but I do try and make it easier by doing a load that is just DH’s towels/clothes etc and that goes from washer to dryer and then when it comes to sorting it’s already done just needs to be folded and put away.

I do the same with the baby stuff, my two older girls I wash their stuff together, sorting the socks and underwear is a pain though.

Sunday’s are for washing school uniforms and bedding only, all other things are washed during the week.

PoorYorick · 06/04/2018 13:39

Cull everyone's clothes. It seriously works.

But then surely you have to do it more often?

Mymouthgetsmeintrouble · 06/04/2018 13:39

I do 1 load a day but if i needed to do two i would probably do one in the morning then put that load in the dryer in the evening then put another wash on and put that in the dryer in the morning so theres a constant cycle happening

forceslover · 06/04/2018 13:42

I never manage to get on top of it as everyone else thinks it's my job! It is never ending. 😕

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