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AIBU?

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Original poster

To wonder why people only do their own washing?

563 replies

sweeneytoddsrazor · 14/05/2018 01:03

Just that really.

I see so many posts where people say DP's or any child over the age of about 12 do their own washing. Surely it's easier to just empty the laundry basket and do one wash of everyones washing rather than have 4 people do 4 washes with not much in it.

OP posts:
glamorousgrandmother · 14/05/2018 07:16

When I was a teenager I did my own washing in the twin tub because my mother was so disorganised and things would go missing or I'd find myself with no clean underwear. When I had a teenager myself I did her washing as long as it was in the basket not the floor but she knew how to use the washer.

SoupDragon · 14/05/2018 07:16

I don’t understand separating out individual people’s laundry. It makes no sense not to just wash everyone’s stuff at the same time. It seems incredibly wastefull of resources otherwise.

MsWinters · 14/05/2018 07:16

It would never occur to me to do DH's washing. DS 14 puts his in his laundry basket rather than on the floor which is good enough for now.

Gwenhwyfar · 14/05/2018 07:17

"I have neither the time or inclination to separate mine my husband and babies clothes into separate washes."

Well, that's a silly assumption. People who do their own washing have their own wash baskets so there's no separating to do.

SoupDragon · 14/05/2018 07:17

I made sure DS1 knew how to do laundry before he left for uni - it’s not exactly rocket science!

Namesallgone18 · 14/05/2018 07:18

Washing is easy peasy it's the sorting and putting away that takes forever. I've not counted but I'm sure we do about ten loads a week, family of four + pets

LakieLady · 14/05/2018 07:18

Following a few ruined garments, DP is expressly forbidden from washing anything of mine apart from jeans. So I mostly do the laundry.

However, if his mother had been like mine, and made him responsible for his own laundry, he might have learned how to do it without ruining stuff.

AndNoneForGretchenWieners · 14/05/2018 07:19

My DS does laundry, as do DH and I, but we put one whatever is there and is the right colour/fabric etc, not just our own clothes. I think in many cases it's a turn of phrase rather than meaning that the dc just put on their own jeans. I have even trained DH and DS to read labels and put the right cycle on for the clothes that are in - why wouldn't you do that?

EmmaGrundyForPM · 14/05/2018 07:19

I'm another one who obviously only exists on MN.

Separate laundry here too, and as far as I'm aware no-one ever puts stuff in the machine with only half a load. DS1 has now moved out and DS2 is at uni,so comes he with bags of washing at the end of term. But when they were at school and I returned to work full time we implemented people being responsible for their own laundry. I don't get how people can combine their bedding and towels with other people's bedding and towels if you have a normal machine. So the dc would do their bedding (both dc have double beds) and towels as a load each, school uniform, plus after school clothes plus sports stuff is at least another load each per week. I have a change of clothes every day for work, plus a set of gym clothes most evenings after work, so that's one or two loads per week, DH has a set of work clothes each day plus running gear for most evenings, plus we have casual clothes at weekends. Plus our bedding and towels.

It's not the same analogy as eating together at all. I don't get why everyone on MN who is so horrified by the separate laundry thing assumes that separate laundry is synonymous with everyone eating separately as well. They are nothing to do with one another.

TuTru · 14/05/2018 07:19

I do all the washing. I can’t afford everyone doing separate loads, ruining their clothes etc
I do ask them to hang it out or unload dryer or sort and the fold the dry stuff sometimes tho.

RB68 · 14/05/2018 07:19

I suppose for me it depends on numbers, there are only three of us so all in together however whilst I generally look after it in terms of what is happening when I will hand responsibility over ie DC can you do a dark wash load today so your school stuff is ready for Monday pls so I always give DC a reason - DH I just say can you make sure a wash goes on or two washes if light and dark. If I have overall control I can track and make sure bedding and towels get done as they are what tends to get forgotten

madeyemoodysmum · 14/05/2018 07:20

What a waste of electricity. If your teaching teens then then learn to wash everything too.

picklemepopcorn · 14/05/2018 07:20

We have a laundry hamper in each room.

Everyone knows when their own clothes need washing, when they are running out of uniform etc.

We do full loads.

Whoever is around will get them on and off the line- it's not really a matter of principle.

Ickyockycocky · 14/05/2018 07:21

Three children and a DH, why should I be the laundry maid?

BangingOn · 14/05/2018 07:21

DH doesn’t believe in reading washing labels or separating whites and colours so I don’t let him touch mine. That said, if one of us is doing a load we will always ask whether the other has anything to go in.

Gwenhwyfar · 14/05/2018 07:22

"when I lived alone I did have much smaller loads, and would feel very guilty about running the washing machine less than half full each time.

This makes no sense. You wait until you have a full load, usually at the end of the week. If you run out of clothes before that, it means you only have 2/3 tops and fewer than 7 pairs of knickers.

londonrach · 14/05/2018 07:22

Its strange behaviour to not wash all clothes from everyone living in the same house all together. I dont know a single family in real life who doesnt. I do have one rule. If not in basket it doesnt get washed. Dh can load the machine with washing too as he doesnt separate washing apart from the colours. Yanbu. I dont believe anyone really does this.

Velvetbee · 14/05/2018 07:23

Teens have their own baskets here and do their own stuff. They don’t have whites do it all goes in together.
The rest of us (4) put everything in one basket but the younger ones will start doing their own washing at 14/15.

Oldsu · 14/05/2018 07:23

I love my eco cover lavender and sandalwood washing liquid and my comfort tuberose, he likes co-ops own bland non smelly stuff so we don't put all our washing in together, he gets home before me so will put his own load through before I get home

Gwenhwyfar · 14/05/2018 07:23

"DP seems to drape all clothing over his valet "

How does his valet feel about that?

sandgrown · 14/05/2018 07:24

My very old DP started to complain when he ran out of socks/ shirts. He was told in no uncertain terms that he could do his own! I am not his motherAngry

Hanuman · 14/05/2018 07:25

We each do our own.

We have our own laundry baskets. We wait until we have full loads which doesn't take long because we don't do much sorting - I was my stuff on 30 degrees and my DH does his on 60.

We were both used to doing our own we moved in together and there didn't seem to be a strong reason to change that.

I would find it annoying to have to separate his from mine when putting it away.

Now we have a DS, he has his own basket too and my DH does his laundry and I put it away.

BoxsetsAndPopcorn · 14/05/2018 07:25

I don't know anybody in real life that dies this, washing goes into the basket and is done together. Likewise the ironing.

Same for packed lunches, any needing making are done together.

Seems very petty and lazy to insist everybody does it themselves not to mention a waste of resources like power, water etc.

SoupDragon · 14/05/2018 07:26

Three children and a DH, why should I be the laundry maid?

No one is saying you have to be. Doing everyone’s laundry at once is not the same as one person doing all the laundry.

I do all the laundry as I am the one at home but if I was working, the children would have to pull their weight. That doesnt mean doing just their own washing though.

He11y · 14/05/2018 07:26

Why do people think children doing their own washing means a family is dysfunctional and cook separately/divide up the dust into individual piles too? Talk about making mountains out of molehills!

I cook most meals, but DH and DD2 also cook sometimes and, wait for it, we all sit at the table, together, to eat it! Every day!! I know, what a shocker! Grin Same with lunch at the weekend!

We make our own breakfast though.