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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to not mind laundry on holiday?

120 replies

DonkeyHohtay · 28/06/2019 09:43

We;re off on holiday tomorrow, yay! Week in a villa in coastal spain, train to madrid, 4 nights in the capital then home. Self-catering (although i'm not planning on doing much cooking apart from bbq and chucking a pizza in the oven).

Just bumped into a friend in the supermarket when I was buying some of those little liquid washing pods for our trip. She was horrified that I was planning on doing laundry on holiday. I tried to explain that actually, it was just throwing t-shirts, shorts, pants, swimwear in the machine and besides it would probably be the kids who were doing that anyway. She is very much of the opinion that on holiday you do not lift a finger. Ever.

I'm not planning on washing every day - perhaps 3 or 4 times in the stay. It will all dry really qiuckly in the heat. I'm certainly not ironing anything. Doing this means we're not paying ££££ to take extra baggage, teen DS can wear his favourite three t-shirts in rotation and the best thing is you're not returning home with bags and bags of dirty washing.

OP posts:
Apolloanddaphne · 28/06/2019 09:45

I weirdly love doing washing on holiday. Tbh i even like it at home, it's my favourite chore if you can have such a thing.

Thehop · 28/06/2019 09:47

I always do laundry on holiday for all the reasons you listed. Plus, the sun bleached all the stains out and everything smells amazing! 3 kids, no packing big cases and no masses of washing to do when I get home and back to work. Makes sense for us too

Chanandlersbong · 28/06/2019 09:48

I always do laundry on holiday. As you said it saves on baggage and less laundry when you're home.

ChesterDrawsDoesntExist · 28/06/2019 09:49

I love it. Means when I get home I can unpack straight into the drawers. Also I have a number of favourite items of clothing I can wash and wear again.

IsabellaLinton · 28/06/2019 09:49

Why wouldn’t you do laundry on holiday? I can’t imagine bringing all that dirty stuff home with me Confused

MarieIVanArkleStinks · 28/06/2019 09:52

I always do laundry on holiday, facilities permitting.

I unpack the minute I get home, too Grin

BackforGood · 28/06/2019 09:58

You see it on MN quite a lot, that people are horrified about the concept of self catering, as a whole. I used to find it FAR more relaxing when the dc were little. You can have the choice of eating out / take away / throw a pizza in the oven / just get some nice bread and cheese. Like you say, chucking some clothes in the machine is hardly onerous - the machine does the work - and you don't end up with 4 suitcase fulls of washing on your first day home.

YANBU OP

Original poster
DonkeyHohtay · 28/06/2019 09:59

We had an amazing fortnight last year in Mexico in a hotel - obviously no washing and drying facilities. Were, there was a hotel laundry but it was about $5 to get a t-shirt done.

Coming home to the Scottish murky wetness with cases and cases of laundry was awful, took me ages to get it all washed and dry.

OP posts:
Gatehouse77 · 28/06/2019 10:03

Can't say I enjoy it but it needs to be done.
Worst was traipsing to a laundrette in Menorca with loads of washing on foot - not the worst part of that particular holiday 🙄

Our last holiday and the next we're doing a mixture of hotel and self catering. I like this mix'n'match approach as it does break up the monotony of home chores.

katewhinesalot · 28/06/2019 10:06

Nope I won't wash except perhaps an emergency one, but weirdly I don't mind cooking.

NewSchoolNewName · 28/06/2019 10:07

If it’s possible to do laundry on holiday, I do it.

You can pack much smaller cases if you’re washing and then rewearing clothes, and it also means much less laundry to catch up on when you’re back home.
Plus it’s not really a difficult chore, as a general rule, is it?

Original poster
DonkeyHohtay · 28/06/2019 10:09

Certainly when the kids were little it was fabulous - dinner when you want to have it, and once they're in bed DH and I had the rest of the house to sit and relax in. You're not cooped up in a dark room or a balcony.

Now even they're older and past that stage it suits us well, in Spain we'll be eating croissants for breakfast, bread/cheese/fruit etc for lunch and dinner will be barbecue, or something like a shop bought pizza put in the oven.

OP posts:
SmallPinkBear · 28/06/2019 10:10

I am more than happy to do a couple of loads when we are away so I don’t have quite as much when I get home. Plus they often have better machines than I do 😂

thecatsthecats · 28/06/2019 10:10

I think part of my disconnect is that I have no idea why people take so freaking much on holiday in the first place that you'd need more than one suitcase each?

MIL is always amusingly deeply concerned about our finances when she sees us depart with cabin baggage only - usually a small suitcase and a rucksack.

If it's a hot place, then the fact that clothes might get sweatier quicker is offset by the fact that sunny weather clothes tend to be skimpier.

Also, you're not using clothes at home, so I don't see how it's tonnes more laundry when you get back?

TeamUnicorn · 28/06/2019 10:10

I always wash on holiday, with a family of 5 there is usually some kind of load every day. Not too much hassle and much better than coming home with bags of dirty washing.

thecatsthecats · 28/06/2019 10:11

Also, for the love of David Attenborough, stop washing clothes after one use!

Passthecherrycoke · 28/06/2019 10:12

I do it too- and actually although we don’t go self catering I either use the hotels laundry room or get a laundrette service wash! I prefer to do it there than come back with loads of dirty clothes

winterisstillcoming · 28/06/2019 10:12

YADNBU. Just as long as it's not just you doing it

Passthecherrycoke · 28/06/2019 10:13

Thecats surely the less you take, the more you need to wash? If you only take one or two swimsuits they’ll need cleaning during your stay. If you take 7 pairs of pants and wash them they take up less space than 14?

Divebar · 28/06/2019 10:13

I don’t mind odd bits of washing but 3 or 4 loads seems excessive ( unless you’re just taking hand luggage). I also don’t understand the obsession with not bringing any washing home. If it’s not onerous to wash while on holiday it’s certainly not onerous to wash while I’m pottering about at home or working either

TheFastandCurious · 28/06/2019 10:16

The skimpy clothes we take on holiday don’t get worn when we get home so I don't need to rush to do the laundry.

I’m like you’re friend OP. Holiday for me is doing sweet FA.

GreenTulips · 28/06/2019 10:16

Everyone should be encouraged to pack lighter and use the washing facilities on holiday

5 of us last time and I did one wash mid week and a second wash to bring clean stuff home

I sat and read my book while it did a wash and DH had the kids in the pool

AyBeeCee10 · 28/06/2019 10:17

For me a holiday isnt self catering. What's the point of cooking and laundry . I have DC as well.

PutyourtoponTrevor · 28/06/2019 10:17

I always ensure there's a washer in our accommodation, that way we only need to take one case

Byebyefriend · 28/06/2019 10:20

I was of your friends disposition until one cruise I put a couple of loads on in the communal laundry (I can't even remember why I even decided to do it) It meant I came home without a backlog of washing and having to jump straight back into work/busy life.

Now I've just come home from family holiday (dh 2 small children and dm) with no washing other than what we wore home. It was great. We were in anyway in the evenings as toddler was in bed so ever couple of nights I chucked a wash on. Also meant that we could take a lot less stuff which was important with 5 people in one car.