To ask how often you do laundry (those with children particularly)

[AG29]

It’s never ending. At least a full load every day. Sometimes more. Also do a white wash On a Friday for school shirts, towel wash, bedding etc etc.

Family of 4, 2 children with additional needs.

OH thinks my laundry habits are obsessive but what am I meant to do? Leave the wash basket piled up? Let Dc wear dirty clothes. OH how’s through his Fair share of clothes each day too.

Doing a load a day means I keep on top of it somewhat.

DC have additional needs who are incredibly messy. DS regularly comes home from school covered in mud and his lunch all down his uniform so needs a fresh set every day.

It’s exhausting but surely not out of the ordinary when you have children?

[DontFundHate]

We do a load everyday, sometimes two when changing bed sheets etc. I find a shorter setting helps me feel mentally a bit better about it! Do you have a tumble dryer? And don't bother ironing if you can, those would also help it feel less of a chore

[UserPop]

Multiple times a day! I need a bigger washing machine. There's only 4 of us but with towels, bedding etc it just seems to never end.

[TheFuckingDogs]

I have my own business in the beauty industry so usually 2/3 loads a day - my washing machine is hardcore! One wash for family per day and them more of towels etc for business

[randomsabreuse]

Average a load a day. Often more and if I don't for a couple of days (usually when it's crap drying weather) I have to do 2-3 loads a day for a couple of days to catch up.

Young DC, active lifestyle (mud), DH has outdoor job with big overalls he has to wash at home- and can't tumble dry because they shrink then don't fit.

Trying to streamline clothes ownership so there is less to put away!

[WinterRose92]

Same as you, 2 adults, 2 children and I do a load a day. More if need be. White wash once a week.
If it was left to my partner, it would just build up and up!

[SnugglySnerd]

I do it roughly by bedroom. There is a laundry basket in each room. When there's a full load in one it gets washed. So dh and I probably generate 1 and a half loads per week. Dd1 has all her school uniform washed every week and the rest of her stuff goes in with the half a load from dh and me to make a full load. Toddler dts share a room and create at least one basket of washing a week, sometimes more. Between us all we generate an extra load of whites once a week. Plus towels, 4 x bedding and extra things like the big door mat, the cat's blanket which are done as and when needed.

[Mamsnetter2020]

So 14 loads

1 bedding
2 hand towels/ tea towels (from kitchen and toilets x2)
1 Bath towels
2 whites
3 lights
3 darks
1 muslins & bibs

[EatsFartsAndLeaves]

Hang on, if two adults and two children stripped off and put their clothes in the machine all at the same time, at this time of the year when you're all wearing jumpers, long sleeves, long trousers/tights etc, then does that make a full load?

What about adding a towel or two, a tea towel or two, a sheet and a duvet cover? Simple maths says you're not going to get down to less than a load a day.

If your OH can't see that then it's time they took on the job of doing the laundry themselves.

[Mamsnetter2020]

2 loads a day here too - (family of 4) however I have a baby so sometimes it can be a quick wash for a poo explosion.

[lightandairy56]

Two adults two kids secondary school age.

Average one wash every day.

[MustardScreams]

None! My cleaner does all he laundry. I’m a single mum with v little support working bonkers hours though, so that is one expense I gladly pay.

[aspoonfulofyourownmedicine]

Every day here too.... 3 of us, 2 adults, 1 child. 2 x work uniform, 2 x swim kits, 2 x kickboxing kit, 1 x school uniform, 1 handtowel, numerous teatowels - that's just daily wear. Then there's pyjamas, bedding, pe kits, hoodies, jeans.....it would be a nightmare otherwise. I don't mind doing the washing though.

[22WR]

We're a family of 2 adults, DD13, DS2.

I do at least one load per day. I'm limited by the ability to dry as quick as the wash can be done. I do use the tumble dryer a lot too.

My husband is constantly shocked at how quickly the washing basket fills up!

[Cineraria]

Two adults, plus a two and four year old in nappies at night and two year old for naps too.

Nappy wash every three days
Bibs and any wet pants (usually from weeing over the top of the potty) every three days plus pants are initially hand rinsed at time of accident

One light wash, one dark wash and one delicate/wool wash every Monday for other items.

[mummycubs]

I live with my six children (all under five), and two of my brothers (twelve and seventeen, I'm closer to their school than our parents and they both work away a lot so it's easier for the boys to stay with us) and I do at least one wash a day. My eldest is three and is in nursery, she comes home absolutely filthy every day without fail. My twins are two and are both really into messy play so they always get filthy, and my triplets are nearly three months old and go through vests and bibs like there's no tomorrow. I wouldn't worry about it, if things need to be washed, they need to be washed

[WhataLovelyPartridgeinaPear]

I do a wash a day, sometimes two. If I have a busy week I might leave it a couple of days but then I have to run the m/c all say on Saturday to catch up. My kids are late teens now, though, so they have a load each they have to do which helps.

[Sh05]

It might be possible to connect the washing machine inlet pipe to a water butt which collects rainwater so as long as rainwater has collected in there, the machine uses it to run a wash.
I know people who have their downstairs loo plumbed so the flush uses collected rainwater

[butterflykiss00]

I do two loads a day and have a massive laundry basket full and currently a bin bag full there's 4 of us in my house and two kids. God knows how the hell I end up with so much

[hazeyjane]

My 10 loads are despite...
...wearing clothes more than once (apart from ds, who often has accidents and gets filthy at school, spills food etc)
...changing bedding fortnightly
...using towels more than once
...wearing pyjamas more than once.
...washing full loads
I'm not sure how I could cut down more.

[MerryDeath]

i probably do 5-6 atm with one child. i do religiously change our bedding every sunday but i'm less on it with towels. baby soon so yes i'll be joining you with 7+ then. i don't mind sticking a wash on though, or hanging. I'm not a huge fan of keeping the tumble dryer happy but needs must.

[dementedma]

Pyjamas and underwear are not the same though. Pants are very tight fitting and in constant contact with the body. In a day’s wear of pants you probably go to the loo several times, move about a lot more, get hot or sweaty etc.
Pyjamas are loose fitting and not in direct contact, and you are just lying sleeping. They do not need washed after one wear.
There have been 5 of us most of the time (now 4). If we all changed pyjamas after one wear that would be 35 pairs of pyjamas to launder every week!!! Insane.

[RB68]

2 adults and 14yr old and every day there is at least one wash load - trouble I have is drying in this weather as no dryer - I do have an aga like cooker which helps but it feels like a laundry most of the time

[Carnabie]

Laughing at all the people with one small child expressing shock at how larger families can possibly generate so much washing. More people = more clothes being worn. More people = more towels being used. More people = more beds being slept in. Older children = bigger clothes...

We’re a family of 6 and easily do
1 load whites
1 load towels
2 loads bedding
2 loads colours
2 loads darks

Sometimes more.

And no, we don’t wash everything after just one wear

[Deckthehallswith]

I have a 6 year old and 6 month old. I've been doing a wash every day to keep on top of everything. This week I did a wash on Monday, wasn't able to put on a wash tues-friday and then had two huge loads to get through today just from those 4 days.

[Skisunsnow]

2 adults and 3 children (2 at school and 1 nursery). Usually one white wash at the end of the week, the I do the colours/darks once the basket is full, so prob twice a week. It usually ends up with it all waiting to be sorted at the weekend though 😣 I made sure I had enough school shirts for the older two for two weeks, as I do shift work and sometimes don't get around to ironing more often than that.