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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask how many clothing washes do you do a day?

309 replies

ByeFeliciaa · 03/02/2020 12:33

Starting to think my family are manky 🙈
Have just put on my first wash in 6 days. As a family of 5, its built up (I've not been well enough)
But I've only got another load and some towels and sheets to do. So another 2 washes.

Speaking to a friend who does 3 a day Blush I'm wondering how she has the time?!

I should add that our washing machine is 9kg so fits more than usual and towels get reused if it's just been the kids that use them or they were only used for drying hair.

Am I really that unusual?

OP posts:
Fruitteatime · 05/02/2020 20:22

At least one a day and that only means my wash basket lid can shut, rather than be forced open by overflowing laundry. My washes are as follows: 1. Towels 2. Bedsheets (these are both done roughly once a fortnight) 3. Jeans 4. Light colours 5. Reds and oranges 6. Darker colours 7. Black and navy 8. Dark slightly delicate wash 9. Pants and socks 10. Whites (these are all done roughly once a week) 11. Woollens (separated by colour) 12. Dish cloths/ dusters 13. Hoodies and fleeces 14. Blankets (these are done when I'm starting to run out of clean ones!)

I hope that's everything. We are a family of four so I'm shocked by everyone who does less than me! My machine is 8 kilos and is at least 2/3s full each wash. What is your secret to less washing?

Dontforgetyourbrolly · 05/02/2020 20:25

Only me and ds (5) - on average one wash a day , that includes towels and bedding once a week

Keepmewarm · 05/02/2020 20:28

One a day keeps on top of it for us apart from bedding day (family of 5).

Atilathehunter · 05/02/2020 20:56

Family of 3. 4 per week.
1 dark
1 sheets
1 towels
1 white or 1 pink, alternating weeks. The pink wash only started the last few years given 1/3 of the clothes in my house are now pink, despite every effort on my part to avoid it. 🙄

transformandriseup · 05/02/2020 22:07

2 adults 1 baby. 3 washes per week.

collywobblescar · 05/02/2020 22:11

I do at least one wash a day

transformandriseup · 05/02/2020 22:13

2 adults, a wash each day

What on earth? We only did one wash a week when it was just the two of us plus bedsheets once a fortnight.

PineappleCocktail · 05/02/2020 22:13

It really does depend on the size of your washing machine. I used to have a 5kg one and would have to do wash after wash. Now I have a 9kg one and one load a day or even every other day is fine.

copperoliver · 05/02/2020 22:22

Do washing every day. Sort into piles even if half loads. Hate dirty washing.
(3) people. X

TheFrenchLieutenantsMonkey · 05/02/2020 22:24

5 people, averages out at 2-3 loads a day.
Today, however, I have done 12. 4 people with Norovirus means the old Beko water swisher has been on overdrive!!!

SpottyDottyNonHotty · 05/02/2020 22:25

Family of 5 (3DC 5 and under). I do 4 loads a week and thought that was a lot! Everyday?!

Legoandloldolls · 05/02/2020 22:38

We have four kids. I wash 5-7 loads a week. I'm splitting out lights, dark and whites so I could do less if I wanted grey whites

I try to wash the towels once a week. I also sniff my 16 year olds hoodies etc and if I suspect hes worn them once after school I put the back in his wardrobe. If I feel overwhelmed I check his Jean's and joggers too. If I'm being a slob I can stretch my outfits for three days wear if I rotate and air them.

So I'm a slob I guess but my kids have clean uniform daily. Dh in building trade so I wash their stuff a lot. I live washing. Inherited that from my mum. she would practically be it himg to wash anything she could. I hate folding and never iron. But washing i live. MIL still comments on my pile of dirty washing although she can see i wash nearly every day. So i guess that means there no right or wrong as long as no one smells?

Thisisworsethananticpated · 05/02/2020 22:39

God ! Two
In week three at weekend
Plus bedding - which is somewhat neglected

yikesanotherbooboo · 05/02/2020 23:11

3-5 loads per week ( depending on whether changing beds). Family of 3 adults, i am influenced by drying conditions also.

Gillian1980 · 05/02/2020 23:17

I tend to ignore the laundry in the week then do 4-5 loads at the weekend.
2 adults and 2 young kids.

CustomerCervixDepartment · 05/02/2020 23:24

One a week

Two Childfree adults.

Bed stuff washed every few weeks, towels gathered until there’s enough of them for a boil load (about 2 months).

If there’s sheets/duvet cover in the machine, there’s still enough room for our week worth of clothes that need washed too. A box of washing powder lasts 2 years.

CustomerCervixDepartment · 05/02/2020 23:26

(I don’t own any white fabric, so the only thing that’s separate wash is towels, which get a boil wash with no fabric softener, every few months when there’s enough to bother doing it)

caringcarer · 05/02/2020 23:27

4 adults and 1 sports mad child.
2 loads each day and more at weekends when sons wash their bedding.
I seem to wash a lot of towels and sweaty sports kits. You could not leave them as they smell.

GlamGiraffe · 05/02/2020 23:28

Generally 8 loads a week in a large drum machine, but it can be more. It's never ending. I dry it on airers all around the house, it's like an obstacle course.

ChristmasCarcass · 05/02/2020 23:31

Pre-baby we did two clothes washes, a bedding wash and a towel wash each week.

Post-baby, using cloth nappies, it's at least one wash a day, sometimes two. Potty training now, and I will be so glad when we are rid of nappies and can go back to a "normal" amount of washing.

MsJuniper · 05/02/2020 23:31

Family of 4, need to do about 5-6 loads a week to keep on top of it. Most of the time we are running behind though and end up doing several loads at the weekend. I need a better system.

Cheeringmeup · 05/02/2020 23:33

We have a rubbish washing machine (5kg load), so probably do 6/7 per week, though mainly at weekend to ensure clean school uniform for the week. Need to investigate better washing machine.

chesterfuckingdrorrs · 05/02/2020 23:35

I just be doing something wrong!
There's only me and DH but I still manage 2 loads a day sometimes 3.
DH goes to the gym and swims every single day so there's always a sweaty gym kit to wash. We both wear work uniforms so they get washed after each shift (but not with the sweaty gym kit, they are allowed in with "normal" clothes though)
Towels get washed twice a week and bedding weekly.

I do hold my hands up and admit I have strange rules when it comes to laundry. It's only washing that governed by my crazy, made up rules I don't even own an iron but god forbid if the washing isn't done correctly.

Isithometimeyet0987 · 05/02/2020 23:41

About 3/4 loads a week (me,dh and dd). I just put a load on when the hampers full as the hamper fills the washing machine.

Popc0rn · 05/02/2020 23:52

"At least one a day and that only means my wash basket lid can shut, rather than be forced open by overflowing laundry. My washes are as follows: 1. Towels 2. Bedsheets (these are both done roughly once a fortnight) 3. Jeans 4. Light colours 5. Reds and oranges 6. Darker colours 7. Black and navy 8. Dark slightly delicate wash 9. Pants and socks 10. Whites (these are all done roughly once a week) 11. Woollens (separated by colour) 12. Dish cloths/ dusters 13. Hoodies and fleeces 14. Blankets (these are done when I'm starting to run out of clean ones!)

I hope that's everything. We are a family of four so I'm shocked by everyone who does less than me! My machine is 8 kilos and is at least 2/3s full each wash. What is your secret to less washing?"

  1. Literally chuck any colour/material in until machine is full, wash at 40 degrees or less (with a bit of dettol laundry cleanser). I don't own any white clothes with helps.

Do you really sort by specific colour, and wash your jeans, hoodies, pants and socks separately?? Confused