To use the same laundry basket for dirty & clean clothes?

[WineGetsMeThroughIt]

Husband thinks it's gross to use the same laundry basket to collect dirty laundry in, and then use the same (empty) basket to bring the clean laundry back upstairs.

I really don't see the issue with this. It's not like I've been rolling in sh!t all day. My clothes aren't that dirty that I would consider them so contaminated that clean laundry couldn't touch the same plastic basket that the dirty stuff was in.

And this has nothing to do with Coronavirus btw. He thinks corona is a croc of sh!t but that's a whole other story 🤦🏼‍♀️

Do you use the same laundry basket for dirty & clean laundry?

@CarrieFour but you're taking dirty clothes off (PJs, work clothes, uniform, lounge wear etc) to put clean clothes on, so surely if you wash your hands after loading dirty washing, you need to wash hands after handling the same dirty clothes when taking them off?

I'm not being a twat, genuinely wondering. It has never occurred to me to wash my hands after putting a load on, except when there was more poo in our lives when DS was little.

@Emeraldshamrock

Emeraldshamrock do you wash your hands after loading the washing? Obviously but it is not my hands been discussed. It is the germs lurking in the end of the basket then placing clean clothes back on it of the grim. Hand washing won't avoid it.

But surely if the basket and clothes are germy, then touching it makes you germy. So you have to wash hands after handling washing and after you've presumably washed the germy basket.

Then perhaps you have to wash hands before collecting dry washing? Because if you have touched door handles, outdoor clothes, pegs etc, you have germs that will transfer to washing.

It all just gets about too much hand washing!

I'm going to carry on as normal, using the same basket for dirty and clean and take that chance.

[quote 00100001]@CarrieFour but you're taking dirty clothes off (PJs, work clothes, uniform, lounge wear etc) to put clean clothes on, so surely if you wash your hands after loading dirty washing, you need to wash hands after handling the same dirty clothes when taking them off?

I'm not being a twat, genuinely wondering. It has never occurred to me to wash my hands after putting a load on, except when there was more poo in our lives when DS was little.[/quote]
Ah but I don't take off DHs dirty gym kit for him

Okay

No I would absolutely not do that.I am with your dh on this one op.
Maybe there's a difference in peoples occupations? But no,unless it was cleaned thoroughly I just couldn't.perhaps it's a marmite thing?😁

I have a couple of dirty washing baskets which are mobile upstairs which I can carry downstairs to put in the washing machine and then from there into the clean basket. If I had a solid heavy basket upstairs then I'd put them into the clean basket, but I wouldn't like it. I don't even like handling dirty washing, pants etc. I always wash my hands after loading the washing machine

@00100001 I do wash my hands after loading the washing machine, yes. Also after feeding the dog, before unloading the dishwasher, after loading the dishwasher as well as at the usual times (after going to the loo etc). I go through a lot of soap (and handcream).

Ok so what I want to know is - what do people think will actually happen if they use one basket for both dirty and clean washing?
Or is it just the thought of it you don’t like?

Ok so what I want to know is - what do people think will actually happen if they use one basket for both dirty and clean washing?

Mud on the basket from sports kits will get on clean washing. Not the end of the world but I’d rather this didn’t happen to my clean clothes and bedding.

Love these kinds of threads. I find it fascinating how differently everyone does things!

We have three laundry bags upstairs, one for whites, darks/colours and one for DHs sports clothes which he insists on washing himself (fine by me). They go down to the utility full and come back upstairs empty, it's never even occurred to me to put the clean clothes back in them to carry back upstairs. I just tend to fold the dry washing into piles and carry it upstairs by hand, apart from anything which needs ironing, that goes into the laundry basket we keep permanently on the side in the utility. Don't think I've ever seen the bottom of that one, even when we moved house

@BadTattoosAndSmellLikeBooze

Ok so what I want to know is - what do people think will actually happen if they use one basket for both dirty and clean washing?

Mud on the basket from sports kits will get on clean washing. Not the end of the world but I’d rather this didn’t happen to my clean clothes and bedding.

Personally anything muddy goes straight in the washing machine, and doesn’t go in the washing basket anyway.

But ok presuming you don’t have muddy / oily clothes - just regular worn clothes - what would actually happen if the clean and dirty clothes were in the same washing basket?

Actually I am amazed people have these huge houses to fit all these different washing baskets! I use a washing bag to put the washing in to take it to the machine, that way it doesn’t take up any room when not being used.

Ok so what I want to know is - what do people think will actually happen if they use one basket for both dirty and clean washing?
Or is it just the thought of it you don’t like

Why would anything need to happen? Fresh clean clothes/bedding/towels are lovely, if I’ve gone to the trouble of washing and drying them, why would I then bung them in the same basket/bag that held dirty clothes.

I use separate ikea bags for clean wet and dry washing

Personally anything muddy goes straight in the washing machine, and doesn’t go in the washing basket anyway.

Well everyone’s different. My machine is often already in use when we come in from sports so it can’t go straight in the machine.

How weird, how dirty does he think clothes get? And yes obviously I would use the same for both

I don't use a basket, I have problems carrying them up and down stairs so I use large reusable shopping bags with handles. Easier to carry, dog can't sit in them, also I can peg onto line with washing, so the dog can't pee on them, which he would, as he has to pee on anything in the garden more than 2 inches high. I don't discriminate which I use for dirty or clean washing.

I think this thread explains why so many people on MN say they can’t keep on top of the washing in their household.

So much sorting and carrying

1 laundry bag in the room where all dirty washing goes.
1 laundry basket for transporting
3 weekly washes- darks, lights, colours.
Once a fortnight - bedding and towels.

3 weekly washes- darks, lights, colours.

You only do 3 washes a week? How many are in your household. We do at least 2 each day, maybe 3. There’s 4 of us, plus 2 dogs and 2 cats. We all do sport between 2 and 6 times each week and pet beds are all washed at least weekly which soon adds up. 😬

Towels once a fortnight?!

Huh? Yeah, same basket. If my toddler has soiled the bedding I carry it separately to the washing machine after rinsing it.

@Squidsister

Ok so what I want to know is - what do people think will actually happen if they use one basket for both dirty and clean washing? Or is it just the thought of it you don’t like?

Nothing.

It's just easier to keep track of what's clean and what's dirty if you use separate ones.

We have a laundry basket on the landing for dirty clothes. We have w couple of IKEA bags which we chuck the dirty clothes into lug them downstairs and use the same bags to bring it back up. I use all the bags for dirty and clean laundry.

How dirty would your clothes need to be for this to be an issue? Anything that’s excessively muddy or covered in urine or vomit or poop goes straight in the washing machine. Stuff in the laundry basket is only daily wear so hardly “dirty”, maybe just a bit sweaty. Seems excessive to worry about it contaminating laundry baskets!

Anything that’s excessively muddy or covered in urine or vomit or poop goes straight in the washing machine.

People keep saying this. Are none of your machines ever in use meaning you can’t always put stuff straight in the machine?

I will soak stuff in a bucket before washing, if it's that filthy. Otherwise, there's the bathroom floor. Anyway, even if the machine's in use, it's only going to be an hour or so before I can stick another load in, and if I had something like a period leak, then that load would take priority over anything else waiting to go in.

I will soak stuff in a bucket before washing, if it's that filthy. Otherwise, there's the bathroom floor. Anyway, even if the machine's in use, it's only going to be an hour or so before I can stick another load in, and if I had something like a period leak, then that load would take priority over anything else waiting to go in.

So you use a bucket or the floor to separate clean and dirty washing. Not much different to using separate baskets which I’d rather do than use the bathroom floor.