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Original poster

How often do you do your laundry?

166 replies

Lndnmummy · 30/11/2020 23:21

Need some help from the Mumsnet brigade. Dh and I were taking this evening about our family laundry. There is only 4 of us so not a huge household. All sports etc cancelled at the moment so in theory that should reduce the load. We wash.all.the.time. At least a load a day. We live in an apartment so not a huge amount of space. We do have a drier but use it mainly for things like sheets and towels. My question is how do you guys do your laundry? A designated day where most of it gets done then put drying racks etc away until the same day next week? One load a day? I feel that there is are permanent drying racks everywhere and it’s driving me insane. Where am I going wrong?

OP posts:
Oblomov20 · 01/12/2020 07:40

Family of 4. Boys normally do football and boxing, so normally more. But atm 3 loads a week. What are you honestly washing that needs a load every day?

RedTawny · 01/12/2020 07:41

I do one load every day minimum. 4 of us. Bedding gets done fortnightly, so my bedding one week, DC's the next. I feel like its constantly going

helloxhristmas · 01/12/2020 07:46

6/8 loads a week for 4 not including towels and bedding they go to the launderette.

We have more in winter DH needs new uniform every day at this time of year as he gets really muddy, I get muddy walking the dog etc.

Oblomov20 · 01/12/2020 07:46

"Although with jeans we try to get another wear out of them. "

Of course you should. Jeans don't get dirty. They can be and should be worn at least twice, possibly even 3 times.

Dh wears work trousers for at least 2 days. and Ds's wear school trousers for 2 or even 3 days. They have fresh boxers, socks and school shirt each day.

So that's only one load of washing.

It's a bit different if you have young toddlers who go to nursery every day, in a new uniform and get covered in sand and paint glue each day but for most older children / secondary school children they shouldn't be creating that much washing.

Where is all your washing coming from?

IsFinnRogersDead · 01/12/2020 07:48

Every single day.
One clothes wash (at least) a day then all the towels are 3 loads (once a week) and it's a load per set of bedclothes (5 beds) I aim for changing them all once a week but it's probably more like every 10 days.
We have a tumble dryer with a hanging rack on top. Anything that goes on a hanger later (so everything bar socks, underwear and pjs) goes on a hanger to dry and the rest goes in the tumble dryer unless I can get it on the line outside.

The real problem is how long a washing machine lasts for. I'm not overloading, I clean it, run 90 degree cycles etc, not using liquid detergent, am using limescale remover, emptying the filter etc - but every 3 years or so the bearings go or something similarly terminal happens.

JorisBonson · 01/12/2020 07:49

3/4 a week. Lights, darks, colours, towels / bedding.

We have a tumble dryer but I only use it if I've no space on the airer. In the summer everything just gets dried on the line.

It's just the 2 of us.

IceCreamAndCandyfloss · 01/12/2020 07:50

Weekly. Daily is bad for the environment. Do 2/3 washes.

Steezy · 01/12/2020 07:53

My partner and I along with our 16 month old live in a flat and don't have a tumble drier. I try not to do a load everyday unless we've had a poonami.
I try to do a load, then leave a day in between.

WotsitWiggle · 01/12/2020 07:53

Roughly a load a day, I used to bulk wash at weekends but now wfh, it's easier to put a load on before work, hang it over airers an hour later.

Towels and bedding goes through a tumble dryer, clothes over a heated airer so they are mainly dry after a day.

Ironingontheceiling · 01/12/2020 07:54

Honestly, I use my tumble drier all the time now because see my user name.

Tumble, fold, put away and I have hardly any ironing.

Me and 2 x dd here (they are teens/early 20s) so three loads of clothes a week, 3 x bedding plus towels.

Hand wash bras and dry them on radiator bars. Everything else goes in drier.

dasey · 01/12/2020 08:00

I don't understand why people say if it's not dirty why wash it? The clothes might look clean but if they've been on your body all day and out and about accumulating bacteria, they're not clean. By that theory should we only wash our hands when they have visible dirt on them?

WunWun · 01/12/2020 08:01

It's just DD and I, and I do about four loads a week.

princesspeppax · 01/12/2020 08:01

Everyday, at least one load has to be done. Family of 5

vanillandhoney · 01/12/2020 08:03

Two adults here but also a dog which adds to the load.

I do a wash probably daily but our machine isn't very big so that has an impact. It's also a washer dryer so if you fill it to capacity it doesn't dry properly Hmm

2 x towels as we can't fit all the towels into one load.
1 x bedding.
2 x dog blankets and sofa blankets

Then clothes are washed as and when through the week.

Beamur · 01/12/2020 08:07

3 of us plus pets.
At least one load a day. Due to Covid all school uniform is washed daily. DD has anxiety around germs and worn clothing and towels are only used once. So from her alone there are 2 sets of clothes, PJ's and several towels a day.
Dry outside when I can, inside if not. I'm deeply envious of the poster with a drying room. All houses should have one!

Fleetwoodmacs · 01/12/2020 08:07

Family of four, but this includes a small (and very messy) child and a baby. I do one load a day, 2 when there's towels or bedding. I always have an airer up in my living roo, which I hate but there's nowhere else to put it.

User258544 · 01/12/2020 08:08

Also live in a flat.

It does my head in too, more so at the weekend so the ideal scenario for me is to get it all done over a period of a few days so there at least a couple of no clothes hanging everywhere days which is visually annoying. Its a compromise to flat living for sure.

Also a combined washer / tumble drier with condenser is effective for towels and you can put it on the cotton setting. It does get hot and I worry about risk of fire so don't use it. If you go down that route don't skimp on a quality one and don't use it when out. Combined driers are rubbish for clothes IME.

Can you get covered drying racks, is that a thing?

bez91 · 01/12/2020 08:13

Family of 3, I'd say 4 loads a week sometimes 5. We have to wash DHs work clothes separately so it would be less if not for that

drinkingwineoutofamug · 01/12/2020 08:14

2 adults
Saturday or Sunday which ever day I'm off the washer is on at least 5 times.
Clothes
Towels
Bedding
Uniform (work)
Overalls (his work)
As adults we can wear clothes longer without them getting mucky . Towels sorry mn but I used them for a week. We both have our own towels.
Bedding once a week. Only have our bed to change now unless dog gets into spare rooms and finds a sun patch.
No ironing , hot out of the dryer, shake and fold/hang.
I don't really separate either I use colour catchers and makes life so much easier .

dottiedodah · 01/12/2020 08:16

Its about the same here TBH 5 of us ,washing most days, sometimes twice a day! I have given up hanging washing outdoors ,and tend to tumble dry most of it! With 4 of you thats 3 beds,4 towels ,socks, pants tops PJs. I dont think you are "going wrong" at all!

drinkingwineoutofamug · 01/12/2020 08:20

@dasey

I don't understand why people say if it's not dirty why wash it? The clothes might look clean but if they've been on your body all day and out and about accumulating bacteria, they're not clean. By that theory should we only wash our hands when they have visible dirt on them?
For some people though , like myself I wear uniform 4 days out of 7. So I rarely wear 'normal' clothes. After a 13 hr shift it's a shower and pjs. But I do get where your coming from.
Original poster
Lndnmummy · 01/12/2020 08:21

@caringcarer your post about your sporty foster child made
My heart warmFlowers. @CCSA tell me about heated dryers please!! All of it! Want all the gory details Grin.

OP posts:
Boxty · 01/12/2020 08:22

Five adults here. About 14/15 loads a week. Five of those loads are bedding and towels, then each of us would generate an average of two loads of clothes each.

AmandaHugenkiss · 01/12/2020 08:27

Two adults, we do about 3 loads a week mostly on the weekend. DP does a manual job and we both run/cycle during the week.

Towels and bedding get done weekly, but jumpers and work trousers I can get two wears out of. Three for jeans.

Towels go over airer in bathroom daily, but I confess we tumble dry in the winter everything except technical wear which dries overnight near the radiator.

It boggles me that people wash towels every day!

LadyEloise · 01/12/2020 08:27

".........we probably don't really need a wash a day but my kids tend to lob everything into the basket whether it's been worn or not.....

That thoughtlessness makes me sad for the environment and the person who has to do the laundry so I'd be having a word to teach them why they shouldn't put clean unworn clothes into the "dirty laundry" basket.

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