To ask if this job actually exists?

[ChristmasIvy]

Lighthearted but I’m looking for a genuine answer...
I’ve been inspired by the thread “what is the bane of your life?”. Mine is laundry - doing it, hanging it out, ironing, and putting away.
Is it actually possible to hire someone to do this for you? Serious question. How would you find someone/ what would the job title be? I feel like a full time housekeeper would do this, but how about just paying someone to come twice a week for a few hours to break the back of it? Does this exist? I wouldn’t want a full time housekeeper and we already have a cleaner who doesn’t help with laundry (I wouldn’t want to let the current cleaner go).

My washing machine broke down and it was under warranty so whilst we waited on repair we did dropping off laundry twice a week at a local laundrette. They washed, dried and folded the lot. It was brilliant. My parents used to use a laundry collection for my dad's work shirts as nothing else needed the ironing every week before they retired. It's definitely a thing!

I have in past had someone who collected ironing and brought back next day.
That was excellent and gave a good deadline to get all washing done

I don't think it hurts kids to have a nest pile put on their beds to put away even from young age and pair up socks etc, even if you can afford it, good for them to have simple chores.

Washing and drying is not so bad to do

In past I found laundrette service washing clothes tended to wear out and grey a bit quicker.

I used to drive past an ironing place occasionally (it was near a soft play). I couldn't get over how bagging it all up, driving it out, then returning 2 days later to pick it up, have to carry it to the house to out away was less hassle than putting something on the telly and spending an hour doing the ironing. But I don't iron much so maybe I'm missing something. All that faff is definitely less hassle than what I usually do (leave it to DH!)

More. Not less.

Also as a teen I had a friend who earned money from a local woman she needed someone to iron, do laundry and feed her cats in the afternoons. She lived on her own and it was literally take a load out of the washing machine and hang it to dry, put a load in if there was one. Iron the dry bedding and blouses. Fuss the cats, check they had water. She would take her homework, sit out a whole load because it was peaceful. Probably 3 days a week. She was paid well and would help her with parties and look after the cats when she was away etc. I'm.not sure how confident I'd be taking on a teen these days, but I guess some still do for babysitting etc.

I hear you. I always say, if I won the lottery the first thing I’d do would be to hire a housekeeper for this precise task. It is the bane of my life! Someone to put the washing away! Bliss!

I'm curious to know how much laundry are we talking about here? Maybe you just need to lower your standards and wash less often.

(Will do your laundry if you do my hoovering)

If not a cleaner then maybe a mother's help type person? I would love this too. I don't mind sticking washing in or hanging it up but the putting away. We currently have what we affectionately call 'laundry mountain' on our guest bed.

Actually I've googled and I've got mother's help wrong. I thought it would be kids and light housework but apparently just helps with kids?

Yes - a housekeeper will do this, or a cleaner as long as you specify it up front and not all cleaners will be willing. You also have to be prepared that they might ruin a couple of things eg. put a wool jumper in a hot wash because they don't know your clothes as well as you do. My cleaner will empty the washing machine, hang things out, fold and iron but it was part of the original job description.

Also you have to pay for more hours for them to do it, and unless you have a tonne of clothes, you probably need to space those hours out over the week or or you will run out of clothes and your cleaner will come in to a week's washing that can't all be dry in a day.

I've used a laundry service before when the landlord was slow to get the washing machine plumbed in.
They picked it up in a bag and returned it all folded and lovely.
Underwear came folded in a box so it could go straight in the drawer without hunting up a jeans leg for a missing sock.
It was lovely.

There’s an ironing place near me that will collect your stuff, wash, dry, iron and fold it and then deliver it back to you but you still have to put it away yourself. I’ve used laundry services when travelling before and it’s so lovely to pick up your bag of stuff and it’s so neatly folded 😍

I dream about the full range of household services that were easily available pre-60s. Laundries as a standard local amenity. Grocery deliveries without endless “substitutions”. Butchers boy on a bike.

Alternatively to have the budget for a full time housekeeper.

I hate hand washing, and found a woman through Facebook who I drop my dirty handwashing to and pick it up later clean, dry and folded for very little money, she enjoys doing it! So yes, there is often someone who will offer to do any job for the right pay :)