Were you taught to use a washing machine

[Justreadingtheforum3]

Please settle this argument between my husband and me.

Were you taught/shown to use a washing properly as a child? On how to not overload it, setting, temperature etc?

He said "no child in the history of the world has been taught to use a washing machine" his exact words.

I said its basic life skills.

Yabu = no I wasnt taught
Yanbu = yes I was taught

Ps he does use the washing machine and regularly washes. It's not a husband bashing thread.

No, I wasn’t shown how to use it although I remember getting told off for using it to wash just one item.

I wasn't taught it in the sense of "here's a lesson on washing machines" but I was taught it in the way that you teach toddlers things - picking up scraps of information over time as my mum explained what it does and how. Then you can piece it together and read the buttons on the machine and clothing labels and figure it out when you need to. I was doing household laundry by the time I was about 10 though.

I would be quite concerned about the intelligence of anyone who couldn't operate a washing machine through guess work.

I wasn't taught, I saw both my parents put washing in, clothes in powder and softener in, switch it on "don't use the tumble drier it costs a fortune" dad You see from what's on the washing line , a load size, to separate lights and darks and I always do towels and bedding separately largely because they're a full load in themselves.
DS is two he 'helps' me and DH to load/unload the machine, he asked what the liquid was I told him soap to wash the clothes like when you have a shower and use your shower gel. No further lesson required. Once he can read he can read cottons, quick wash etc

if your children are male it’s even more important that you do teach them, and that they be expected to use it

Yes this place can be very irritating...

I don't think I was! In fact, I don't remember ever being taught to do any household stuff, I just picked it up along the way. There are still certain things I've never done (DH always does them) which I could do with trying..

Obviously not bragging but my 18yo DS2 fixed my washing machine this week. £9 part from Ebay. He does know how to use it too and I could have fixed it, but let him feel important

I was never taught. I’m in my 40s and I still just use one setting, I shove stuff in till it’s full then I put soap in the drawer and press Start. Apparently there are other settings for different types of clothes but I have no idea how to use them. Also that requires you to have a full load of the same type of item, and who does?!!

I wasn't taught - but realise wms weren't everywhere when I left home. 1972. Used laundrette and washed Amal's in the sink.

@Sparklingbrook

if your children are male it’s even more important that you do teach them, and that they be expected to use it

Yes this place can be very irritating...

Why is that irritating?

Are you honestly telling me that you don’t think it’s piss poor that so many men leave home thinking the woman is the servant of the house?!

Fuck that shit.

@EmbarrassingMama

I would be quite concerned about the intelligence of anyone who couldn't operate a washing machine through guess work.

It's not just about operating the machine. In the same way that driving a car isn't just about making the car move.

You need to know about separating colours and materials (like wool, silk), when to do hot washes and cold washes etc. I think most people just pick that kind of knowledge up through osmosis. But for the ones that don't, it needs teaching I guess.

Lots of people frequently shrink wool things in the machine because they don't know how to wash them properly. And when I used cloth nappies I had to learn a few more things about washing machines that I'd never needed to know before!

I can’t remember if I was taught how to use a washing machine. I remember countless arguments with my dm about overloading the machine and changing the spin setting (she liked it on a low spin speed, I saw the benefit of quicker drying, so used to change it to a higher spin speed).

I’ve shown the dc how to use it and for a while there were instructions hanging around in the kitchen in case they needed support with what to do (ds is autistic and likes to follow a list to make sure he doesn’t forget anything). They don’t have to do washing often, but they know how.
I’ve also shown them where to put the salt and rinse aid in the dishwasher. General household maintenance jobs that they might not know need doing if they aren’t shown.

Yes, I picked it up as I went along but my mum spent a summer holiday in my teens teaching me how to use washing machine, change lightbulb and other useful things.

Yes, taught to separate washing into things that needed different cycles (eg woollies & delicates, dark cottons, towels etc) by checking the labels, as well as how to use the machine itself, and expected to be able to do it on my own as a teen if I was asked to

You pick up sorting darks/lights/colours and where to put the powder from watching your parents surely? My 2yo knows where to put the powder (and races to do it before me spilling it all over the kitchen floor) and can put it on the right setting and turn it on. 11yo is just about sorting now, I can ask him to fill the basket with a dark/light load and he can do it.

DH on the other hand will have to check every item with me. I don't actually think he understands what dark/light means.

I honestly can't remember if I was taught as such, but I definitely learnt when I was at home with my parents.

To say that no child has ever been taught this is ridiculous. Some will, some wont. I think it is a basic life skill and would always ensure that my children had a simple understanding of how washing machines work before I sent them out into the world.

Yes, I was taught how to use the washing machine. Separate colours, temps for certain things eg delicates, how much powder. My mum was very particular about washing and I’m the same. I like my ‘whites’ to be sparkling white etc. Hate my clothes to look ‘dingy’

@Ninkanink

I don't believe I said any of that, no. Have a

You need to know about separating colours and materials (like wool, silk), when to do hot washes and cold washes etc.

I suspect people who think there is a lot of knowledge that needs teaching have far more laundry rules than I do. I've never owned anything silk in my life. All clothes get washed at 40

Yes. It seemed like a ceremonial ritual when mum decided that it was time to show me the ways of the washing machine. Her lesson focused on reading the labels and understanding the symbols, grouping clothes together (lights, whites, darks, delicates etc) and then showing me the corresponding settings on the machine but being clear that if I was in any doubt, I should consult the manual.

Which is why I cannot understand why, when she comes to stay with me, she chucks every single item of clothing in the machine together and puts it all on the hottest and fastest cycle she can find. After incidents with my lovely fluffy white towels turning murky grey and a gorgeous (and expensive) cashmere mix jumper (which I'd recently bought, after saving up for ages and worn twice) shrinking about two sizes; I started hiding my laundry from her. All fine until, on her last visit, I thought I was safe to put stuff directly in the laundry basket on the day she was leaving. how wrong I was - while I was distracted, she decided to help me out with one last washing load and ruined one of my favourite items of clothing - a wool dress which I'd had for a few years but still looked new. Was so gorgeous yet classic and every time I wore it I would get comments. It came out threadbare and I'm still not over it.

Rant over. In answer to the question, yes I was taught to use a washing machine and now wish someone would teach my former teacher.

I left home at 20 and had been changing plugs on appliances for years before that. I imagine that's a lost skill these days. Also had considerable experience of painting and hanging wallpaper.

My children left home without that knowledge.

Never taught, figured it out for myself. Mind you, my last machine had two containers for the washing liquid, it was only when something went wrong and I re read the manual for the first time in years that I realised I had been using the wrong one for most programmes...........

You didn’t need to say it, did you. You implied that me making a perfectly reasonable comment on this subject in this context was irritating. I’ve no time for further engagement with you.

Thinking about it, I'm sure we learnt the secrets of clothing labels and sorting washing at school during home economics classes. I feel old now.

Above to @Sparklingbrook.