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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To expect my DDs to get more than one wear out of a school skirt?

98 replies

PoopySalata · 13/12/2021 21:54

DDs are 9 and 10, I am sick of constantly washing and ironing their school uniform.

I asked them this morning to please keep their skirts clean (nightmarish pleated little things that I hate ironing). They always have clean shirts and jumpers but the skirts drive me insane.

They've come home this evening and they are both filthy again, the youngest seems to think it's acceptable to wipe her mouth/nose on her skirt. The eldest has just told me if I don't like it I should just send their clothes to the dry cleaners and stop being so dramatic.

I think I probably got a clean skirt once a week when I was a kid, which was less that ideal. But please tell me that I'm not BU to expect a skirt to last two days?

OP posts:

Iamanicepersonreally · 13/12/2021 21:56

Can't you get away with not ironing them?

Solasum · 13/12/2021 21:57

Get a hand held clothes steamer. Game changer!

gsaoej · 13/12/2021 21:58

Don’t put too much in the washer with the skirts and then hang them. I never ironed my dd’s.

lastqueenofscotland · 13/12/2021 21:58

I’d start putting them doing a wash a week…
I don’t iron though, do they really need it?

namechange30455 · 13/12/2021 22:00

Do they have to have the pleated skirts? Can you not just get 5 cheap basic supermarket ones next time that you don't have to iron, and wash once a week?

TheFlis12345 · 13/12/2021 22:00

I was expecting this to be about 4 or 5 year olds! Given that they are easily old enough to know what is acceptable treatment of clothing and their terrible attitudes I would let them go in dirty skirts for a few days and see if peer pressure improves their behaviour.

ihatemyjobiwanttoquit · 13/12/2021 22:06

These things are like little kilts (required school uniform), they look ridiculous un-ironed (it'd reflect on me?). It's not the point though, wiping mouths on skirts and telling me to send them to the dry cleaners.

I'm fuming. a skirt should last two days. Sorry if that's minging but it's not as though they do anything to get sweaty or dirty. They just wipe their dirty mouths/hands on them. They're bloody animals and I'm furious. I've just fished their dirty ketchup stained skirts out of the washing basket 😡

NovemberNovemberDarkNights · 13/12/2021 22:07

Normally I'm
Not keen on telling girls to 'stay clean & tidy' at school. I'd rather they were just getting on with life...

However, if there was a smart mouth

The eldest has just told me if I don't like it I should just send their clothes to the dry cleaners and stop being so dramatic

She'd be getting ironing lessons & plenty of practice!

'Little pleated numbers' here get washed and hung properly, the iron is retired!!

ihatemyjobiwanttoquit · 13/12/2021 22:08

Sorry, random name change from above, but it's still me and my laundry basket anger.

StrawberryFever · 13/12/2021 22:08

Natural consequences - At 9 and 10 they are old enough to learn how to operate the washing machine themselves. Make them responsible for every part of the washing process they can safely do (i.e. everything except actually ironing it).

Outlyingtrout · 13/12/2021 22:10

I’d make them do the laundry. If you don’t want them to iron the clothes they can still be responsible for sorting, stain treating and putting a wash on. The comment about not being dramatic and sending them to the dry cleaners was so rude and disrespectful. There would be consequences for that in my house.

Akire · 13/12/2021 22:12

If they had favourite pair of jeans or sports wear or dress would they be just as likely to rub tomato sauce or their nose over it? Or is it mum will fix so why bother attitude?

PaperMonster · 13/12/2021 22:14

Use pegs at the bottom of the pleats to hold them together when they’re drying so you don’t have to iron them. Or just sponge the dirty bits of an evening. But playing out at this time of year is quite a mucky affair.

AnotherOneWithNoGoodName · 13/12/2021 22:15

Agree, 9 and 10 is old enough to wash and dry their own uniform with directions/help if they can't keep them reasonable.

Bimblybomeyelash · 13/12/2021 22:18

My daughter is younger, but clearly not as dirty, or maybe my standards are lower. The pinafore only tends to last a day or two, but the skirt doesn’t really get mucky. I would probably just wipe it with a sponge rather than wash and iron it every bloody day. I don’t iron.

SmolCat · 13/12/2021 22:22

The eldest has just told me if I don't like it I should just send their clothes to the dry cleaners and stop being so dramatic.
This is so cheeky! I’d be sending the skirts to the dry cleaners and taking the cost from their pocket money.

Theunamedcat · 13/12/2021 22:24

A mouth like that can be sent to school in a dirty skirt till it cleans up its act

Wash it and hang it to dry shouldn't need ironing

And a little lesson on what the fuck a dry cleaner does how much it costs and where it is wouldn't go amis either who does she think she is talking to staff?

TokyoTen · 13/12/2021 22:24

Wash but very light spin. Don't have the machine too full. Hang immediately they finish. There should be no ironing!

IgneousRock · 13/12/2021 22:25

YANBU

Passthecake30 · 13/12/2021 22:34

Yanbu. A skirt should last a week.
Can you spot clean them with a damp flannel? I’d make them go in a little grubby (but not filthy), see if it makes them change.

eddiemairswife · 13/12/2021 22:39

What is this obsession with washing everything after only one wearing? One skirt, one jumper, and 2 or 3 blouses a week is ample.

Highfivemum · 13/12/2021 22:49

Omg. The skirt isn’t the issue. It’s the mouth. If my DC apoke to me like that she would be handed a sponge to clean her skirt and the promise it wouldn’t be washed until she learnt some respect.

Pottedpalm · 13/12/2021 22:52

At that age we had one school skirt which got dry cleaned every half term. Jumpers did a week or two, with some sponging off of food etc. shirts did two days.

StormyCornishSeas · 13/12/2021 22:55

I had a similar style school skirt. I had two skirts which got washed half termly . But any marks were sponged down that night and you couldn't tell the difference

Original poster

PoopySalata · 13/12/2021 22:56

Yes! It's the rudeness, the hand wave and 'call the dry cleaners' that has sent me over the edge tonight.

They are spoiled and rude and will be going to school in unwashed skirts tomorrow.

OP posts:

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