Washing machine loads - the new MN chicken?

[Singlebutmarried]

Is it just me or are there a lot of

‘5 loads of washing a week, what are you doing, we’re a family of 5 and only make 1 load of washing a week’

Full disclosure

Family of three

At least 8 loads a week. Do these one load a weekers have mahoosive machines?

Family of 6. DH is in the building trade, so his work clothes need to be washed after one day. I do 2 or 3 loads each day.

Laundry is my nemesis, I do at least one load a day but I never seem to be on top of it.
My machine isn't very big which doesn't help, but then if it was bigger I'd need more drying space as we don't have a tumble dryer.

@Aroundtheworldin80moves

Swimwear/towels (quick cycle) Bedding Towels Clothes 2-3 loads Rugby kit if too bad for normal load Incidentals (cushion covers, blankets, coats..)

Thats 7 on average. Thats me, two kids and half a husband. (He also washes his stuff at work where he lives the other half of the time).

You wash coats, blankets and cushion covers every week?

@CounsellorTroi of course I don't wash everything every week. But there's always something needing washing like a coat after a child has fallen in a puddle (so others go in to make up a load if its been a while), or a blanket with a drink spilt on or dressing gowns or a sleeping bag.. the sort of stuff that doesn't need doing every week but once every month or so.

I'm shocked by the amount of hot washes people do on here.

We do laundry every day, but it's 30 degrees. Hot wash for towels, pants, really dirty things twice a week.

@SpaghettiNotCourgetti @Aroundtheworldin80moves I thought this too. I use rainwater here and only quarterly.

We do 3 loads per week.
Week 1: Whites, darks, bedding.
Week 2: light colours, darks, towels.

We have a large drum.

But I don’t wash clothes after every use, except socks/underwear of course. Don’t think it’s necessary.

I use the tumble dryer once a week, bedding one week, towels the next. Rack dry everything else. The only reason I don’t rack dry the towels is that I like them to be fluffy.

I do use the dish washer every couple of days otherwise it starts to smell.

@TinselTinsel

I'm amazed so people keep track of how many washes they do I fill the machine when the wash basket is full !

My wash basket floor in front of the machine is never empty. I managed somehow yesterday to get to the point where a half wash is ready to go in the machine, by this morning there were two minging dog towels and a blanket covered in mud cos someone let the dogs up. So I already have two loads and I'm not home yet, by tonight there will be all our work stuff and several more dog towels. So 4 wash loads today alone.

A more interesting question is how warm does it need to be outside to hang out your washing?

Washing is okay, it's using the tumble dryer that is the climate killer.

A more interesting question is how warm does it need to be outside to hang out your washing?

Do you mean at what point would your washing reliably dry on the line outside or how often do you consider hanging out the washing, then see how cold it is and decide you'd rather claw your eyeballs out?

Unless it's freezing in which case the washing would become icy I think its more a case of when is it reliably not going to rain?

It can be too damp to dry even if it isn't raining, if the pavement is drying out then the washing would benefit from being out too.

@FourTeaFallOut

It can be too damp to dry even if it isn't raining, if the pavement is drying out then the washing would benefit from being out too.

Exactly this.

I would love to know what is the acceptable temperature required for you to be able to hang your washing out at say 9am and bring it in at 5pm and it's dry? Assuming no rain. I know wind and sun will play a part but these don't happen all day, so temperature is the most constant.

@FourTeaFallOut

read the manual.

@purplesequins I don't need to read the manual thanks 🙄. My old machine could comfortably do a quick wash of a 3/4 load new one cannot. Nowhere does it say in my manual I can only wash half a load on a quick wash. There's a separate setting for half load that I haven't selected.

@FourTeaFallOut

It can be too damp to dry even if it isn't raining, if the pavement is drying out then the washing would benefit from being out too.

I judge by this too. If the ground is drying, the washing goes out. There's been a small shower today since I hung it but the pavement has dried since and it's pretty windy so I've left it.

I do actually only do two loads at the weekend for my family of 4...think I've got a 9kg machine and my tumble dryer is big enough to fit two loads of washing in 👌

Maybe they're like me and only do one wash a week because they're lazy and ignoring the mountains of dirty washing waiting to be done.

[quote deadlanguage]@caranations why do jeans need their own wash?[/quote]
When you have filthy gardening jeans covered in mud, you need to put them on an enthusiastic hot wash. You can't really put them in with white sheets, and if your other dark wash that week is for delicates, the jeans wouldn't get properly clean. So there you go.

And no, I don't wash them after each wear. When I worked on a farm years ago my jeans were so caked with dried mud you could prop them up against the wall overnight and they'd stand up on their own.

Whenever I see these threads I always wonder do people just wash everything on the same cycle ?

I live alone but the washing machine still goes on a few times a week as things need to be washed at different temperatures, some stuff can't have fabric softener etc. (I'm going to be shouted down for using fabric softener now aren't I?)

@RollaCola84

Whenever I see these threads I always wonder do people just wash everything on the same cycle ?

I live alone but the washing machine still goes on a few times a week as things need to be washed at different temperatures, some stuff can't have fabric softener etc. (I'm going to be shouted down for using fabric softener now aren't I?)

Jeezo - you’re brave confessing to fabric softener on MN

@caranations I put muddy clothes (allotment, cycling without mudguard, DP who goes orienteering) in with everything else and it all comes out clean. It’s the agitation in the machine that gets the dirt out, not the temperature or absence of other fabrics.

@RollaCola84 yes I wash everything at 30 with vinegar instead of softener and it all comes out fine. Cannot be arsed splitting things into different washes for no discernible benefit!

@RollaCola84

Whenever I see these threads I always wonder do people just wash everything on the same cycle ?

I live alone but the washing machine still goes on a few times a week as things need to be washed at different temperatures, some stuff can't have fabric softener etc. (I'm going to be shouted down for using fabric softener now aren't I?)

Yep pretty much the same cycle for most stuff. Some stuff at 30, some at 40, very rarely need more than that. Most things on the long/standard cycle. Occasionally a short wash if machine isnt full. I don't like the smell of fabric softener so don't us it. Simples ;)

@oblada so "pretty much" the same cycle means at least four types then - lights and darks on 30 and 40 at a minimum and that's exactly what I mean, unless someone washes everything together using only one cycle I don't understand how they can do so little washing. I'm certainly not a wash after every wear (for most things) and certainly not single use towels but maybe everyone else has mountains of gym kit and socks !

I'm not rising to the bait on fabric softener

[quote RollaCola84]@oblada so "pretty much" the same cycle means at least four types then - lights and darks on 30 and 40 at a minimum and that's exactly what I mean, unless someone washes everything together using only one cycle I don't understand how they can do so little washing. I'm certainly not a wash after every wear (for most things) and certainly not single use towels but maybe everyone else has mountains of gym kit and socks !

I'm not rising to the bait on fabric softener [/quote]
I don't separate dark and lights. Mainly it's wet nappies and towels and beddings that go at 40. But if there is some of it and space then i still bundle it together:) I'm easy

I have an 8 month old, the washing machine is on every single day, sometimes more than once, due to vom, poo etc etc!