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?

@deadlanguage - 2 towels each for the week really doesn't seem excessive to me. That is 3/4 days usage for both a morning shower plus an evening wash.

I wouldn't want to use the same towel for 14 uses!

And one hand towel per bathroom per week and one in the kitchen - so 4 hand towels per week.

We actually have dry ground for the first time in goodness knows how long, today, by if I did hang washing out, it would have ended up in Edinburgh, still attached to the whirligig.

@IE00
It's not so much temperature but wind and dryness I consider before putting it out, you can have very cold (below 10) but very dry and windy, nothing to beat a nice crisp day for a wash to hang out.

@PickAChew

We actually have dry ground for the first time in goodness knows how long, today, by if I did hang washing out, it would have ended up in Edinburgh, still attached to the whirligig.

I tried with the towels on the line, four pegs a piece and created an accidental sail that was in danger of pulling the hook out of the wall. Gave up, put it all in the dryer.

What is needed for any MN chicken is a pressure cooker - wrap it in greasproof tied with string - improves the whole thing.

Washing machine - use non-bio powder (about half the package's recommended dose) - throw it straight into the loaded drum and lower your temp to 20/30. Works a treat.

I got washing out today. I just had to keep ducking to stop the washing line smashing me around the head as it went for another spin. But the thick hoodies dried!

@emmyren4

Now let's do the competitive non-hair washers .

One of the first threads I ever read on mumsnet was people gasping in horror at those who wash their hair more than once a fortnight

I can get away with every other day if I’m not going anywhere in particular. Every day if I need to look presentable.

@emmyren4

Now let's do the competitive non-hair washers .

One of the first threads I ever read on mumsnet was people gasping in horror at those who wash their hair more than once a fortnight

To be fair, while I've never dared to try this, I've heard it said that hair produces more grease if you wash the grease out of it daily. So if you don't wash it as frequently, it won't get greasy as quickly and you won't need to wash it as frequently.

[quote deadlanguage]@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![/quote]
Well talk about stating the bleeding obvious.

I've only been doing laundry for nigh on 50 years, I know what I'm doing thanks, and I'll wash my jeans however the fuck I like.

@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?)

Oh sweet lord please tell me why we're not supposed to use fabric softener

Family of three. 2 loads a week. One for clothes and one for towels. Bedding every fortnight. How the hell does anybody need to run a wash every day?

YADNBU. I commented about this on another Mumsnet thread recently!

On Mumsnet you’re supposed to wash your towels after every use and change your sheets at least twice a week, lest you be accused of being ‘grim’, and yet also somehow not do more than one load of laundry a week, or you’re destroying the planet. It makes my head hurt trying to figure it out.

It’s just me and my husband and I’m far from a clean freak but our washing machine is probably on around 3-4 times a week. Sometimes more, sometimes less. Some combo of my clothes, his clothes (we normally do our laundry separately, it’s just what we’ve always done), maybe a separate wash for wool/delicates or whites, and some sort of household wash for sheets/towels/cloths/dog blankets etc. I don’t understand how people with kids are claiming that they get all their laundry done in one or two washes a week??

"To be fair, while I've never dared to try this, I've heard it said that hair produces more grease if you wash the grease out of it daily. So if you don't wash it as frequently, it won't get greasy as quickly and you won't need to wash it as frequently."

It doesn't work for me and I really tried during lockdown. Depends on your hormones apparently.

2 of us at home and I do 5 loads a week. Whites, darks, colours, towels and bedding.

@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?)

Yes, I put everything together except whites and never had a problem. I live alone so it wouldn't make sense to separate into so many categories. For the whites I wait until I have a full load.

There was the bizarre thread where someone's water meter was off-the-scale, dials whizzing round like spinning plates, clearly had a serious leak, and their pipework was losing more water than Niagra, and 90% of the replies concluded that it was because she was doing more than two washes a week!