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?

Haha I saw that thread and was thinking 'wtf, how are families of four doing 3 loads of washing a week' and deciding they don't wash towels, sheets, or any underwear - basically anything unseen by the public.

Weirdest form of showing off ever

I’m baffled by this too. Also family of 4.

1 load of king sized bedding for our bed
1 load of the other two DC beds
1 load of towels from their bathroom (bath sheets x2, mat, hair towel for DD and hand towel)
1 load as above but for the adults towels
1 load of swimming kit and chlorine-y towels
2 loads of dark washing
2 loads of whole washing

That’s 9 loads. And I am really frugal and stuff the 8kg washer as full as I can.

We're a family of 4 and two dogs, we do 4-5 washes per week, but I think our washing machine is quite large, 9kg, so we can fit a lot in each wash. It always 1 dark 60, 1 white 60, 1 with delicates (alternate between dark and light colours), 1-2 with sheets and towels.

@Mykittensmittens

I’m baffled by this too. Also family of 4.

1 load of king sized bedding for our bed
1 load of the other two DC beds
1 load of towels from their bathroom (bath sheets x2, mat, hair towel for DD and hand towel)
1 load as above but for the adults towels
1 load of swimming kit and chlorine-y towels
2 loads of dark washing
2 loads of whole washing

That’s 9 loads. And I am really frugal and stuff the 8kg washer as full as I can.

Do you wash bedding every single week?

I'm almost exactly the same as @Mykittensmittens ! 9 washes on average per week.

Family of 4 ( 2 teens). I have rugby kits rather than chlorine-y towels!

Ha I remember the pre children days of 2 loads a week (9kg machine)

Now with a poo-exploding baby in cloth nappies and a disgusting 3yo, plus very leaky boobs, it's at least 8 a week.

Hoping to get back down to 4 by the time youngest is 5 . . .

Why do you need to do 3 loads of washing per person?
There's only me and I do at least 2 if not 3-4 loads a week depending on the timing of washing bedding and towels. My bedding doesn't fit in one load (that's the same amount as if I was a couple) and at least a load full of gym and running kit a week, plus normal clothes, towels, tea towels etc.

It really depends on your washing machine capacity (I know, stating the obvious). I live with my husband and we do 2 washes a week in 8kg machine, my mum has 5kg and probably puts the machine on 4 times a week. She lives with my dad only. When we are visiting them, the machine is on every day...

We're a household of 2, one of whom cycles to work, and produce a maximum of 3 loads a week. When I was a student I only did one a week, alternating whether I wore lights or darks that week! We have a 7kg machine. I don't understand how you can get 3 loads a week per person unless you are washing multiple outfits a day!

@Bobbybobbins

I think the opposite. Can't believe the amount of washing done!

Me too. Single use towels still flabberghast me. Seriously, wtf?!

2 of us (toddler and me) I do 5 loads a week, 2 midweek (1 light, 1 dark) 2 at the weekend (1 light,1 dark) then bedding.
I will wear some trousers 2 days in a row but toddler just needs to look at something and his clothes are dirty!

We are only two adults and a toddler and we do about 6/7 loads a week. It's partly because we use cheeky flannel wipes rather than disposable wet wipes. Also occasionally use cloth nappies although
i hate the faff but it helps ease nappy rash when that happens. We are gross and only change bedding every 2-3 weeks.

Per week:
2 or 3 loads of toddler stuff inc clothes, wipes, the occasional cloth nappy
1 load of light colours adult laundry
2 loads of dark colours adult laundry
1 load of towels OR sheets

My dh laughs when I call it "adult laundry" and makes some joke about jockstraps etc, every time, the joke has got old

@UnexpectedItemInShaggingArea I wash bedding every week yes.

We all bath and shower daily - but you sweat a lot overnight (and I'm peri menopausal - it's grim!)

I don't think that washing bed linens, that you spend hours laying in, once a week is excessive.

We tend to only do 4/5 washes a week but 2 dishwasher loads a day 😑 (family of 3)

Ours goes on a max of 3 times but usually twice a week for two adults. It takes 9kg and I probably overload it - what does 9kg even look like?

My dishwasher goes on about 4-5 times a week.

When the kids are back from university there's two extra loads of washing plus dishwasher most days

@PureBlackVoid

Lol! I was thinking the same thing, several threads hijacked by pp becoming obsessed by number of washing loads OP does.
Family of 6 , I generally do 2 loads a day and sometimes more, and I gave up weekly changing of bedding a while ago!
Dishwasher on once a day and occasionally twice a day.

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).

I think the opposite

I wish I could do less washing. Then I could use my free time to talk about it instead.

Two adults and a 1 year old. 5 loads a week. Ever since DD started nursery the clothes come back in a plastic bag and just all adds up. We wash bedding once a week but not towels. We also use reusable wipes. Mainly it's the poosplosions and running out of bibs that force us to do washing more often than I would enjoy.

@jazzandh we don't sweat very much this time of year especially since heating costs have exploded and we're wearing pjs in bed in any case...

@Mykittensmittens

The difference is I put the sheets and the white wash in together and put the towels and darks in together. Dp is working from home which means very little washing. Dc are currently away at university

@NotAScoobyToBeSeen

Nope, but things really dont need to be washed after every wear unless you're doing something particularly mucky or sweat inducing, apart from undies of which we have enough to last the week! We're a family of 4 and do 2 loads a week, one lights, one darks/colours 🤷‍♀️

I'm not buying that, because there is no way you can fit (I'm assuming) 3 sets of bed linen, and towels and clothes for 4 people into 2 loads, unless you have an industrial sized machine.

@NotAScoobyToBeSeen

Nope, but things really dont need to be washed after every wear unless you're doing something particularly mucky or sweat inducing, apart from undies of which we have enough to last the week! We're a family of 4 and do 2 loads a week, one lights, one darks/colours 🤷‍♀️

And there we have it.

DH, DD and I all wear a clean too daily for work/school. DS every other as he hasn't reached the sweaty stage yet. Trousers for all of us every other day. Also PJs every few days, daily undies and socks, sports stuff - it adds up to a lot more than two loads a week without me being fastidious about towels and bedding and it's a decent size drum.

Top, not too