Or is this not how anyone does washing?!

[Sofiegiraffe]

Who is BU here, me or DP?

When I put a wash load in the machine, I pick up each item individually and sort of make a mental note of it so I have a rough idea of what is going into the machine (in case anyone asks where an item of their clothing is, or in case I'm wondering "where's that pair of black trousers of mine?", for example).

DP claims to just "pick up a load of stuff and shove it in". He doesn't put them in one by one. So if it's a darks wash that he's put on, and I ask "are my black trousers in that wash?" or "is DD's pink dress in that colours wash by any chance?", he won't know. All he knows is that he shoved a load of dark or coloured stuff in.

He thinks that's a perfectly reasonable way to do the washing. I think surely no one else does this? Surely most people look at what they're putting in so they at least have a rough idea of what's going in?!

Who is BU? Please settle this once and for all!

Yes. Our system is the same.

But when I'm not the one to load the machine, my question to the person who did is "was x item in that load?"

But if your system was the same you wouldn't need to ask the other person at all - you would just know that if it was a dark item it would have been placed in the dark load that is currently washing (as all dark items in the washing basket had been put into the wash).

You must be waiting until there is more items in the basket than will fit in a load, so some of them get washed and some of them don't, and you don't know which falls into which category.

Go and look for it if you want it

What I meant was: but why is there a washing basket in the basement?

[quote Sofiegiraffe]@Fandangofran

Ok you're not really understanding my point so we will just leave it there.

It's not knowing the whereabouts of my own items and the baby's that causes me the most stress, not anyone else's. If DP or eldest DD ask, I don't feel it's my responsibility to know. If I don't know then I don't know.

But if I don't know where my stuff and the baby's is, no one else will care. So that's my problem and mine alone. [/quote]
No you're right I'm really not understanding.

My washer is in the garage at the end of the garden so not that different. Life is full of stress so I just couldn't bring myself to stress about laundry or the location of a specific item of clothing - if I can't find something I just wear something else and know I'll come across X item at some point on my travels.

So,in answer to your question which is the whole purpose of us all being here - yes you are being unreasonable.

So you ask have you put on a dark load. Then you will know whether the item is in the machine or not.

@sweeneytoddsrazor

So you ask have you put on a dark load. Then you will know whether the item is in the machine or not.

🙈

Again. No I won't know, if there's too many darks down there for one wash.

@ManyATime

What I meant was: but why is there a washing basket in the basement?

It has our clothes in that are awaiting washing. Similar to a utility room, I imagine.

So you get undressed for bed, in your bedroom. Where do you put the dirty clothes?

Yes, I know what a washing basket is and I know what a washing machine is, but the two don’t have to live together and probably don’t in most cases because people don’t usually undress in front of the washing machine.

Why not put the washbasket(s) in the kitchen and take out a load to the basement once each is full?

Or. Let your older child do their own washing and your DH do his and the toddler and you do yours and the baby

Op I find it quite odd what you do, but then again. Both myself and my DH both do the washing and drying when ever each of us is free, there is no discussion we just do it, as with all the house hold chores. Admittedly he does virtually all the DIY and fixing as I'm not great at it or understand how all the tech gadgets and security is setup bit to technical for me.

@ManyATime

Yes, I know what a washing basket is and I know what a washing machine is, but the two don’t have to live together and probably don’t in most cases because people don’t usually undress in front of the washing machine.

I said earlier that we have 3 baskets - one upstairs, one downstairs (in the kitchen), the other in the basement.

@AugustOrSept

So you get undressed for bed, in your bedroom. Where do you put the dirty clothes?

In the basket outside our bedroom on the landing.

Everyone here has a basket in their bedroom. There’s also one in the hot press.

When the bedroom one is full take it to the hot press one. I tip both out and sort into lights and darks. See if either is a full load. If it is - take that basket down to the washing machine and wash that load.

Dds do the same.

When the three of them were here and there was uniform. Friday night. Get me your uniform I need to wash it. Put it all in the hot press basket and take that down to the washer.

Everyone has a fancy plastic box (used to be a Sainsbury’s blue box back in the day) for their clean and ironed stuff. That lives in the utility room on the work top. When it’s full. Take it up and put it away.

My work clothes were the same. Full load of clothes of the week on a Friday. Washed on Friday night either with the uniform or as a separate load. Hung up to dry. Ironed on a Sunday.

Bedding all done on a Saturday. (Every other week for the kids when they were younger. More often with cot bedding.)

Towels on a Sunday. Everyone trained to hang a towel up to dry after one use.

Gym and sports kit done the day it was used.

“I said earlier that we have 3 baskets - one upstairs, one downstairs (in the kitchen), the other in the basement.”

But why?

I always sort through the laundry before I put it in the machine.
I don't want colours or darks ending up in a white wash.
Nor do I want pale fluffy things going in with black cotton.

DH and I both wear a uniform, as does DD.

One white wash a week (inc school blouses).

Colours are prioritised:

Uniforms
Underwear
Jeans/Towels
Everything else but...

Woollen items which have to go on a wool wash and dried flat (which I can only be arsed to do fortnightly).

The System baffles the other two but it keeps them in what they need.

YABU - if you've worn it that week it'll be in the wash. If it's not in the wash it'll be hung up (I'm a non ironer) where else would your black trousers be other than in the laundry or handing up?

But when I'm not the one to load the machine, my question to the person who did is "was x item in that load?" (as opposed to still in the basket waiting to be washed). This is information that would help me to decide my next steps, which are to either 1) forget about it, it's in hand and just needs taking out and drying in a few hours, or 2) add it to my mental to do list to put that in the wash in a few hours, otherwise it won't get washed.

But either way there's nothing to be done until the current load is finished, and either way the answer is revealed at that point, so I don't understand the problem? You seem to be spending a LOT of mental energy on this for reasons that really aren't clear to me.

@HardbackWriter

But when I'm not the one to load the machine, my question to the person who did is "was x item in that load?" (as opposed to still in the basket waiting to be washed). This is information that would help me to decide my next steps, which are to either 1) forget about it, it's in hand and just needs taking out and drying in a few hours, or 2) add it to my mental to do list to put that in the wash in a few hours, otherwise it won't get washed.

But either way there's nothing to be done until the current load is finished, and either way the answer is revealed at that point, so I don't understand the problem? You seem to be spending a LOT of mental energy on this for reasons that really aren't clear to me.

The point is (I'm sure if said this before), that if I don't make a mental note at the time, I will likely forget to do it because I have a lot of other things ticking over in my mind on a daily basis. So it helps to know whether I need to add it to my mental to do list, or not.

If its important to you, surely you do it yourself

Shove in!!!

And only buy black socks so no stresses with pairs

We shove whatever in and don't know what's in there.

@FloraPostePosts

I can’t understand not sorting properly - things need different temperatures (some of my good clothes I wash on completely cold to avoid shrinking) and some fabrics need a gentle programme. My clothes last for years and years because I treat them appropriately. Even though I do this, I still only wash full loads - we have enough to be able to wait until there is a full enough basket to warrant putting a wash on.

I have no idea what materials/ items require different setting tbh.

Dry clean is kept separate, bedding and towels go on at 60 and everything else goes on at 30 with an extra rinse.