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!

I just bung them in. The washing cycle is 2 hours - I can cope with that level of suspense. If you are desperate to know if your work trousers are in, can't you check the laundry basket to see if it's still there?

Also our wash loads take 3 hours, not 1.
Should this not be the case?!

So next time he asks you if his shirt is in that wash you say "dunno, just shoved a load in". Afraid I'm a shover too, it all goes in once there's a machine sized pile in the basket. If any of us really need something, we'll be the ones to shove the next load on, making sure the something is in it!

I just separate by colour and fabric type. Then shove it in.

@Sofiegiraffe

Also our wash loads take 3 hours, not 1. Should this not be the case?!

Modern machines I think. Our 17yr old Miele takes about 40 mins for a standard 30/40° cycle

I know what’s in the washing machine. I tend to put things in one by one so I can check (tissues - me, paper money, receipts, small screws - OH).

So I just notice what goes in. I always thought it matters how you load, so it doesn’t end up in a tangled ball which can can cause a problem in a spin cycle.

I don’t know how my husband does it - I don’t think he even knows how the washing machine works. He just dumps things on the floor in front of it and knows the house fairy will sort it.

Maybe it’s a personality thing - I’m an introvert so tend to be more into detail than my extrovert OH.

I count mine as i only have a limited amount of space on my airer

YAB completely and utterly unreasonable…and have far too much time on your hands/ not enough washing to do

Its his way of making sure you do it. I suggest a split laundry basket with darks one side and light the other. Then a clear instruction to wash separately

Why would you bother looking at stuff individually?! It’s only in there a couple hours, and if the person put their black trousers in the wash then it’s a safe bet that’s where the trousers are.

There you go, you’ve freed up some time.

I just shove it all in. Why would I need to know where certain items are? Bit of a faff OP.

I fill the machine as I go.
If I take off something I feel needs washing, I throw it straight in. If the kid takes stuff off that needs a wash, throw that straight in too.
When it's full, put it on to wash.

Somehow I know what is in the dark load of my own anyway without looking. I know what I have worn. I just put in a load and don’t look till it comes out. I don’t build up tons of washing so everything in there will be the last few days worth not something that’s been there for 3 weeks

We do our own washing so we don't have to worry about where our stuff is.

@SagaNorenLansrimMalmo

YAB completely and utterly unreasonable…and have far too much time on your hands/ not enough washing to do

Hahahaha.

Brilliant. I can assure you this is absolutely not the case as a FT working mum of 2😂

I do all the family's washing. I sort colours but then shove it all in. It's a very dull job that does need complicating. Surely it will be clear what went in....when it gets hung!!

Shoved in definitely. If someone wants something and it isn't in the dirty washing then it is in the wash. Simple as that really! Apart from dark/lights I take no note of what goes in.

@Luredbyapomegranate

Why would you bother looking at stuff individually?! It’s only in there a couple hours, and if the person put their black trousers in the wash then it’s a safe bet that’s where the trousers are.

There you go, you’ve freed up some time.

It's not a safe bet because if there are too many darks for that particular cycle, I have no idea whether DP prioritised putting them in or not. And he doesn't know either when I ask him.

@brookstar

We do our own washing so we don't have to worry about where our stuff is.

Going to bring this in I think!!

Except for the 1 year old 😂

Why on earth do you need to note what's in there - it will be out again in a couple of hours. And surely if something isn't in the wardrobe/bedroom and you've worn it recently, you can deduce that it's in the wash? A mystery that will be solved an hour or two later anyway. You are massively over investing in the note taking!

When I used to have specific work clothes they were washed on a Friday night. As was school uniform. That was prioritised as it took til Sunday to get them dried.

I wouldn’t be washing work stuff on a Sunday if I needed it for Monday. Or if I was, I’d accept it would be a small load and need tumbled to be ready for Monday.

3 hours is loads. Mine is 40 mins for clothes and an hour 30 for something on a hot wash

I have two types of washing - white shirts and everything else. The only exception is I'll wash new jeans on their own in case the colour runs.

So I'll make sure there's no white shirts in whatever I've grabbed, and the rest just gets shoved in.

To be fair, there's only me and DP so we can get away with 2 loads of clothes washing a week, so it's not that hard to keep control of.

Separated into light and dark by the owners when it goes into the laundry basket. I check the kid’s light things for stains. If it’s going into the tumble drier I will have a quick count of the number of items which can’t go into the tumble drier to make it quicker when they come out.

I mostly just shove it in but I have a decent idea of what's in there. I don't actually generally do separate coloured/light washes unless there's something new and very bright coloured than might run as I've almost never known anything to run in a wash of 40C or less.