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!

Put all in at once all colours mixed as have one of those dirt collector cloths that stops colours mixing onto other colours

Nah, I bung a handful of clothes in and don’t give it a second thought.

Shove it all in, according to colours. Would never inspect every single thing. I'd see them on the washing line.

Is this a reverse?

It’s not my job to know the whereabouts of other adults clothing

Only have me to sort out. It’s darks or whites or delicates. Think vaguely about what goes in.

I asked my brain and its said blow that for a game of soldiers or words to that effect

The only sorting I do is between whites/lights and colours. Split by colour, shove in washer/dryer, get out when it's dry and put away

@Sofiegiraffe

Just for clarity: I do not have a spreadsheet 😂

I'm talking this sort of thought process: "must make sure that dress goes into the next wash as I need that for work on Monday... must make sure that outfit for baby goes in to the next colours as I want to dress her in that tomorrow... must put elder DC's school skirt in this one..." etc etc.

It's not:

"1 x Panda babygrow, check...
1 x stripy socks, check...
3 x knickers, 2 blue, 1 black, check....

Jeez. 😂

I sort of do that I guess, but it's more "DC need school uniform for tomorrow, must do a dark load." Then I'll put the uniform in the basket, fill with other dark stuff, carry it down and then do as your DH does and shove it all in.

I’m a shover in and switch it on type of person.
If someone’s looking for something, it’s either in their bedroom, in their basket or in the machine. People need to take responsibility for their own shit, I’m no one’s PA.
My older ones do their own washing (and have done for a few years now), I wash for myself, dh and ds.
Why does it matter if you can’t find a specific babygro for a baby? Surely you just pick up the next one in the drawer and move on with your life? And someone asking for where their blue trousers are will know if they wore them recently enough to not have been washed yet, so if they’re not in their wardrobe then they’re in the wash aren’t they?
I wash daily, as soon as there’s enough for a load it goes in the machine, into the dryer and the whole cycle of washing and drying is done in about 2 and a half hours max.
I don’t even separate although we don’t really wear white.

I don't specifically make a mental note of every item but I would probably remember. I do check laundry for stains, items in pockets etc, make sure nothing delicate has got in by accident and read the washing label if it's a new item.

I tend to chuck things in one at a time to check pockets for tissues, coins and hairgrips. I put a loose knot in tights as well so that don't get all tangled up in other clothes. It takes two minutes. I still wouldn't know what was in the machine because my mind is miles away when doing it and my memory isn't great😂

I do one white wash a week when Ds is in school for his shirts and any other white bits around but other than that I shove it and and pay little attention to what’s going in

My DH will just (every now and again) “wash his stuff” and even though this is about a quarter machine load will not think to fill it with other stuff. Drives me insane when there seems to be 11 billion family loads to do ALL THE TIME

Your way is bonkers and time consuming, but if it makes you happy....

Our laundry is in different baskets, so for example, anything that has to be washed at 30 and can't go in the tumble dryer is separate from other stuff, so I don't give it a second thought and just shove it in. If somebody has said they need a PE kit washed or something, I would check I had it in the wash but that's about it.

I take a vague mental note when I'm sorting colours and lights. And then it all gets shoved in once sorted.

During the Sorting, pockets are checked and sometimes things are turned round the right way, if I can be bothered.

YANBU to check: Different temperatures are required, it's not just about colour. Takes an extra minute just to check nothing for handwashing has sneaked in. Or nothing which you don't want on an automatic dry cycle if you've a washer/dryer. Also clothes for the next day etc are a priority, so you need to check they make it in.

@PupInAPram

I tend to chuck things in one at a time to check pockets for tissues, coins and hairgrips. I put a loose knot in tights as well so that don't get all tangled up in other clothes. It takes two minutes. I still wouldn't know what was in the machine because my mind is miles away when doing it and my memory isn't great😂

Loose knot in tights is a genius idea and I wish I'd thought of it years go. Thank you for sharing!

Shove.

I'm with you @Sofiegiraffe

Large family here so have to be on top of it all. I do "categories" of washing, god I sound so dull!

We have a dedicated uniform basket so all uniform and DH work clothes get put in there and on the weekend I'll do a.boys uniform wash, then dry that, a girls and dry that, DH work clothes, and then a white uniform wash.

In the week I tend to do each person's seperate (each have washing baskets) so it's easier to put it away of its all for the same room if that makes sense!

Holy God!
Yet another domestic task I've failed at in my 70 years on this planet.

@JanetPluchinsky

I sort it into piles of colours but I have no idea what goes in at any one time. It all gets shoved in.

^^This

You notice when you dry them, surely?

It just gets shoved in. Ain't no one got time for that. I'll know what was in there while sorting it a couple of hours later. People can make it 2 hours without knowing whether something is in the wash.

I have four kids so I shove it all in. It's back out within 3 hours anyway surely? I never leave stuff in the machine as it starts to stink

Yes I would know roughly what’s in there. That’s because I tend to separate into stuff that can all go in the dryer together and stuff that will be hung out rather than tumble dried. I agree it’s just a mental habit rather than any sort of extra effort.