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!

We sort washing into light wash, dark wash, wool/silk wash. Programmed appropriately.

My teen kids were all taught to use the WM, so they never needed to ask us if their sports kit was clean and ready.

You must have much more time than I. I'm with your partner on this - I just fill the machine, pulling it in piles from the basket, with absolutely no regard to what individual items are in

I pick up a pile and shove it in. No idea what's in it. Same as your husband.

Pick up and pile in.

No mental noting required; if it isnt in the wardrobe it’s in the wash.

@AchillesPoirot

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.

This. Your system is poor Op We do our own now anyway. Bliss

Sorted into darks, whites and lights and shoved in. I notice when I hang it up. If anyone inquires about an item they are told to check the dryer, the laundry basket, the linen basket or the wardrobe in the room the cleaner does the ironing. But mine are grown up and I have only one at home at present.

Stuff has to be hung or folded individually. I don't have time to check at both ends. I wonder if the op works.

I'm with your Dh here.

I'm with you @Sofiegiraffe

I always put things in the washing machine individually, there's only DD and me here though, she does the washing the way I do.

The only things we just put in the machine are any of her black clothes. I don't own any black clothes, DD has some though, so we always know what's in the washing then.

I pay attention to things that "must be in next wash".
So on Friday night or Saturday morning I'll do a dark load and it must have DD's school skirt in so it is clean and dry by Monday.
And then I'll do a white/light load which must contain DD's school shirts.
If someone specifically asks for something to be washed as soon as possible, I also make a note that it is. The rest of the wash, I have not a clue about. I often end up washing loads of odd socks, for
example.

I’m with you op - not so much that I take note, but I check pockets, unscrunch socks, wonder where the rest of someone’s uniform is, fish out the tie, etc so I roughly know what’s in there.

We only have enough clothes for two weeks, and I only do laundry Friday to Monday so it’s not rocket science to know where the clothes are. But in my house it would be a case of knowing something isn’t in the wash and probably stuffed down the sofa or under the cuddly toys down the side of the bed.

“Doing” laundry isn’t just putting on a wash- it’s also about knowing who needs new clothes, who’s not changing their underwear etc

I just fill the machine with as many of the right colour as make a full load. Only things I do note are ones that can't go in the tumble dryer or need special care.

I'm mostly a bung it in. I have enough going on in my brain to think about the individual things in the wash. But if I'm putting on a wash and there are things I specifically need to be in there, obviously I'll make sure they are in.

@RedSnail

i do it how your dh does it. people will know whether they put their trousers in the washing basket or not.

Yep. I know what's in the wash and when it's going through the wash, so don't need to put extra effort into sticking it in the machine.

Yeah sorry, you're the insane one in this scenario.

His way is how everyone does it. Who has time to/cares enough about washing to look at each thing individually.

If you've put something into the washing basket, it'll come back out eventually! Dont need to keep track.

How often do you urgently need to know right that second if a particular item of clothing is in the wash though? Surely you can just wait an hour or two and check when it’s hanging to dry? Even if it’s all going in the dryer straight from the wash, that’s still only a couple of hours til you can find out.

Seems like a waste of mental energy and headspace to keep an inventory of what’s in the washing machine!

Shove it in I'm afraid. We sort on colours when it goes into the baskets as well (have different laundry baskets for different colours) so that means you really don't look at what you're chucking in!

Divide into dark, light and white. Then it gets stuffed in.

I don't think I ever had an emergency where an item was looked for and it couldn't wait the one hour unitl the machine was done to see if it was wet or still in the dirty clothes basket.

Yes, I sort by colour and then by "need". For instance, DD has only 2 pair of dark jeans, so if one's in the basket I know it ought to be washed - same for DS's pyjamas - only 2 pair, so better pop them in. Some days I try to do mostly one or two person's clothes; makes it easier to sort on the other end. We don't have a tumble dryer, so it's necessary to think a day or so ahead.

Pick up from whichever basket it's been sorted into and shove in. Who on earth has time to mentally note what's in each wash? Madness.

I don’t even separate colours from whites

Yes - I do this. I don't count everything but I have a good idea of what's going in as I sort into dark/coloured/white piles so I can prioritise what goes in when (as often happens) there is too much for one wash - so I might decide a navy dress goes with darks one week and coloureds the next depending on what else I've got. It also tells me whether I need to remind teenagers about putting clothes in the basket .... one is now good but the other always leaves things dumped all over the place.

I haven't got a clue what's in there. I just shove it in.

I’m with your DH. Shove it all in. If someone can’t find something then it’s obviously in the wash. If it’s not then it’s not my problem

honestly, who has time to kneel and pay hommage at the door of a washing machine, gingerly putting things in item by item??

No idea what goes in the washing machine. If it was something someone wanted specifically they'd wash it themselves.