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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

So, how many loads of washing DO you do in a week, MN??

208 replies

PeeAche2 · 11/05/2022 14:29

Inspired by the poor MNer that is doing 4 loads a day... tell me your laundry schedule.

Mine is very straightforward:

2 children and a cloth nappy baby
1 load per day - put in before bed on an eco cycle and hung out the next morning before work.

If I am ill, drunk or forgetful, my schedule falls behind by 1 day and I give zero shits. "Because I do not exist to do your laundry."

If someone pisses the bed, I am willing to do an extra load. But I will be vocal about it.

OP posts:
Oblomov22 · 12/05/2022 07:22

I still can't work out how someone needs to do 4 a day.

Seeleyboo · 12/05/2022 07:25

About 20 a week. 4 of us plus 2 elderly dogs who poop their beds. Alot less now as 3 of my children have left home and one dog went to the rainbow bridge.

Mommabear20 · 12/05/2022 07:26

7 loads a week for a family of 4, will be upped to 8 loads when baby arrives in December.

1 load per person, 1 load of bath towels, 1 load of everyone's bedding, and 1 load of swimming towels and costumes after kids swimming lessons.

inappropriateraspberry · 12/05/2022 07:31

About 5 loads a week. I aim for one load a weekday, but sometimes do 2 on one day instead of the weather's bad and I'm going to put it in the drier. Trying to cut down on electric use a little!

inappropriateraspberry · 12/05/2022 07:32

Oh, 2 adults and 2 primary children.

MinnieMountain · 12/05/2022 07:34

Me, DH and an 8yo. 3 per week. One of which is the fortnightly bed change.
Whites done when needed (mainly DS’s school tops), ditto woollens as DH wears lots of merino wool.

Chubarubrub · 12/05/2022 07:39

2 loads of washing throughout the week (no schedule just whenever)
Bedding and towels every Sunday
Just me and DH

londonrach · 12/05/2022 07:43

Can't help op but just wanted do you have any family or friends who could hold baby so you can get things done or sleep. I remember this well. Hugs op it will get better xxx

SmiledWtherisingsun · 12/05/2022 07:44

At least one but up to 3 some days 🙈

Givemeallthegin8 · 12/05/2022 08:03

I hate doing laundry 😭

2 adults , 2 dds

dd9 does swimming and GAA four times a week so do 1/2 washes every day. If I leave out a day then it just builds up. It’s never ending

ChoiceMummy · 12/05/2022 08:53

PeeAche2 · 11/05/2022 14:29

Inspired by the poor MNer that is doing 4 loads a day... tell me your laundry schedule.

Mine is very straightforward:

2 children and a cloth nappy baby
1 load per day - put in before bed on an eco cycle and hung out the next morning before work.

If I am ill, drunk or forgetful, my schedule falls behind by 1 day and I give zero shits. "Because I do not exist to do your laundry."

If someone pisses the bed, I am willing to do an extra load. But I will be vocal about it.

School weeks, 3 loads a week. School holidays that will be spread over maybe 10 days, though winter probably same frequency as winter clothes are bulkier. Plus another load every few weeks.

Also have a child with SEN, but we seem to have a good rhythm tbh.

PeeAche2 · 12/05/2022 08:58

A lot of people are including their pets in their calculations. I do have 2 cats but they don't generate much washing as I only dress them up for weddings and christenings.

OP posts:
PorkPieForStarters · 12/05/2022 11:06

Amoozbooze · 11/05/2022 19:45

Me too! I'm shocked by these! I can't imagine separating underwear, teatowels, adult darks, toddler darks, bedding. I am a lone parent with a toddler and do one or two washes a week. I only wash things that are dirty, otherwise hang it up and wear it again! I swim regularly too, take the towel out and let it dry and use it again. I usually wash tshirts if I've worn it all day but jeans and trousers when they are dirty. Everything goes in together! Pants, tea towels, clothes the lot! I'm more careful with new clothes that the dye might run. I have never caught an infection off my clothes nor a stomach ache from washing knickers with teatowels 😂 separating colours definitely makes sense if you have enough but a lot of these habits are making a lot more work for n reason.

Yes, same, everything in together unless it's something where I think the dye might run.

I'd never even considered cross-contamination 😱thought I seem to have survived so far, thankfully.

I keep thinking about this and actually, say I had seven tops that I wore once per week each, that's only max 5 wears per top per month so they shouldn't really need washing more than once a month unless I've managed to slop something down them (not unlikely). And washing clothes often is bad for the clothes and bad for the environment when you think about microfibres and water, so I feel a lot better about my slovenly ways!

@PeeAche2 your cats must look beautiful. Mewtiful?

Gilead · 12/05/2022 11:30

Between four and seven. Two of us, but I have a stoma.

SockQueen · 12/05/2022 11:43

About four a week. Two adults, two DC aged 5 &2. We have a big machine though.

Dudds · 12/05/2022 11:53

Family of 6

1 load a day, sometimes 2 and 3 loads per weekend day. Probably average 10 loads a week.

MrOllivander · 12/05/2022 11:54

Single, do 2-3 a week. Spin class 5/6 times a week is what bulks up the washing! And a super king bed

helpfulperson · 12/05/2022 11:58

This certainly explains why many peoples electricity bills are so high!

Dudds · 12/05/2022 12:04

It never stops.

OH and I have uniforms, I can't rewear (am a cleaner) and OH has fresh shirt every day but rewear trousers. He also has an dog-walking outfit that he rewears through the week.

Son 1 (16) uniform, 3 trousers and 2 jumpers, 5 shirts.

Son 2 (9) 4 trousers, 5 shorts, Pe and swim kit.

Daughter 1(18) new outfit for college then change of clothes for going out a few times a week.

Daughter 2(18) office uniform, home and into pj's.

We all use our own towel, 1-2 each a week. Plus dog towels and throws for couch because of dog.

Bedding is done biweekly.

My cleaning cloths get a hot wash once a week.

OH irons every night for half an hour and I'll do a couple of hours straight once a week.

Drying - clothes line, more airers than I thought possible and a tumble dryer (only used in bad weather and once the airers are full).

We have 4 washing baskets:1 with clothes to be ironed, 1 with folded towels, 1 with socks and underwear and 1 with pj's.

IncompleteSenten · 12/05/2022 12:06

Personally? None.
I've just realised I don't actually know how many loads my lot put on each week. 😳

Survivingmy3yearold · 12/05/2022 14:34

We are a household of 4, myself and DP, DD6 and DD1. In an average week I do 1 light and 1 dark load during the week and the same over the weekend, so 4 loads of clothes. Towels and bedding make another 2-3 and I alternate between washing towels and bedding every week. I used to do bedding and towels every week but we can no longer afford the electricity and laundry products this would use so we've gone to washing them every other week

OnceUponAThread · 12/05/2022 14:42

PrawnToast5 · 11/05/2022 15:10

I don't do any Grin DH does 3-4 a week.

Same! Laundry is DH's arena so I've not a clue on actual numbers.

I reckon I see him going to hang out laundry maybe every couple of days? So I would have thought that's about 2-4 a week?

But the cleaner also does two loads weekly when she comes which includes all the towels and bed linen.

So in total maybe 4-6 a week? Something like that.

That's for me, DH, and two DSDs (when they are here).

Baby on the way, so I expect this will escalate, but not sure by how much?

PinkSyCo · 12/05/2022 16:21

PowerfulWombSpaceRespector · 11/05/2022 14:38

A fuckton. HTH.

There's 6 of us and we have a 10 kg machine
Wash towels once a week (3 loads) and sheets slightly less than that, but there's 1 king, 2 doubles and 2 singles so that's another 3 loads.
Plus at least one of clothes a day.

Are you counting half loads as full loads?

youdothemaths · 13/05/2022 12:55

Not RTFT but I know there are at least a couple of people on here who claim to change bed linen daily. I dread to think what their total is...

TeacupDrama · 13/05/2022 13:10

me DH and DD(12)
1 bedding ours 1 week DD's next week would normlly chuck in a few dish clothes as well ( occasionally if we have a hot spell maybe more often)
2, towels and other cleaning clothes 3 bath towels 3 hand towels maybe a couple of flannels
3, light white load 5 school shirts 7+7 pants me and DD and 3-4 bras each a few pairs of socks and maybe 5-6 other tops blouses and a skirt or shorts etc pyjamas
4, dark 7 pants DH and socks 5 pairs school tights, a school skirt and 1 or 2 jumpers, 3-4 DH tops 3 pairs of jeans / trousers maybe a skirt from me DD pe kit ( t shirt leggings)
maybe once a month a load of knits I wear woollen jumpers
occasionally an extra load of DH workwear if covered in sawdust etc doesn't happen often
3-4 times a year a load of throws or curtains if a cushion cover got a mark on it it would be washed with one of the other loads
as I said before only pants socks tights and school shirts are changed daily everything else when dirty or smelly,

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