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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Can't cope with washing clothing

469 replies

MonsteraMother · 30/10/2022 23:13

I'm relatively competent in most areas of life except this one. I cannot fucking get it together to be on top of the washing. I sometimes buy new socks just because I can't face the bloody sock mountain and pairing them all up. I own over 60 pairs of knickers as I only seem to have the time and space in my life to catch up with washing during school holidays.

For context, we have a 4 bed house with a washing machine, a tumble dryer and outside washing line but no utility room - just a small office/box room which is always stuffed to the max with the wash baskets and the sock basket. We also have a cleaner once a week but she doesn't do anything to do with washing.

My excuse is that I work incredibly long hours (7am to 7pm) and have 2 young DC. DH does lots to help too with cooking, dishwasher, all school runs but he is also crap at washing. We have 4 wash baskets and they are all full of washing in various states.

AIBU to ask for your help? Surely at my 'close to menopause age' I should be able to get a grip on this one area of life.

Please give me your tips...

OP posts:
Completelydonechick · 01/11/2022 21:31

Those octopus things from ikea -one for each member of the family, pants and socks etc- and pair the socks when they are wet and clip together then ball them when they are dry. It is a hideous job but in reality only takes about 15 miserable minutes, And allocate a basket for each family member that dry clothes go in (bollocks to ironing) and gets sent off to their rooms.

DaughterofZion · 01/11/2022 21:31

Topgub · 30/10/2022 23:26

You've diagnosed adhd from an inability to do washing?

😂

catandcoffee · 01/11/2022 21:41

I love folding clean clothes and socks 😆

Mollymoostoo · 01/11/2022 21:43

I don't iron. We do the laundry and I put everyone's clothes in a shopping bag and put it in their room for them to put away. I only iron my clothes for work and school uniforms.
You could make a game out of matching socks with the children.

Greengagesnfennel · 01/11/2022 21:50

I agree with the timetabling being good. I don't do the washing. I am the ironer and sorter. I do it all on a sunday eve when I take over the tv room and pile all the clean stuff on an armchair to sort out. I enjoy watching all the trash tv I've saved up on catch-up while i do it because like you I work 5d ft so no time for tv midweek either. If it's not there for sunday then tough, the kids and Dh need to wait another week or do it themselves. All sorted into piles per family member. Socks are evil though. If someone knows how to stop always ending up with odd ones, I too would love to know the secret!

angela99999 · 01/11/2022 21:51

Green4567 · 01/11/2022 18:49

Sorry if it’s already been said but I wash per person. There’s much less sorting to be done then. We each have our own little foldable washing basket and when I put a wash on I just wash from whichever is fullest.

This is really clever, never thought of doing it this way. Only problem is you might need more school uniform. Or maybe everyone's uniform could go in one box.

gimmepeaceandsky · 01/11/2022 22:28

You are not being unreasonable.
I have 1 basket in the living room for two weeks now and last week I had three.
I dont go crazy mad about it and do it on my own time, if I feel like doing it and specially if I find the time to do it. My partner is also ok and help me whenever he wants. My eldest if he wants anything that is there he can go and fetch himself.
last weekend we didn’t do any wash because we were extremely busy. Now we will probably have another two more baskets to wash and sort by Sunday - already knowing that our weekend will be again busy and stressful… In general, if your family is understanding and helpful, it all falls in its place with peace along the busy lives that we live. Don’t stress, is just the laundry I would say.
:)
One day you wake up decided to do it all and do it.
try maybe putting less clothes to wash, use more times, save money, water and electricity :)

good luck

Feetupteashot · 01/11/2022 22:32

Dude, just pay your cleaner to hang up a load or two, share the rest with your other half and kids. Everyone who lives in the house has to do washing. Sing educational songs whilst the kids help you if you need to.

Hagpie · 01/11/2022 23:01

My top tip is getting yourself a partner that inexplicably loves doing the washing. They are quite high maintenance with attention needs, exercise and needing to be fed 3 times a day, but make excellent long term companions.

catflycat · 02/11/2022 00:37

I fixed laundry after a tip on here - we now all have our own laundry baskets in our rooms. Monday we wash towels. Tuesday child one. Wednesday child two. Thursday adults. Friday bedding. Weekend off or a whites/delicates wash. Keeping everyone's laundry separate means...

  • there's no sorting - all goes straight to whoever's room together. No lost socks
  • no more laundry all over the house - and nothing piled at the machine. This is best bit as the machine is clear to deal with clean stuff/sorting each load
  • everyone has enough stuff for a week so generally everyone always has what they need (barring inevitable lost school jumpers catching me out, luckily kids are close enough in size to steal from each other)

Whoever's day it is beyond their washing down in the morning so it gets put on first thing.

catflycat · 02/11/2022 00:40

Also we don't own anything that needs to be ironed, that helps. And I use the tumble drier lots (it's an efficient one and we have solar panels 😬)

AlwaysLatte · 02/11/2022 00:46

Also, get one of these! It's been a game changer for me. We have three single laundry baskets in the bathrooms, and every morning I empty into this colour sorting trolley in my laundry room and put a load on.Then fold and put away as soon as it's dried. It doesn't seem like much work and because I fold it straight away there's barely any ironing to do, so I get that done on Sundays so that there is school uniform all ready for the week ahead. I used to be chaotically disorganised about laundry before!

AlwaysLatte · 02/11/2022 00:46

Forgot the pic:

AlwaysLatte · 02/11/2022 00:47

.

Can't cope with washing clothing
Geppili · 02/11/2022 01:17

I love that sorter. Another tip is to reduce your inventory. Fewer clothes, less to wash and sort. I sadly adore all parts of laundry but hate and shirk cooking!

WildCherryBlossom · 02/11/2022 07:14

OP sorting socks is the bane of my life too. The trouble is the more you have the worse the job becomes so do stop buying then for now.

I listen to podcasts while I sort the laundry. It keeps me entertained and distracted from the mind numbing tedium. I particularly like Radio 4s Friday Night Comedy (eg the Now Show / Dead Ringers / The News Quiz). Or sometimes vintage episodes of Desert Island Disks. A friend of mine does the ironing with AC/DC on full blast. I'm sure there is something you would enjoy.

Agehdidbfkgjsgwgzbzk · 02/11/2022 07:19

Hello we are a family of 7 I’m not sure if this will help but we live in a 4 bed also and use my en-suite to dry the clothes on an Airer aswell as the dryer I put a load on in the morning g before I leave for work but put it on a delay start so it’s just finishing when I get home I then take it straight out if you do this can your partner put it to dry maybe? Then could you put another load on quick to finish before you go to bed as most nights I take wet washing up with me and put it on the Airer before I get into bed.

wentworthinmate · 02/11/2022 08:03

I love doing laundry, something cathartic about it! Ironing on the other hand…

Cotonsugar · 02/11/2022 08:23

This reply has been withdrawn

This message has been withdrawn at the poster's request

Dee00 · 02/11/2022 08:32

I hate washing too, but I do it. Firstly, you need to sort out those washing baskets, the most important thing about organised laundry is not to do more washing until the last lot is put away. Do a load every other day. You also need to help yourself to create minimal ironing, hang shirts, trousers, tops, dresses to dry. Do you have an air dryer? They are brilliant.

You need a system and stick to it. It takes 2 minutes to put a load in the wash.
I tend to do towels on a Monday night, straight in tumble dryer and all put away before bath time routine.
I do my bed Tuesday morning and put it on a timer so it finishes when I get in, then straight in dryer. Back on bed when DS is in the bath. Weds other beds, back on beds by evening.
Usually Friday after school I do whites, I hang all clothes and dry on an air dryer, which creates minimal ironing. Then in morning I do no more than 30 minutes of ironing and put it all away in correct wardrobes/rooms. Last wash of the week I do on a Saturday morning, the darks, they are all hung straight away, ironed and put away first thing Sunday morning.

The worst thing you can do is pile it up in an ironing basket. You are creating so much more work.

Have a huge wardrobe organising day, be ruthless and take stuff to the charity shop. Anything that doesn’t fit that you can’t bare to give away you need to pack it away in the loft or garage until you get back to that size 10! You will be more likely to want to hang your clothes straight back up after you’ve laundered them. good luck OP you will feel so much better when you get on top of it.

PinkPanther50 · 02/11/2022 08:34

Why don’t you ask your cleaner to put a load in when she arrives and then stick it in the dryer before she leaves. You are employing her so you have the right to ask her to do a 5 minute job to help you out

timeonmyside · 02/11/2022 09:33

My daughter used to have this problem especially with towels there was always at least three machine loads a week of towels alone. Kids would leave them all over their bedroom damp and then get another one out. She bought everyone 1 new towel all different colours this is now theirs for the whole week if they dont hang it up they have to use it damp. She is now down to 1 machine load a week.

pinkpirlie · 02/11/2022 09:45

@MonsteraMother
Top re socks - always keep them in pairs to save a hassle of having to match them to ball.

When they come off feet straight into a ball, when they go in the machine unball, they only go in if in a pair. When hanging on the line/airer in pairs, as taking off the line straight into a ball (should be easy as should already be in a ball).
I used to be like you, had a spare room filled with what felt like about 1000 odd socks! My partner has this method from childhood and in 7 years together we haven't had a single odd one.

We are still rubbish at doing laundry though. We only do it once the basket is overflowing and we run out of clothes.

IWishIHadNotDoneIt · 02/11/2022 11:00

I hear you OP. Wahing is my nemesis too. I put a load on before work, that goes in the tumble when I get home and another wash on. That wash goes on the airer. Repeat next day but I cannot get on top of the washing. I am out the house 6am-6pm most days.

YouCanDoItRight · 02/11/2022 12:19

Hagpie · 01/11/2022 23:01

My top tip is getting yourself a partner that inexplicably loves doing the washing. They are quite high maintenance with attention needs, exercise and needing to be fed 3 times a day, but make excellent long term companions.

This is me. I love doing laundry and sorting and folding. I even joy treating it and using different brands of detergent for darks, delicates, wools… and dettol for freshening up. Great satisfaction from it.

There’s no need for dozens of socks all in different patterns though, that’s cruel and unusual punishment.