MIL turned all my washing inside out!

[JanS17]

We are on holiday at the moment with DH’s family (me, DH, DD, MIL, SIL, BIL, and dog).

Yesterday I did a load of washing (mix of mine, DH, and DD) and before we went out for lunch, I hung it all up nicely on the clothes rack and put it out in the sun to dry.

When we got back from lunch, MIL said she had moved a few things around to help them dry faster. I was a bit confused as the clothes were hung up as I wanted them to begin with but shrugged and said ok.

Yesterday evening I brought the rack of clothes inside and found that she has turned every single item of clothing (except socks - thank goodness!!) inside out!!

I am equally confused and pissed off. Why would she see my nicely hung out washing, and think to herself that it’s a good idea to remove every single piece of clothing, turn it inside out, and put it back?? Why was she even touching my washing in the first place???

The clothes are now all creased where she’s hung them crooked, and I have an extra chore of turning them all back the right way round again.

AIBU??

YABU - she was just trying to help (??)
YANBU - what was she thinking??

I agree except shirts should be pegged upside down on the bottom of the side seams!

On holiday in Spain years ago I put my washing out to dry-bloody well ruined the clothes-the hot sun had ruined them-lesson learnt.the swim stuff especially as I assume the chlorine still left on them speeded up the bleaching process.she was just trying to help.please don’t take it the wrong way.i am a MIL and I always try and help. I would hate my Son in laws to feel or my daughters,that I was interfering.

No idea why you’re getting a hard time OP. She interfered and messed around with your wash, and it didn’t even help just cost you extra time! How I reacted would depend on my relationship with her - I wouldn’t fall out with a nice loving MIL over it - but yes I am territorial about my washing, I hang it up how I like it and I don’t want someone else rearranging it. Am I a submissive wife from the 50s? No I’m a right old bluestocking, lifelong feminist and single mum and I’m allowed to care about my washing! Wanting to do a chore your own way and not have your stuff messed with doesn’t make you shallow or sexist - and even if you were a 50s housewife it’s STILL overstepping.

exactly this. but people come on mumsnet to purposely disagree with an OP.

if OP had said she'd hung them all inside out and MIL turned them all the right way round, they'd be saying it's making her life easier so she can put them away quicker.

doesn't actually matter that OP has her own way of doing things and MIL doing it differently ONCE would make no impact on the 'quality' of the laundry or whatever it is that makes it a superior way.

I have always washed and hung my clothes inside out but never actually knew why I did it, it was just what my mum did so I copied her and the habit has lasted.

This thread has educated me.

Does it matter? Really?

But she didn’t say it was to stop it bleaching, but to dry faster.

if it was me and she said “sorry I rearranged your washing but I don’t know if you know the sun would have bleached it” then more understandable.

Everytime I read one of these threads I go home and tell my own lovely DiL how lucky I am to have her. I could hang her washing upside down from the trees in the park and she'd judge me only on my intent to help her, laugh, and ask me not to do it again. As would I if it were the other way round.

that's shit. I LOVE smelling washing, and sniff it as it comes out of the machine beofre hanging (NOT inside out, IDGAF). I use Dettol laundry sanitiser and MY GOD the smell! Heaven. I then sniff my bedding when I take out a new set because, weeks after, it still smells good!

Please continue to take small joys from sniffing laundry 😊

I mean, all the competition to outdo on who knows all the laundry 'rules' reek of the 50s, tbh.

No it doesn’t “matter” as in its not the end of the world. But muscling in on your DIL’a housework and redoing it “better” is a very loaded thing to do and something I think MILs should refrain from unless they have a very good relationship with their DIL. It does smack of superiority and condescension and if it causes extra work it’s not actually helpful.

And yes of course the man should be doing housework too - however that’s another issue. I actually enjoy hanging out a lovely washing (as they say in Glasgow) and would happily do all the laundry in exchange for the chores I hate, and the fact OP did a family wash doesn’t in itself mean she’s doing everything.

I'm West Indian and never hang washing inside out, life is too short 😎

except I think you're the kind of MIL who wouldn't have interfered in the first place

YANBU that would irritate me too! I expect she meant well though

It's turned inside out as it gets taken off.

But we iron inside out too and I know that ironing is a no-no on MN!!

Muscling in on housework …. Hahaha

Many hands make light work!

true, I wash it as it's been placed in, so it's technically a mix as some clothes like shorts/trousers get pulled of so are the 'right' was round. I also take underwear off by sliding down too as I don't like handling them inside out to be fair 😅

I iron everything inside out, so would find it helpful, but also strong sun bleaches things quickly.

it isn’t making light work if it’s making more work!

and there are often threads about mils muscling in (can’t see what’s wrong with that, it’s an idiom not literal) and taking over domestic things without being asked and rearranging everything- it’s often a statement of dominance done in such a way as to look “helpful” so the DIL looks batshit if she doesn’t like it. It’s a thing!

No, shirts should be hung on the line/airer using coat hangers.

She did it with good intentions but I have been in this situation with my mother and it pissed me off!

I was told my washing would never dry the way I hung it out and it was rearranged. It just annoyed me as although it was meant with good intentions it also screamed you are an idiot and I know better.

I'm really surprised at how fast the sun bleaches stuff- particularly reds.
Sheets hung on a washing line in the sun and wind really do seem to whiten.
They certainly smell lovely after a blow in the sun.
Linens used to be dried on lawns centuries ago to whiten them.

Crikey. What a fuss about nothing. At least you now know to hang clothes inside out in the sun to help prevent fading. And to help items with pockets dry faster, too.

Not batshit fir not liking but totally batshit for being on holiday and making a thread about washing 😂!

if my DH dud this, I’d tell him to get a grip and worry about real issues!

I would think he was bloody ridiculous TBH!

Inside out is the correct way for washing, drying and ironing