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AIBU?

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Original poster

Changing School Uniforms

170 replies

wingingit1987 · 20/08/2023 23:39

Having a chat with a friend today and I mentioned ironing the uniforms tonight for the week ahead. I said I iron a fresh uniform for each day of the week and my friend says she recycles a uniform for a few days then swaps it out. Am I giving myself more work than I should be?

fresh uniform daily- YANBU
recycling it for a day or so- YABU

OP posts:
titchy · 20/08/2023 23:43

You mean they have a new pair of trousers/skirt and new jumper every day? What a waste.... new shirt every day yes, but the rest should last a few days.

avwnao · 20/08/2023 23:45

Wouldn't that simply depend on if the uniform is dirty?

KrisAkabusi · 20/08/2023 23:46

Each if my kids has two sets of uniforms, just in case a spare us needed. No way do they get washed every day unless filthy. Are you seriously saying your kids have five uniforms each?

Rumplestrumpet · 20/08/2023 23:49

I did this in infant school - a cardigan may have lasted 2 days but everything else was always filthy by the end of the day.

Now in juniors I assess each item - skirts often go a couple of days but shirts and underwear need replacing daily. We don't have a blazer but I imagine that's not meant to be cleaned too often

Valhalla17 · 20/08/2023 23:50

My ds has 2 blazers which get rotated each week
3 pairs of trousers, which he changes every 2-3 days depending on how dirty/sweaty
2 jumpers, that again he wears for a few days depending on freshness
Loads of shirts, these are fresh each day

I don't iron a thing lol

Original poster
wingingit1987 · 20/08/2023 23:51

KrisAkabusi · 20/08/2023 23:46

Each if my kids has two sets of uniforms, just in case a spare us needed. No way do they get washed every day unless filthy. Are you seriously saying your kids have five uniforms each?

Yes- they have a uniform for each day and a few surplus things.

OP posts:
Original poster
wingingit1987 · 20/08/2023 23:52

Rumplestrumpet · 20/08/2023 23:49

I did this in infant school - a cardigan may have lasted 2 days but everything else was always filthy by the end of the day.

Now in juniors I assess each item - skirts often go a couple of days but shirts and underwear need replacing daily. We don't have a blazer but I imagine that's not meant to be cleaned too often

My eldest is 9 and his things are still ok when he gets in but his siblings are 6 and 4 so they do still come home covered in all sorts. On reflection though- I could probably recycle my 9 year olds trousers and sweatshirts now.

OP posts:
DogDaysAreOverr · 20/08/2023 23:58

Sorry but I watched a documentary years ago where they used one of those special lights (uv maybe) to show up the germ transfer from kids to kids - it was glowing at the end of the day - they likened it to a 3 week old used washing up sponge .. so fresh uniforms every day for mine. 2-3 sets and get washed through the week with usual washing of kit and general laundry.

KrisAkabusi · 21/08/2023 00:01

Five sets of uniforms really isn't normal. It's a massive additional cost that most people wouldn't consider.

teaandtoastwithmarmite · 21/08/2023 00:02

DD has fresh everything every day. The cardigan maybe two days but she gets food on everything and grass stains etc

edwinbear · 21/08/2023 00:03

OP I’m with you. It’s fucking minging to not send your DC into school in clean clothes every day. I wear fresh clothes to work daily so obviously my children do too.

edwinbear · 21/08/2023 00:08

And we don’t have 5 sets of uniform, we have 3, so that just requires one mid-week wash/iron. It’s really not a big deal to ensure my kids are in clean clothes daily.

BabyofMine · 21/08/2023 00:09

My child has 6 sets of everything - one for each day of the week and one for spare. Most things come in multiples of 2 so it was either four or six outfits. I’m very frugal generally but we don’t have a dryer (no room for it) and I’ll be damned if I’m spending time mid week scrambling to dry and iron uniform. It gives me peace of mind to know it’s all ready for the week ahead. And my child really does come home with visibly filthy clothes everyday! They don’t give them painting aprons so it’s often paint and other art materials, and I don’t want to make my child afraid of making a mess and stifling them trying to keep neat.

lanthanum · 21/08/2023 00:09

Two pairs of trousers, 3 shirts, two jumpers, 1 blazer per week did fine for us. Blazer got washed alternate weekends (but would drip dry overnight if needed). Only shirts got ironed (and not the polo shirts).

Jellycatspyjamas · 21/08/2023 00:12

Clean uniform daily here too, I can sometimes get a second day out of trousers but more often than not they need cleaned. I do all the uniform in one wash at the end of the week ready and fresh for the week ahead.

edwinbear · 21/08/2023 00:14

I’m understanding now why teachers are complaining that their classrooms constantly smell of sweaty kids. Those of you who send your kids into school in the same clothes two days in a row, do you go into work in the same outfit two days in a row?! 😳

edwinbear · 21/08/2023 00:19

KrisAkabusi · Yesterday 23:46
Each if my kids has two sets of uniforms, just in case a spare us needed. No way do they get washed every day unless filthy. Are you seriously saying your kids have five uniforms each?

What do you mean in case a spare is needed? Do you expect your DC to wear one set of clothes all week? That is grim.

seven201 · 21/08/2023 00:21

My dd is 7 and mostly has a clean full set of uniform each day, sometimes we re-use a cardigan if it's been hot and I don't think she's worn it for long. I don't have five sets and I've never ironed any of her uniform. Kids are just massive germ bags and my dd likes rolling down the grass hill etc and is in it from 7am-6pm minimum. I don't care if she has paint stains that don't come off, she'll still wear it until it's too small.

Yestostructure · 21/08/2023 00:24

I do five sets of everything on a Sunday, I check each sweater/trousers at the end of the day but usually always marked, often by breakfast before we even leave the house! I'd be doing constant washing if I only had 2 or 3 sets.

Dramatic · 21/08/2023 00:24

Mine have clean polos and tights every day but usually cardigans and skirts can be worn 2 days in a row. There is absolutely nothing dirty about that, I'd quite happily wear the same pair of trousers or a jumper 2 days in a row.

Idtotallybangdreamoftheendlessnotgonnalie · 21/08/2023 00:27

Point of pride for me that my kids have a fresh uniform washed and smelling lovely all ready for them each morning. Bit of a hangover from the chaotic way I was bought up though, I'm not sure it's entirely normal or necessary!

melj1213 · 21/08/2023 00:31

At primary DD had 6 tops, 6 bottoms - skirts and trousers (mostly because everything comes in multipacks), 2 jumpers and 2 cardigans.

She only attended a UK primary from Yr 4 as we lived abroad before that and they didn't wear a uniform - she'd wear fresh clothes every day but that was mostly because we lived in a hot city so things needed washing after one wear as they would be grimy from dust/dirt and general school messes - so by the time she did need a uniform she wasnt really at the stage of coming home filthy every day.

This meant that while she had enough uniform to wear everything clean every day, I only insisted on a new shirt every day, regardless of whether it was marked or not. If the skirt/trousers and jumper/cardigan wasn't visibly dirty when she got home then she could wear it again the following day if she wanted.

Now she's at secondary she has 2 skirts, a pair of trousers, two jumpers and 5 shirts and a blazer. She has a fresh shirt every day and then just rotates the skirts/trousers as and when she chooses. Sometimes it's based on the weather, sometimes because they have visible marks but I leave it up to her to decide what she wears every day.

I should caveat this with the fact I share custody of DD 50/50 with her dad and she spends every other week with each of us, going to school from one house on Monday morning and coming home to the other house on Monday evening. B cause of that she has the same amount of uniform at each house and only one set (jumper/top/bottoms) as well as her blazer rotates between houses every week so we both keep the same level of inventory at each house. It also means she only wears "my" uniform every other week so it all lasts longer than if it was used every day, every week - if she did then I might have extra shirts/trousers/jumpers to account for the level of wear.

edwinbear · 21/08/2023 00:42

@KrisAkabusi do you seriously not put a load of washing on mid week?! 😳🤮🤢

bellsbuss · 21/08/2023 01:01

Clean everyday, 5 sets ironed every Sunday. I know MN doesn't believe in ironing but un ironed clothes look so scruffy imo

MrsALambert · 21/08/2023 01:05

5 sets here too and fresh on every day. DS has just turned 7 and I don’t think has ever come home without mud, food, marker pen or paint on him.
I never iron it though