To want to cry at my sister's washing?

[summeroccupation]

She has three girls and is currently on holiday with them. I'm house sitting until next weekend and there's washing everywhere. I've filled four ikea bags and still have a pile that's filled the bath. I'm planning to get it washed and dried for her but I'm honestly looking at the pile and don't know where to start. She has a washer dryer and it's taking ages per load (no laundries around here, just forecourt washers that are like £10 a wash!)

No she hasn't asked me specifically to do it but she was complaining about the state of her house last week so I know she won't mind. She's been struggling with her MH lately and having it looming over her can't be helping! And she's starting a new full time job next week so if I leave it it'll never get done!

If you know your sister will appreciate this you are a wonderful sibling! (Wish my siblings would do my laundry 😁)

as long as you’re sure she won’t mind then start by sorting the colours and start somewhere, feeding it through. I’d hang it up as it’s more efficient than drying in a washer/dryer. Even if you can’t get it all done, surely sorting it will be a help.

It’s very kind of you to think about helping her. But if you can’t cope with it then don’t do it 🤷‍♀️

Just separate them into wash loads and let the machine do the rest 🤷‍♀️

That’s really kind of you. I’m sure that whatever you manage to get done, even if it’s not all of it, your sister will really appreciate it!

I'm honestly thinking about giving her house a deep clean! I've only really been downstairs lately and only nipped up to find the cat for her meds. Didn't realise how bad it had got! 😣

Make a washing line. Or her electric bill will be huge !

Just get through 1 load at a time and hope it does rain if you are drying outside. Every load you do will be helping even if you can’t sort everything.

Maybe the machine is on its last legs and that is why there’s this big backlog?

I’d try the forecourt ones. They are so big you will get so much in there at once

can you dry it outside? Not used a forecourt laundry, do they have separate dryers that are a bit cheaper.
Presort and try to prioritise. Sorry, washer-dryers are shit when you have a lot to get through.

I would also hang it to be honest even if airers are limited. And only tumble dry underwear, PJs, towels. My washer dryer takes 3 hours to even do half the wash weight.

And if she's got 3 kids, there's a pretty high chance she's a Mumsnetter, so I would've just got on with it instead of starting a thread where she might recognise herself.

It's about 6 months old and seems to be working fine! I think it's just piled up to the point she didn't know where to start and this is the end result!

Using both the line and the clothes horse, don't worry!

If you've got nearly a week, I'd sort by colours, darks and whites and do one load a day to hang out if possible and one load to hang inside on airer if possible. Should manage to get through loads then!
You are a very kind sister.

Sounds like there’s probably more than one load per colour (whites/darks/colours) so I further separate into what can/can’t be dried in the dryer. Do the non- dryer stuff first so it can hang up.

She doesn't use the site, don't worry.

Could you take some to your house to do as well? Has she nowhere to hang clothes indoors rather than use the dryer? Or wash at home and use the big communal dryers to dry the clothes.

You don't know that.

I've never told a soul I'm a regular Mumsnetter.

Blimey-if they’ve got so many clothes needing to be washed at home-have they got clothes with them for holiday?!

I’d wash it in the washer but not use the dryer part-they are crap and the clothes just come out hot and wet. Is there an airer? Can you get it outside somewhere? Or near a window?

This.

Even if you “only” get half of it done it will be a huge help for her.

I'm honestly thinking about it! Just have to figure out how to get it there because I don't drive.

My husband is on the way to pick up a few bags which can go in my washer!

If she has enough hangers can you hang what you can in the doorways for them?

Why is it taking 'ages per load'?

If possible it might be kind to change the kids’ bedding as well as long as they won’t mind? Don’t go in your sister’s room though!

Yep she has a line and a big heated clothes horse.

She bought new for their holiday and now I know why! 😣😂😂😂