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!

Try the mix load and don't overload it.

Don’t think anyone has mentioned it, but put through an extra cycle when the washing cycle is done. Makes a massive difference to the drying time.

You could set a normal wash then stop it after about an hour and switch the setting to rinse/spin. You got to be on it with a phone timer set though with so many loads to keep track of. 2 hours plus for clothes only worn for one day is a waste of time imo. Maybe underwear etc should go on a full wash but Tshirts and trousers don't need hours.

Fast 15 would have a low weight limit and would be for very small loads. Does the machine say what make/model it is?

Not on holiday generally, no. I drink wine and chat to my husband, or have sex, or do something else fun.

Even on the very small chance she reads this thread, so what? The OP hasn’t identified her, or said anything horrific.

I think you can use the quick 15 but change the temp to 40 degrees and the spin speed to the fastest and it should take about 45 minutes

Wow, you’re a nice sister!

Also I’m a bit jealous, I like organising other people’s stuff (much more fun than my own!) and it comes with the feel good factor!

Sort it all into loads by colour. You’ll definitely get it done in a week! Air dry most stuff, but suggest you tumble dry towels and bedding.

Good luck and try to enjoy!

The weather is nice, I have been line drying everything.

I have four kids so I can easily wash hang two loads out a day and it all be dry.

I normally wash everyday. Don't feel overwhelmed. Even 7 loads will be doable. Just wash it and leave it on the line over night. By tomorrow lunch time it will be dry. Anything that can go on a hanger, hang it outside as you take it off the line. I don't iron anything ever. Not even kids school shirts as I fold and streach it out of the washing machine then hang it up on the line when it's dry.

Washer/dryers are only good when you do a load a day!

I’m sure I’m in the minority here but I’d love it if someone changed my bed and cleaned my room for me in this situation.
Imagine coming home and finding everyone else had a clean bed but not you.
I’m sure OP knows her sister best though.

If she’s not coming back until next weekend then you’ve got plenty of time to get it all washed and dried.

Put a load on in the morning for 2 hours and then put it in the sun.

If it’s anything like where I am it’ll be dried in no time.
Then put another load on.

I wouldn’t use the drier or heated clothes horse unless it starts raining, else you will cost her a large electricity bill.
You shouldn’t need to in this weather anyway.

It will feel amazing coming back from a holiday and having your washing done.

You sound amazing 💐

On the options button is there an option for something g like power wash? My machine is a Miele so not the same but does have an option which halves the time of the standard cottons wash if you scroll through

If you can afford it can you get a few clothes horses/airers. And then put them outside to dry. In this warm weather it will dry quickly. I'm getting through 4 full loads a day with the sun at the moment. I have a huge back log too. I have 3 clothes airers.

Not sure what you mean, can you explain more please?

I think this is a lovely kind thing to do, as would be to deep clean the bathrooms and kitchen, even if you just replace all the random crap/belongings where you found it.

@Icantremembermyusername I agree. You put it on an extra spin/drain @Viscoelasticity cuts drying time massively as it squeezes out a bit more water and moisture

On mine, If I pick the fast 15 wash, then set the temp to 40, then the spin to 1200 (it's the quickest one mine does), it changes to a 26 min was and a 13 min spin. May be worth seeing if it does sometimes like that

Genuinely, what is the point of comments like this? It's so.... Snide and unecessary.

OP you're a sweetheart. Just do what you can. I'm sure she will be over the moon.

Ignore the shitty comments. Don't even reply to them.

@Viscoelasticity it might say spin and drain.

I've never done this so I have no idea whether it's financially insane, but have you thought about maybe hiring a laundry service and calling it a Christmas/birthday present for her? It sounds like laundry is her big "impossible job" and maybe it would be less stress just to get someone else to do it.

If the clothes aren’t actually stained I’d be tempted to use the quick 15 min wash. Possibly much of it just needs freshening.

You can also set the machine to wash overnight so it’s ready to hang out first thing. You might need to check the handbook (which you’ll be able to find online by the brand and model number) but for my Bosch machine you set the number of hours when you want the programme to end. So, if I set the wash at 9pm, and I want it to finish at 7 a.m, I select the programme, set the delay for 10 hrs then switch on.

You're kind! I have ADHD and jobs like laundry are so hard for me. I'd be hugely embarrassed (because to the outside world I hold down a job and run a house in the gin and jag belt without issue but I'm really madly paddling and panicking not to be found out and to keep myself afloat). Just please don't judge ❤. I'm fab at many many other things by the way, just not house jobs.

Well given her lovely sister has only come on to talk through her stress, hasn't said anything about her sister except wanting to help, it won't actually matter will it? She hasn't said anything her sister can't safely read.

Will the kids like their rooms been tidied, once DS was a certain age, his room was how he wanted it. I would run the hoover over or go through it with him, but wouldn't touch it on my own. He was good at sorting his laundry (better than he is now as a uni student!)

We have a washer dryer and I sort my washing like this

whites- suitable for dryer (eg underwear, towels and babygros)

darks- suitable for dryer (as above)

bedding (which can go in dryer)

whites, and darks not suitable for dryer

through the day we do the “non dryer” ones

overnight we do the wash dry cycles, as they obv take longer.

we make sure we do one overnight and one per day as a minimum.

means don’t have loads hanging around waiting to dry

I appreciate not everyone wants to use an appliance overnight, we do it because our electricity is cheaper overnight due to an electric car and our appliance is new. Never had any issue.

just a suggestion as ways to sort it so it’s not overwhelming OP.

what a lovely thing you are doing!