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 haven't already found it, sometimes the quick 15 has a half hour cycle on a 40C wash. I always found the 15min one fine for washing that just needed a refresh wash rather than a deep wash. I'd put things like bedding on a longer wash but work clothes etc I loved the 15min wash for.

I've got a new machine now and the shortest is 30/40 min - I miss the quick 15min one.

I would find this very intrusive if someone did this in my house, family or not.

If cost is no issue then when she goes back to work maybe she needs to start outsourcing stuff.

So if cost isn’t an issue I’m thinking you are doing this mainly to make yourself feel like a good person.

Nothing wrong with it, but it does sound like it. Hence the posting on MN.

Just no. No. Do not do this.

Leave the washing. If you feel that you must clear up the house do ask her first.

You can’t afford it - but since cost isn’t an issue to your sister like you said, then she can?

She's about to start working full time, aswell as getting 3 kids sorted on a daily basis. I don't think she has the time if I'm honest. I can do 1 load a day maximum and even that's a struggle. I do all the major stuff on my days off. Only cleaning that really gets done on work days Is washing up,one load of washing brushing and a quick mop with the flash mop.

I set my washer to start early in the morning so it's finished when I get up and I hang it straight out.
Does her machine have a delay on it?

Might save some time waiting for it to be done

Also if running out of room, put tops on hangers and hang on door frames upstairs.

Yeah someone did it to me, I wasn't impressed. They had rearranged my entire kitchen when I got back. Just shows the place wasn't filthy because they had the time to rearrange my entire house. I was extremely offended and very upset if I'm honest. Im sure they could probably tell I was not very happy but I didn't say it at least

If you can help your sister out that's really kind of you. It will help her MH being in a clean and tidy home upon her return. What a good sister you are.

Can I suggest something? Ask her first because although you mean well, it can go down really badly. I left my house perfectly clean and tidy I know I did because I was getting married and had a house full of people the day before I left. I was absolutely mortified when I got home and I mean deeply embarrassed and offended. I mean they did rearrange everything aswell took me so long to put it all back which didn't help.

What a wonderful sister you are!
Imagine her walking in to wardrobes full of clean clothes!
I had 3 kids and severe MH problems and once it builds up, you just don't know where to start
I suggest doing an extra spin. You'd be surprised how dry the clothes are afterwards.( possibly drain and spin setting)
Hang tops on hangers if you can, then you can put them straight back into wardrobes

I'd pick out bits that aren't likely to be very dirty - adult t shirts, underwear, and stick that in a quick wash, then get that hung out, and put the longer washes on (towels, bedding, bibs, play wear) so hopefully the short wash stuff is dry when the longer wash stuff needs to come out.

I'd probably save towels to last as I do tend to give them half an hour in the dryer else they go really stuff.

I can understand being overwhelmed by laundry, and I'm also ND.

I'm glad for this thread if only for this tip, I'm going yo try it from now on.

Does the extra spin not wear the clothes out more?

I'm absolutely sure she won't be offended or embarrassed - she's asked for help before and knows I don't judge! I think she's doing brilliantly considering everything!

You are still not replying to the cost not being an issue to her? So this is more about you.

I think this is a truly lovely thing you are doing. It’s not just coming into a clean and sorted house and interfering. It’s giving her a new start to be able to try and keep on top of things. I think once you are drowning and so far behind it’s incredibly hard to catch up so this will be an amazing return from holiday. You are so kind

I'm confused - what cost? Because I explained about the airer and that it isn't an issue to use the washer.

I don't know what else you mean!

I have three kids and money isn’t an issue for us. I still get behind with the washing and would still be grateful if someone did it all when I was on holiday.

I hang bed sheets and duvets over the corner of the doors, hang clothes on hangers and then hang them on the washing line with pegs in-between to stop them sliding into each other. Gives you loads more room and means less ironing. I have a rotary line and if there's lots of rain due, I peg a shower curtain over the top nice and taut and it keeps clothes dry and seems to trap heat in and drys everything quicker. If you have to use the dryer, put a dry towel in with the load to reduce the time.
A soctupus is a god send (hanger with lots of arms with pegs on each one) for socks and small underwear.
I wish I had a kind and considerate sister like you!

Maybe this is what you mean - I was made redundant recently unfortunately and have to be careful with money. Sister can afford the washing cost but springing the cost of a laundry service or the forecast washers on her makes me uncomfortable.

its a very nice thing to do, you are feeling overwhelmed by it all after a few days so I can imagine how your sister is feeling

sometimes we all get overwhelmed and we don’t know where to start a little help would help us all at times I think it’s the nicest thing you can do to support your sister

@summeroccupation I've got one of these, or something very similar. I'd suggest using the wool cycle, which runs at 40 for 55 mins, although it only spins at 600 so you'll need to run an additional spin cycle at maximum speed afterwards. As someone else asked about, you can run a cycle over night by pressing the "delay end" button multiple times before you hit start, so you can take it straight out of the machine the next morning. I've never set it to finish more than 8 hours after I've gone to bed, so I'm not sure what the maximum limit is on that, but it'll mean you'll have the next load ready and waiting to hang out when you get there.

Ok thanks, makes it clearer. It sounded as if cost was no issue at all to your ds, and if so you should not have to do this.