5 washing baskets - is this madness?

[Asthmaticmouse]

Hi lovely people. We have a household - 2 parents and two DC, one 4 and the other a recent baby.

DP insists that we need 5 separate washing baskets - one for whites, one for lights, one for brights, and then one for darks plus a 5th for delicates/hand washing.

I think this is bonkers - at most its probably whites/lights, darks/brights, and then delicates/handwash. We don’t have the space for 5 separate washing baskets/bags!

AIBU?

i just have one for everything and sort it as I wash

To me it seems bonkers as we have 1 for the whole house, two adults, DS5 and DD3, I don't bother sorting it into colours/fabrics.
But if you're someone who separates the colours, then it doesn't seem overly excessive.

We have two washing baskets, an upstairs and a downstairs one. We then sort it out into colours when it's time for washing. I don't really understand why you'd need to presort it. I guess it saves a tiny amount of time but seems extra to me so I'm with you.

I’ve not got room for 5 baskets! I have one and I sort the washing as I go

One is all you need

We have one basket, sort it into whites and colours and use a colour catcher if there isn't enough of either to make a full wash.

Towels and bedding seperate

Two adults 1 teen

Whoever tends to do the laundry should get to choose! Agree it sounds OTT but if he’s laundry man in your house then it’s his call.

We're a family of 4 (2 adults, 2 young teens). We've only ever had one wash basket (plus a nappy bucket when the kids were babies). I just sort as I go.

I have one basket that has two compartments inside - one for lights, one for darks. Then a separate basket for delicates. I thought even that was overdoing it!

I have one with 2 compartments in it - one for whites, one for everything else. Any more seems mad!

Life is also too short to hand wash.

We’ve got one basket with two components for lights & darks. Helps teach the kids about laundry.

I have two dark / bright and lights
Delicates go in lights. Not that I have many things that get hand washed.

Who has space for that many baskets?
Does his mother have a mansion?

I have 4. One in each bedroom. I wash per person and it eliminates the sorting once dry!

If your DP is the one who does the laundry, they can knock themselves out.
We have two - one upstairs which I sort through as I load and one downstairs which is used for loose items someone took off outside of their bedroom (like socks which you may take off on a downstairs couch because you got too hot while snuggling under a throw)

We've got two, one in mine and DHs room and one in DDs room. I sort as I go for colours etc. 5 seems excessive!

Who does the laundry?

Hmm. I was going to say I use your system. One for delicates (to keep them safe from the less observant of laundry labels...) and then one which has a division for lights/darks. But actually both kids also have baskets in their rooms. I sort theirs though, after I have been brave enough to enter their rooms!

I have 3, one is mine, 1 DP and 1 for 2dc. I don't separate anything though, if it's in the basket it goes straight in the washer

When the dc were young, we only had one. I washed whites/lights and darks separately straight out of that basket.
Now dc are teenagers, they have one each in their bedroom that they manage themselves, and we have one.

Who does the laundry? I think it’s up to them!

I do ours, we have a 4 in 1 basket. Two mixed darks/colours, one whites, one delicates. Works for me. But we also have a utility room with space for it, which is another consideration!

The discussion wouldn't happen in our house. DH has no interest in or headspace for laundry and it would irritate me immensely if he felt he wanted to discuss it or had an opinion about its execution.

I bet your dp is a woman.

If he’s doing the laundry, then he gets to decide the system including the number of baskets.

Blimey, does everyone here have enormous washing baskets? We have three - one in our room, one in the kids room, and one in the bathroom. They tend not to all be full at the same time, but it has been known! (Particularly after my daughter decides to finally clean her room, usually just when I am feeling smug about being on top of all of the washing...)

We have light, dark and hand.

Mine all goes in one - then I split white and other...

But you know... some delicates do get destroyed using my methods. If they aren't bulletproof then they shan't survive in my house 🤣