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?

We have one basket and separate before putting clothes in the machine.

No you don’t need that many baskets you just sort it before washing it

I have a basket in each bedroom because a) it's more likely to go in the basket and b) I find it easier to put it away when it's mostly per person.

I don't have an ironing basket anymore. I take care of it to hang out and fold/hang immediately so it doesn't get creased.

We don't have that many light things. I just grab them out separately.... usually when we've run out of white school t-shirts and have to go actively hunting for things to make up the white wash.

Is it that hard to visually separate as you put it in machine?

We have one and sort it as we go. I do the separate washes when I have enough of each so at the moment the laundry basket has a couple of white items but I’m not washing them until there’s enough for a full load.

Well i had 5, one in each bedroom and one in the bathroom. I never understand how a family with children only has one laundry basket, it must be huge to fit in the clothes of the family, bedding, towels etc.

I have 4 baskets and 1 pile: lights/whites, darks, colours, bedding/towels, and delicates.

When there were 3 of us living in a flat, one basket for everything and sort as you go was fine. It did not work when there were 6 of us living in a house!

We have whites, brights, darks and delicates. The dc have been taught from toddlerhood to sort their laundry directly into the correct basket. (Nobody touches the delicates! I am perfectly happy to wash anything in that basket as long as I can guarantee that my delicates are not destroyed - looking at you, dh, who shrank the jumper I hand-knitted for ds. TBF though, anybody can take their own precious stuff out of that basket and wash it.)

One basket is about 1.5 loads, which makes life so much easier - just lug the fullest basket downstairs and set a load going.

We have a wash basket per person/bedroom as all adults who do their own washing - colours are mixed

I have one and sort as I wash. Well, two if you count my teenager’s bedroom floor….

This was our solution. We have laundry baskets in the bedrooms and whoever brings them downstairs sorts the washing into these boxes. When a box is full, that's a load ready to go on.

I have 3 in my hall outside kitchen door for 5 of us. 1 for whites n lights, 1 for dark n colours and the other for towels and bedding.

I have a basket for whites and a basket for everything else.

I have a container for tea towela, cleaning cloths, and flannels, as these go on a 90c wash.

Bed linen never goes in baskets as it's put straight on to wash as it comes off the bed.

2 adults, 2 dogs in this house.

I have this one in my utility and I love it (so much so that I've been known to refer to it as my life changing laundry basket):

SONGMICS Rolling Laundry Sorter, Laundry Basket with 4 Removable Bags, Laundry Hamper, Laundry Trolley, for Laundry Room, Bedroom, Bathroom, 4 x 35L, Grey LSF005GS https://amzn.eu/d/0dc3t43R

I use one compartment for whites, one for darks/colours, one for delicates and one for DHs stinky work clothes. One of the things I love about it is that when one compartment is full, it's equivalent to a full load so I always know when a load needs doing.

We also have a laundry basket is our room, one in the main bathroom and one in DS 10s room. I'm possibly a bit of a laundry nazi. I love anything that makes my life easier as I have ADHD and am very busy!

Anyone else planning their dream utility room after reading this thread?!

Depends on how high maintenance your clothes are- most of our clothes go in together and have only had one run ever but we buy pretty much all cheap clothes that can be washed in the machine at 30/40degrees

edited to add I have a spare basket for cleaning cloths and rags

You aren't being unreasonable to ask him to do it

If he is doing the laundry, then it's his call. If he wants 5 he can have 5 and monitor the usage.

If you are doing the laundry, then it's up to you.

Three adults in the house, laundry bag each. This has definitely encouraged DS to do his own. He brings his bag down on an agreed day. I wish I had done this years ago.

We have two: darks and brights, whites and lights.

We're a family of five and have at least one laundry basket per person/bedroom, then one each for clean stuff.

Because we are very untidy and clothing doesn't get put away.

I long for the level of organisation that your husband likes!

We have one, only ever had one. No space for more! I don't really split out things for washing though.

I have one. One singular wash basket that everyone puts their stuff in. Towels, bedding, underwear, uniform, of all colours of the rainbow. I do not care, I hate laundry and I'm not going to spend any more time over it than I have to.
When this basket is full, I wash whatever's in it, I do not sort and I barely look at it. In it goes, same number every time, bit of washing powder, might bother with fabric conditioner if I've got any.
It always comes out fine, the colours don't run and it always smells good and is clean. My family have never got any diseases from their clothes nor have they come home from school crying that the other kids called them smelly or dirty.

Yes, it's madness. Your DH has too much time on his hands. I just do not understand all the time people take over their laundry. Life is too short. And don't even talk to me about ironing.

We have one per person and wash each person’s washing as one load as they need washing differently- it’s very efficient for us.

We don’t own much in the way of whites so don’t need to separate much, I use colour catchers on anything risky.

DD’s at nursery and her clothes are filthy- they need a 40 long wash with stain remover and it can all be tumble dried if it’s raining.

DH likes fabric softener, his go on a quick wash. Some of his stuff can go in the drier.

Mine goes on a 30 quick wash but never tumble dried. No softner.

Then we do a towel wash and bedding washes on top.

Machine goes on daily rotating around each basket, towels and bedding. It all gets put away the same day so never washing hanging about.

Seems excessive, but if he does his share of the laundry and he can find a five basket solution to fit your house, then I'd go along with it.

that's what we do too!

We have one basket and sort as we go.
If he wants 5 baskets he can be responsible for housing and using them surely?