To take all our washing to the launderette once a week to escape the daily washing nightmare?

[head2toeinuniqlo]

A new launderette has opened in our suburb.

We are a family of four. I WFH, around 70 hours per week. I am also responsible for all the cleaning, cooking and washing for the family. The problem with the washing is its sheer relentlessness. Not only that, but none of these lazy fuckers put their clean washing away. It invariably ends up back in the dirty washing hampers and, if a pile of clean clothes is left unattended, our cat will shit on it so it will need re-washing. I am so exhausted and trying to take some of the daily grind off me.

The launderette has captured my imagination. I see it as a possible sanctuary. It is brand new and shiny with loads of machines and places to sit. I am thinking I could drive down on a Saturday morning, chuck all the clothes in the machines, get myself a coffee and a croissant and sit there for a couple of hours in peace, reading a book.

It won't be cheap, but can I justify it?

Why are you doing everything? Are you a SP of three? Your DH is disabled?

I feel I need more info here.

How old are your DCs?

How sanitary is a washing machine if its used by loads of people only at 40 degrees? I'd never given it any thought until the OP mentioned her cat shitting on her laundry.

Why are you responsible for it all start getting them to do it and if a cat shits let them deal

The petrol station ones round here are great. They have enormous machines you could put 5 duvets in.

Personally I'd be looking to delegate some tasks within the household before lugging everything to the laundrette and back every week.

Yanbu. We used to end up at the launderette about once every two months when we became drenched in laundry (this doesn’t happen so much now my partner has taken over laundry duties).

My partner was away recently though and I thought about going to the launderette. I got stuck on the same load of laundry for four fucking days. I just couldn’t remember to take it out of the machine and put it in the dryer. I kept setting alarms, then the alarms would go off when I was absorbed in another task/ had left the house and then I would forget again.

Going to the launderette would have solved this issue. You can’t forget what you are doing because you are surrounded by washing machines. You can’t get absorbed in another task because there is nothing else to do there. You can’t go wandering off. You are there until the job is done! Launderettes are so much easier!

Maybe it’s just me though, I have ADHD, which definitely doesn’t help the situation but I’m not THIS useless at most tasks. Laundry is just it’s own special bell. Too many steps, too much time between steps.

I don’t know what your budget is like - but if you have a washer and dryer at home - could you do it all - leave it in a giant pile somewhere the cat doesn’t have access to and pay someone to come in and fold / iron / put away. I bet it would only take them three hours maximum - and then you’re outsourcing the actually stressful bit.

Aside from that - something needs to be done about the cat - can he be contained to parts of the house that he won’t soil?

I love a trip to the launderette. Massive machines and a good book, all done in a few hours.

You could do, and in theory it sounds great. But unless the launderette also supply someone to come and put it all away you'll still have the same problem.

I think it sounds like more work to be honest, getting it all together, sorting it out, taking it there, waiting or having to then go back, then unlaoding it all again, it wont stop it all getting muddled up with the dirty stuff anyway

Can you get a cleaner that also does washing and irong? Tidying up as well

I know what you mean about the cat!

Our winter duvets are taken to the laundrette in spring and then put away and the summer ones in September/October.
The mattress toppers go too.

Always check first that nobody has put animal bedding in and left hairs.

Far from genius. Why would you choose to sit in a laundromat with a coffee after a gruelling work week than an actual lovely coffee shop. That's not clever at all.
The genius thing to do would be to get the people in the household to stop being lazy and useless, and do their own laundry.

Whatever works for you.

Do you have space somewhere you could put a small kallax or something where everyone's clean laundry goes into their own box? Then at least it's easier for you to offload in one place and everyone can pick up their own pile when they run out of clean clothes in their floor pile

My machine broke down recently. I had to go to the laundrette. It was not the restful place you imagine. You could have run a comedy show from the individuals in there, the way they argued and interacted with each other. I was glad to get my machine back.
You need to get the others on board with the laundry. If they are all adults, I would wash and dry the clothes, then stuff them in the wardrobe. I would never iron anything.
I do one load a day and keep up with the family washing. I only have one washing basket we all use. I am now training my son to wash his work shirts.

Modern lauderettes can be lovely. One near my daughter's flat is very insta-friendly and has an in-house coffee bar so I can see the temptation. But it wouldn't solve the problem of your lazy ass family not putting things away or of your cat shitting on things.

Couldn't you just get a combo washer/dryer at home? We have one and I don't have to think about it beyond making sure everything is tumble dryable/I don't care enough about the item.

I’d rather the cat shit in her house than in someone else’s garden 🙄

Most people pay for fertiliser, it's a free gift.

The issue doesn't seem to be the washing, it's the putting away that's the problem and the laundrette can't do anything about that

You still have to put it all away and it's far more daunting as a weeks or more worth in bin bags.

You'll have to put a system in place before using the laundrette otherwise you'll pay a fortune to enable the lazy fuckers.

1. Buy cheap foldable plastic crates, label one for each person
2. All clean laundry goes in the right crate for each person & they have to put it away
3. Do not put clean washing back in the laundry cycle, only clothes on the hamper gets washed. Nothing gets washed until all clothes are put away.
4. If your washing machine has a delayed wash function, then programme an overnight

wash to finish at 7am

1. Either hang out to dry or take to the laundrette to tumble dry. This system works for me, I do a tumble dry laundrette trip only using this method.

True. Any ideas for how to get said lazy fuckers to put their clean washing away?

Is this a joke

I have PTSD from having to use launderettes when my machine was broken. Horrible job. Really doesn't suit my personality.

Its also really expensive.

It would probably be cheaper and easier to hire someone to come and do the laundry in your house. (and they can do other cleaning jobs)

Have you never heard of litter trays?