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?

@Qwerty21 😥

I think the thing that would put me off this is that people use launderettes for washing really manky stuff they don’t want in their own machine at home. Eg, horse rugs and really disgusting work clothes from working in construction. Just thinking of a couple of random personal examples there.

Also having had to use launderettes for bedding at work in the past, I can’t see how it’s easier. Lugging it all out to the car, sitting there for ages, lugging it all back again. I feel your pain as I am doing at least 2 loads of washing at home per day but bunging it in the machine and pressing a button isn’t exactly hard work.

Why do both you and your partner need to work 10h+ 7 days a week? That's not normal and not manageable in the long term. Surely you can cut that down?

In my young, single days, when I didn't have a washing machine I used to really enjoy my trips to the launderette. I used to wait until I had 3 or 4 loads worth, (hot wash, colours, whites and delicates), then drive there early in order to get enough machines, pile it all in and then go to the cafe next door for coffee and toast.

Happy days!

If your children are old enough you need to teach them to put their own laundry away.

I would prefer a laundry service over a launderette as they collect and drop off.

Your working hours aren’t sustainable? At all. You’ll end up unwell.

What do you do? How can you and your husband have any kind of relationship? I really feel for you. I work less than half those hours and I’m knackered.

Also re getting kids to put their laundry away, mine have tried the not bothering and letting it get mixed up with dirty stuff then putting it all back in the wash basket before. I can easily identify what hasn’t been worn (it’s still folded!), so it goes back in their rooms. I’m not washing it again, so it’s on them if they want to wear their clothes that’ve been sitting in the wash basket in amongst dirty knickers etc for a few days, rather than just put it away the first time. They soon learn with this method, I’ve found.

Putting aside all the other really valid questions about why you're doing everyone's shit work, I always boggle at these posts. Am I only person with lots of clothes that can't go in a dryer? Or can go in, but wouldn't last as long/would fade/would look crap quicker? I only use our dryer for towels, and maybe plain sweatpants/polo shirts and DS's cotton pants.

I've always loved laundrettes, the atmosphere is soporific and the reward is lovely clean clothes but from the information you've given, they won't solve a single one of your domestic problems.

And if you normally dry your clothes on rails, over doors and on radiators then anything made of natural fibres will shrink if tumbled from wet to bone dry.

FIrstly - I love a laundrette and do a service wash for all our bed linen. It gets handed to me in my Ikea bag with each 'set' folded together and wrapped, smelling of lavender. Also because their dryers as so massive, it's much much smoother - almost looks ironed - because it's been allowed to 'spread out' in the machine whilst drying.

However, to address the real issue:

We have four baskets on a shelf above the machines. Each with a dynamo printed name on. I will happily remove washing from the machine and put into relevant baskets, but once they are full, that's it. No more washing until they are taken upstairs, emptied into drawers and basket returned. It took a couple of weeks for them to realise that the thing they NEEDED to be clear wasn't because they hadn't done their basket, but once it sunk it, it became a habit.

Now they are older teens, they also have a day each to get a wash on (Tuesday and Thursday for example). the machine will be free for them to do a wash and if they don't do it, then they can't assume the machine will be free any time soon for their smelly shit. I still do a wash for them if it's convenient to me, but i don't take full responsibility for it, and i will only do it if the basket rule has been followed! MAKE SOME RULES OP

As a short term fix, this might be a good thing, but if really urge you to get stuck into some of the root causes of the current untenable situation.

Who else is in your household, and how can chores be redistributed more fairly?

Address the cat shit situation. The cat is either ill, stressed, or the litter tray needs changing more frequently. You can’t accept ongoing cat shit around you home.

Use laundrapp or another app where they come and collect your bag of washing, do it all and return it folded. It's awesome and will save you time. Unless you were looking forward to escaping to the laundrette for a rest.

I've been married for 30 years and the washing is the bane of my existence! It is one of those jobs everybody needs to be done but nobody wants to do, so it always seems to fall on the Mum ! I have also had so many rows about them not putting away their clean clothes, that I eventually went on strike.
I suggest getting a service wash done, which is so helpful. They wash and fold everything up for you too!

These threads fascinate me, on nearly every thread where someone is worried about a job or needs more money or is working to pay for debt or mortgage or child care or building their career up, re training, studying whatever, there is a plethora of 'helpful' advice about working extra shifts, can you get a part time job to work around your other job, can you put more hours in, can you work when he isnt working, work work work

And then you get others like this where OP is clearly having to, for whatever reason at the moment, like her partner, work long hours, work every day in the week. Its what some families have to do, its how it works in many housesholds particularly if someone is self employed or on low wages.

Then there is my favourite about the husband working long hours and the accusations that he surely could just say no and cut his hours down, he is not that important! Yeah good one, and in comes that p45 after telling your employer what you are not going to do.

I'd start by washing your clothes only for a few weeks.

First off those hours sound horrific on both sides but actually even so he needs to take on some responsibility

secknd any clothes that aren’t put away and get shit on will be thrown away and not replaced

can you keep doors shut

I wouldn't only because it would annoy me even more if I got home and then it was all over the house still.

My semi working solution is I have got everyone a small wash basket with their names on for the clean clothes. I fold and place them in their baskets on shelfs above the dryer. Once their basket is full of clean clothes I do do any more of their washing until they have emptied it, put it away and brought the basket back.

Working well for DH & DS - DD on the other hand takes clean clothes out of it from there and when she finally does take the clothes to her room they tend to start a new pile on the floor but that means I dont have piles of clothes everywhere and less likely for clean stuff to be chucked back in the wash.

I used to use a laundrette when I had a tiny washing machine. The dryers will shrink a lot of stuff surely ?
And you'll still have the issue of people not putting stuff away.
I'd just stop doing everyone's washing for them until they learn to chip in.

Yeah, someone has convinced you this is normal/necessary.

It isn’t.

It is for those of us living in private rented accommodation.

70 hour week is normal for the self employed and those who need two jobs to pay for everything.

What do you mean?

I live in Hove which is horribly expensive. I know people who rent but they work sensible hours.

If you want to elaborate I am sure posters can help you. I’m assuming you don’t want to continue slaving away like this…

Dont mind doing the washing/drying BUT I'm not washing something worn for 20 mins and there is your clean washing its up to you to put it away. Want it washing now? Err no. You can hand wash it yourself otherwise wait until there is a suitable load. luckily nothing is left on the floor for days. It was put in the bin (waste) because you obviously didnt care. the message got through.

Poor you OP. It’s an idea, but if the only relief you get from the drudgery is a couple of hours in a laundrette a week, then I would seriously be taking a good hard look at your life. I don’t mean this in a judgemental way, more to think if there is any way you could enjoy yourself a bit more. No idea how old your children are, but some laying down of rules if they are old enough wouldn’t go amiss. Nor would a discussion with your OH around seeing if you could both organise better, share the household chores more. I’d be tempted to stop working from home as well, at least getting out of the house would help. Are you including the household “work” in your 10 hours a day, or is this on top?

It's the sorting and putting away that takes all the time. Bunging into the washing machine and transferring to the dryer are jobs done while the kettle boils.

@Getitwright 10 days a day work. Housework, etc. is on top of that.