Laundry - where does it all come from and how can I get rid of it?

[starrychime]

Just DD and I in the house but I have NEVER been able to get on top of the laundry. Just now have at least 2 overflowing laundry baskets in the bathroom, both beds need changed - duvet cover, sheet and pillowcase -, the throw on the couch, all the cushion covers, several blankets, loads of towels, all this stuff seems to build up. Have done 2 loads today and it barely looks dented! I do a load every night but it doesn't seem to go down! Two questions - 1) Any hints for getting on top of this and 2) If this is what it's like with just the 2 of us how on earth do those of you with a partner, more than one child etc cope? It doesn't help I have nowhere to hang stuff to dry outside and have to make do with a permanently erected clothes horse in the living room!

I'm interested to see suggestions. I manage fine at the moment but it is just me and DH. DC1 will be with us soon, and it is summer so that is fine for getting things dried.

But I'm seriously worried about winter - we don't have a tumble drier (and can't get one unless the current washing machine dies and it is replaced with a washer / dryer) and live in a flat with no central heating, just little electric heaters. It can get really cold and washing takes ages to dry, even with little heaters switched on. I suspect that the answer might be to buy a third clothes horse and get used to having them everywhere.

This might be a crazy idea, but possibly a quick fix for you to get on top of things - is it feasible for you to take loads of washing to the launderette and do a couple of loads in a high capacity machine and then dry it in the drier there? I think that the launderette might be my clothes drying solution in the winter.

how often are you changing clothes? Do you wear (cleanish) stuff more than once? There are 5 of us (inc 2 teen DDs who seem incapable of not wearing seventeen strappy Tshirts at a time) and one load a day, plus extra for bedding and towels, would easily cope with our washing.

Before I had a tumble dryer I used a fan heater pointing slightly upwards underneath the clothes horse to dry stuff, and hung wet shirts straight onto hangars (need wooden ones, not metal ones ) and hooked them over doors and curtain rails to dry.

Can you fit one of those pull out washing lines in the bathroom/landing?

I would second BizzeeBee - I would "press reset" as it were and get everything done at once, either at the laundrette or at a service laundry where it is returned to you all nicely folded. Then hopefully in future you can just do a load every other night or so to keep on top of it.

I find it's the big things that build up since just two duvet covers or 4 towels completely fill up my whole washing machine. You could take everything bar clothes off to the laundry, and then you may find you've got just a couple of loads of clothes left which you can do in one day.

I do have to watch out for my dc changing clothes 3 times a day and chucking perfectly clean ones in the wash cos they can't be bothered to put them away. That only accounts for a small quantity though despite me moaning loud and long about it.

Where does it come from?? I wish I knew. There are 5 of us and 85 people's laundry. I hate it. Changing bedding always tops it up to overflowing. I have radically cut back on ironing. That minimises the ironing pile.

Tbh in our case I think it has a LOT to do with having too many clothes. We all seem to have a lot of clothes - yes I admit it - even me . If there was less to choose from, less to wear, there'd be less washing. My dc have a minimum amount of school uniform and that is the only thing that is managable and doesn't spiral out of control. Non school uniform clothes though are another thing..

I hate laundry. I have DS1 - 4 yrs, DD - 2 yrs and DS2 - 6 months, plus me and DH. Me and DH never get to the end of the day without some sort of sick/poo/wee/dribble/snot/chewed up food on us. Kids never stay clean a whole day. Potty training usually means that an accident a day resulting in either bedsheets or sofa covers needing washing. This nice weather is brilliant as I can do 2-3 loads and its dry by the evening. Winter is hell as I try not to use the tumble drier but I think now I have to stop thinking of the money and rthink of myself and not having xclothes airers all over the place and clothes taking 2 days to dry!

minimise what you wash, do as little as you can get away with.

• does bedding need to be washed twice a week? would once a week do? maybe wear pyjamas to bed, air the bedrooms more?
• do you need new towels every day?
• do you need to change into freshly washed clothes every day? can you alternate i.e. air a shirt to wear another day?
• don't iron :o

if it works for you start a routine (monday whites, wednesday colours, friday bedding, saturday darks)

I only change the top pillowcases and bottom sheets weekly, the rest is left a big longer before it starts stinking.
Agree with previous comments about DD putting perfectly clean clothes into the washing basket because she can't be bothered to put away - but my DH does that as well!! I often go through the laundry basket and put sneak things back in the wardrobe.
I hate laundry!!

I'd go to a launderette and get them to do some loads for you. I've done this when we got back from holidays and had loads of washing and beds had been changed.

I do 2 or 3 loads a day, but I have a tumble dryer. Is there anywhere you could put even a mini one?

I am worrying about this with ds2 just about to be born and SO relieved it is at least summer so I can get stuff dried outside. At the moment I'm coping quite well but as I'm quite chaotic it might just be nesting taking over....

I've realised two things recently though.

First, when a friend passed on her ds's 2-3 yr-old clothes to me, (and this might be totally naive of me as ds1 is still only 19mo) it was clear I am very stingy about the amount of clothes ds1 has! I reckon 10 tops, 10 bottoms and 12 vests is MORE than enough. So I have to keep on top of his washing or he runs out. That isn't exactly discipline but it helps!

Second, dh has started being a bit smarter for work and I can't believe how much lighter, smaller and easier to wash&dry shirts are than his endless t-shirts (and I hang them to dry so they either don't need any ironing or only a minimal amount). It made me realise that most of my own clothes dry fairly fast and don't need ironing either. From now on, laundry is going to be a factor in ALL clothes purchases! And the nice white thick cotton bedding is definitely the occasional treat - been avoiding it in case my waters break and it does help cut down on laundry time.