Do you mix your washing together?

[Flyingoutofcontrol]

This is kindof an AIBU, but I'm far too chicken to put this in there, but I want an opinion if I'm being unreasonable or a bit weird or possibly both!

So, I was talking about housework with a friend, and I mentioned that I feel much better with a more or less empty washing basket, so usually do a load every day or two (depending on what's been worn) for DS and I, and a separate load for DS as I don't like using fabric conditioner on his clothes.

So far, we're in agreement and no problems. Now, usually, I do a separate undies wash as again I don't like conditioner on my knickers, but I have been known (if going away for a weekend or requiring my control pants ) to bung my undies in with the normal load of washing so that I can have the stuff I need or have an empty basket ready for a huge load when we get back.

My friend was very and about this, and basically said that it was a bit minging to do this - but she couldn't really explain why.

So, AIBU to mix my washing on occasion? Is this slattern territory and will I be shunned ever more for admitting this?!

We do separate whites and towels, sheets go in together.
Everything is washed on one 40 deg programme though, using non bio.

I separate everything. Jumpers sep, underwear and sheets and anything which can be boiled separately, dishcloths completely sep...shirts separate.
But that's because with a family of five, there's enough piles to go around!
I might at a pinch do an express wash with some underpants, socks, school uniform for one child if desperate, but usually smelly socks don't get washed with dh's work shirts for example...

okay I don't boil anything, but I do like to put underwear and sheets and towels at 60 or 75 degrees to kill things!

I was trained by my Mother who is a 'super -washer'; I definitely do separate. Pants and socks are divided according to colour, then sheets/duvet covers separate; towels and tea towels, separate; then everything else in colours; light coloureds; darks; pink wash; red wash; whites....Pants/socks are on 60 degree wash; as are sheets/duvet covers and most other things on 40 degrees...This way, things stay looking nice for longer.

White/lights/light underwear
Dark/dark underwear
Pinks/reds/purples
Towel wash
Bedding wash

I use bio washing tablets and a half dose of fabric softener as the water in my area leave alot of residues which make the washing smell yuk after being stowed away for a few days, some stuff is dried on the maiden too which goes rock hard if no softner is added. I wash everything at 40 apart from the towels and bedding, they go in at 60, now and again I'll wash the towels on 90 with no washing powder to freshen them up and it gives the machine a good clean out too.

Def a joke Merry but perhaps it's worth a try? I have a washer dryer so as well as darks/lights I'll separate according to what can go on a "straight to dry" cycle. I'd need to double my wardrobe to break down my washing as much as some!

Oh thanks msbossy, I was about to chuck some in with me knicks!

Yes towels have to be crunchy, when they go soft it means they are overdue a wash in this house

Getorf do you wash jeans separately because you don't wear knickers with them?

Hi all,

I wash all our underwear together as one wash load with nothing else, on a 40 degree wash.
I wash all colour sox, together and on their own, with nothing else.on a 30 degree wash.
Same for the white sox, but they get a dolop of bleach for good measure.on a 40 degree wash.

Strictly keep underwear and sox very seperate from each other.

Almost every thing else gets a 30 degree wash, except for things I know WILL run, then they go seperate some other time.
Trouble is, the stuff what I know WILL run, tends to stay in teh basket for longer than I prefer.

Fay.

I like to do my washing in groups of the same items.
So all the towels together
School uniform together
dark 'hard working clothes' together (DS1 and DH's work clothes, jeans etc)
bedding and so on.

It makes things (in my mind) easier for putting away and because they are the same type of thing they need about the same drying time.

I separate my left socks from the right ones

I do a whites wash, a dark wash, a pink wash, a blue wash etc all separately

I do a white wash or dark wash separately, mixed coloured wash, wool wash or handwash.

I am quite fussy about my washing and tell my DH off as he always gets it wrong.

Towels and sheets get washes to themselves at 60;
everything else in at 50 with dye run sheets in mesh bag.

The bacteria killing stuff is all complete crap. OK you've got lovely sterile washing in your machine at cycle's end....... you'd have to remove it using sterile gloves to keep it that way.

And don't even think about putting it in a drawer next to anything not bacteria free...or wearing them again for that matter. Human bodies are also covered in bugs.

you can usually tell the people who don't seperate out their whites by the greyish appearance of aforementioned whites. yukk!