Swamped by laundry!

[justlemonade]

Just as the title says really. I find I am doing at least one wash every day and often two loads. Then there is the ironing...(I am loathed to use the tumble dryer for 'green' reasons at this time of year).

There is only me, Dh and DD who is 3yrs in our house. In July we expect another DD to arrive and I want to sort out our routine before baby washing starts too.

Anyone got any pearls of wisdom?

You could say "We have one child and another on the way, I will need you to do more in the house, here is a list of suggestions".

Seriously, you both work FT and he does shit all? Why?

"If there are only three of you, what are you washing on your two load day?"

I wondered at that as well. There are three of us and I wash 3 to 4 loads a week. Sheets and towels get changed once a week and I always make sure the washer is full when I wash. I have been following recommendations on here for reducing my ironing load and they do work. Obviously there are some items that look utterly manky if not ironed - DD's school shirts for one, but things like T-shirts and pillow cases I iron on one side only. I did try not ironing them at all but I found that they looked too scruffy for my liking.

Another thing you can do is dry the washing on the line and then put it in the drier for five minutes to take the creases out. You have to fold it straight away but it works. It is not economical but sometimes it is worth it ...

Make your dp responsible for all of his washing and ironing and I bet he changes the frequency of his changes of clothes. Work out what other chores add disproportionately to the load and divvy them up with him more equally. Can't believe you let him off scot free given that you are both ft.

He needs to up his game (not that this is any of my business) but you will be knackered working full time and trying to do all the housework plus parenting. I recommend you sit down together and you tell him that with baby number 2 on the way it is time to have a think about the best way to divide up the household maintenance tasks. Don't call it chores and don't make it whiny; present it as teamwork and maximising resources to tackle what needs to be done. He should understand this language if he is in sports.

Most people are well capable of doing washing up after dinner and emptying a dishwasher or putting plates and cutlery and pots back after drying them. If one cooks, then the other needs to clean up. At your stage of pregnancy you could introduce him to how to clean the bathroom properly once a week and how to give the sink and toilet a once over every day. Leave his washing to the weekend and have him take care of it. Sit down together and do meal planning and grocery list writing, then send him off to haul it all home and you can both put it all away.

And get over your qualms about using the dryer. Every single thing you do in your house, at work, getting to and from work, every single thread of clothes you wear and every single bite of food that goes into your mouths leaves an environmental mark. Save yourself the work and the time and use the dryer.

I don't change my kids clothes /let them change,if they're dry dirty,only if wet dirty. Same for me - if I'm not going out anywhere special but a bit grubby (say,from gardening) I stay that way.
If you can air any clothes,rather than wash,do so.
And have somewhere to hang clothes you can wear again - to resist the temptation to put them in the wash just for somewhere for them to go,or because they'd be too creased to wear again.

I saved on the washing today by not bothering to get dressed

Hmm I'm going to put all tomorrow's washing in one basket so I can answer your question bunbaker as to be honest, I don't know how we are creating so much washing.

I will take the suggested approach math to discussing how we divide up the chores. If I could just get him to get DD dressed in the mornings every day and to do dishwasher duty it'd help.