Reduce amount of washing

[Longfufu]

Hi, I'm not sure if this is the right place to post really but I just wanted to get some views from other people.

Basically we got a letter from our energy supplier telling us that our monthly direct debit was doubling, DH is looking for a new supplier but I've been trying to think of ways of reducing our energy bill's. One of the things is reducing the amount of washing I do. 3 of us in our house, I do at least one load a day, 2 ideally needed to keep up with it.

Anyway, at the end of every day DS's clothes (ds is 2) get put in the washing basket, regardless of whether they are still clean. He also gets clean Pjs and vest every night.
Now, Do you think that it is acceptable to keep clothes for the next day if they are still clean and for him to use the same pair of PJ's for 2 or 3 nights, assuming no nappy leaks?

For some reason I just automatically put his clothes in the basket, but I would wear things, like PJs a couple of nights.

Thanks x

I think you probably know the answer to this one. Clothes should get washed when they're dirty. There are 3 of us and I probably do 3 washes a week on average.

When my dd was younger she had a new sleepsuit etc every day but now she's 6 her PJs get changed every other day (some times 3dys)
Dd2 is 2 and her clothes end up revolting so get washed daily, as do her PJs.

Are there other things you could cut down on, how often are you doing bedding/towels?

You're doing unnecesary washing.

Why are you washing clothes that aren't dirty?!

And PJs definately don't need changing every night!

I have a dirty 9yr old boy who is usually covered in mud, and I do three loads a week.

Absolutely acceptable. I do this with my ds who is 7. If it's clean, don't wash it. He doesn't wear a vest at night. Only stuff guaranteed to go in wash every day are pants, vest and socks.

I also use a towel twice and do the same with DS' towels. DH however refuses to use a. towel more than once and he's in the shower twice per day. The compromise is he uses large-ish hand towels rather than bath towels, we all do. I now get tied in knots if I use a bath sheet!

That all cuts down on the washing :-D

"3 of us in our house, I do at least one load a day, 2 ideally needed to keep up with it."

That's ridiculous. There are three of us in our house and I do 3 - 4 loads a week

"Now, Do you think that it is acceptable to keep clothes for the next day if they are still clean and for him to use the same pair of PJ's for 2 or 3 nights, assuming no nappy leaks?"

Yes. Not doing so is very extravagant and wasteful. We wash towels, pyjamas and bedding once a week and socks and underwear every day. DD has a clean shirt on every day and wears one or two pairs of school trousers a week. OH and I can make a T-shirt last two days. DD (12) is probably the most extravagant about clothes. OH and I would wear a couple of pairs of trousers/jeans a week.

Er yes basically. I don't want to be rude but this seems highly over and above the amount of washing for 3 I'd expect?

We r 3 too. Dd is also 2. I wash Thursdays and Sundays. I do two black washes a white and a pink. Blacks is usually one load undies, one actual clothes. Whites is one or two depending on bedding needs. Pink, well there's a lot of pink /red here!

Dd wears a vest and pj set for 3-4 nights or til a nappy leak. Whichever first. I keep this vest specially for bed. She wears socks too which I keep for bed as well. In the day if her jeans/trousers are clean I keep and use next day (or day after). I'd keep jumpers back a few times til something's dropped on it. Tshirts and day vests aren't usually in a fit state to keep.

Dh wears suits. He has a new shirt per day. And vest. He wears a tshirt in evenings which usually lasts a couple of evenings. He wears pjs 4 nights or so. So do I. I'm either in day clothes or switched to pjs. Again ill reuse trousers if can a few times. Jeans for both adults can last a couple weeks! Just depends what dd drops on us really...

Bedding is changed every other weekend. Dd more often, weekly dependant on snot/wet etc.

I'm not sure how u have the stamina to wash so blooming much! Must look like Chinese laundry at urs! Is ur heating high also to dry?

My DS isn't that messy, some days he will be a bit grubby but others his clothes are fine, but they still go in the basket.

I do bedding once a week maybe a bit longer some times, clean towels once/twice a week.

DH, cycles to work then changes into his suit so I get those bits as well.

I do a load every day to every other day, depending, but then we have washable nappies. I absolutely do not wash stuff unless it's dirty. Bedding and towels get done once a week. Adult socks and pants after each day, everything else needs to smell or have food or dirt on it.

Fine to rewear clothes for a couple of days if they aren't actually dirty or smelly.

Towels can be reused too.

Also, have a look at your machine and see if it has a reduced cycle option - mine cuts the wash time by almost half. I only tend to use the full cycle on really grubby loads.

I must be a right slob because frankly towels and bedding is most likely 3-4 weeks between washes. How can you only use a towel once and have a clean concience? With the exception of pants, socks, Dh work shirts, every thing gets washed when dirty (I have also been known to send DD to nursery in clothes that have a few small food stain on them) but what the heck, they get filthy at nursery. I am impressed with those that have such laundry routines, I was when there enough clothes to fill a load we are a four and its prob 4 loads a week unless I'm doing bedding.

Oh I need to come to the Good house keeping section more often :) I do feel a bit silly now.

I do use the quick intensive wash cycle which is 40 mins sometimes and wash most things at 30, so I'm not a complete loss. Clothes get either put on the line (summer) or in the spare room where the boiler is.

Maybe I could leave bedding for washing every 2 weeks and just 1 clean towel each a week.

I have started just heating the living room, all other radiators have been turned off, as kitchen gets warm from cooking, our bedroom I like cold (well I'm pregnant so boiling) and DS's room is on the 3rd floor so heat rises and the boiler is up there ( we live in a new build so pretty well insulated)

I'm happy to hear of any other tricks, thanks x

Does it make a difference if radiators are turned down as opposed to off? Or does turning them down save nothing?

Re washing - shorter cycles clean just as well. I only do bedding and underwear on a hot cycle.

You could save energy by doing even bedding and underwear at 30-40C. In fact, the enzymes in biological powder are denatured by anything over about 45C so you are not helping with a hot wash.

Be careful washing bedding at a lower temp if anyone is likely to have any allergies. Found out last month that DS has a dust mite allergy so all our bedding has to go in at 60 to make sure the dust mites are killed

blimey. Clothes should be washed when they are dirty or smelly. DH probably does need a clean shirt each day (most offices are grossly overheated) and everyone needs clean knickers and socks each day.

small kids don't usually get sweaty - wash the gear if filthy/spilt on, or if it has body fluids on it. Clean bedding once a week for everyone unless there has been an accident. If you are at home or have flexible hours, wash according to weather forecast; big stuff can go on the line on a sunny day even now. And as the girl guide handbook used to say, clean bodies and hair keep bedding clean; doesn't sound like that is an issue.

clean towel every day??? Poor old planet... As long as towels are dried after use (airing cupboard/rack in bathroom/heated towel rail) they last until you notice they are starting to get smelly.

turning radiators down DOES save energy, that's what your thermostatic valves are for. Set them to about midway. Tuck curtains behind radiators, open curtains in sunny rooms to get some heat in (even in winter), shut doors, use draught excluders etc etc.

and watch for the standby items - EVERYTHING off unless it needs to be on. Phone chargers, laptop chargers and interestingly even modern washing machines and dishwashers. They might be A+ labelled but they seem to use standby power!

We don't use a clean towel every day, I wash towels once a week. I do turn tv off at the wall at night and if I'm out in the day. I will look at what else can be turned off.

I'm starting today with the new reducing washing strategy that if it's not dirty then it gets worn again. I do between 7 and 14 washes a week....I'm going to try and get it down to 3....wish we luck!

energy use is almost all things that heat (or cool) the house or the water. Lamps (especially energy-saving) use trivial amounts, so do radios. Chargers are so low you can hardly measure them (some energy monitors overestimate because the show their minimum reading).

Ovens use little becuse the thermostat cuts the power as soon as they are up to temperature. Slow cookers use very little.

Fan heaters can use as much as 45p worth of electricity per hour.

Fridges and freezers, if not fairly modern, use quite a lot because they are running 24 hours a day. A modern, large FF only uses about £20 to £30 a year, though they vary. An old one can use four times as much.

Immersion heaters are quite costly if you do not have economy 7 or similar. Good insulation helps.

Air con too, but not relevant in the UK.

BTW the doubling Direct Debit is most often because it was previously based on an underestimate. Some energy saleswomen used to temp in the unwary householder by offering a low DD. What really matters, of course, is how many kWh you use a year, and the price per kWh, which will calculate the real cost. Energy prices have gone up this year, but not doubled.

If last year's DD was too low, it will be put up not just to the new estimate, but also to collect last year's underpayment.

btw again

I just looked up energy uses on some modern washers and they seem to be about 1kWh per cycle. You probably pay about 14p per kWh this year for electricity (gas energy about half that)

good thread OP, making me think about our own energy consumption here

just thought, would you keep PJs under the kids pillow once they get changed in the morning - we had to do that as children, and it kept washing amount to a minimum

I do an every other day/ every other 2 days wash, 4 of us here.

chargers do indeed use a tiny amount. But there are millions of the things and this country is struggling to keep the lights on. Every little helps, and all that.

With regards to the direct debit, they have been underestimating it. DH said they they actually put the direct debit down this autumn which has resulted in us owing them money. At the time we needed the extra money in our account so didn't question it...regretting that now.

To top that DH commutes into London, train fares are going up some 7% I believe, we are being squeezed big time from every direction :(