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Housekeeping

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Original poster

Laundry is my nemesis

39 replies

Reallynothappy · 27/12/2012 12:47

Please can anyone give me some advice on how to keep on top of the laundry?
I seem to have mountains of washing everywhere, and no structure in place to keep on top of it. I think I need a routine.

How do I do it??
Please help!

OP posts:
MousyMouse · 27/12/2012 12:53
  • have a couple of baskets to sort into, ready to wash (jeans turned inside out, pockets checked). I have one for lights and one for darks. wash when full.
  • have hooks or rails for towels so you don't have to wash after every use.
  • don't iron = uneccessary, strategic drying is bettet for the environment as well.
  • the dc have baskets where their pj's go during the day and also any clothes that can be worn again
  • try out how long you can go between changing bedding
specialsubject · 27/12/2012 15:14

are there teens in the house who want everything washed after one wearing? (and if there are, get them to help). Cut the load as follows:

  • bedding; once a week, stagger the changes to keep the pile down
  • towels; when starting to get smelly,
  • after each wearing: socks, underpants, shirts if sweaty
  • everything else when smelly or dirty, not before
  • no ironing.
FourArms · 27/12/2012 15:22

Dehumidifier for drying. Can dry a load in about 4 hours hung on airer in bathroom

homeaway · 27/12/2012 15:23

When they are all at home ( 3 kids ) I have to do at least one load a day, I put in on in the evening or in the morning and either hang it out before i go to work or before bedtime. Whenever i hang a new load out i put away the dry washing, the ironing goes in the ironing basket and gets done in ten or fifteen minute splurges whenever i have the time or energy. I fold the washing and put it outside the kids doors for them to put away or to add to their clean washing pile. I use a dehumidifier to help dry the washing and it dries overnight. For me the key is not to let it build up as if it does I find it hard to get on top of it. HTH.

Mum2Fergus · 27/12/2012 18:47

Take turns between dark/lights/coloured washes...rotating as required, 1 load per day and only when there is enough for a full load. Bedding and towels as required. Never iron, ever! In fact, not even convinced I still have an iron!

RandomMess · 27/12/2012 18:49

Same as Mum2Fergus. Wash either in morning or evening (work full time) hang out straight onto hangers then peg on line or onto curtain rail indoors (in wet weather tumble dry underwear etc) once dry it goes straight away in wardrobes dc are given theirs to put away and help sort socks and knickers and then put away.

RandomMess · 27/12/2012 18:51

Only one laundry basket, there of 6 us and I used to use washable nappies and the system worked for us.

Sleepyfergus · 27/12/2012 18:53

What humidifiers do people recommend?

SantaIAmSoFuckingRock · 27/12/2012 18:56

how often are you washing?
how many people?
how are you drying?
who is responsible for washing?
where are you storing dirty laundry?
do you iron?
do you fold and put away as soon as dry or leave around the house?

BoffinMum · 27/12/2012 22:08

One system is to make sure you never wash more in one day than you can get dry, ironed, and put away.

Another is to have a wash day followed by an ironing day.

Everything hinges on having plenty of space to hang the stuff up to dry, or a tumble dryer. People on here tend to use Daisy Maids, heated airers from Lakeland, and/or large capacity tumble dryers (vented work quicker than condensers). You also need at least 3 laundry baskets (whites, light coloureds, dark coloureds), a linen cupboard/press for sheets and towels, and if you like things ironed, a steam generating iron and the biggest board you can find will decimate your ironing time.

If everyone wears their clothes for two days (apart from undies) and sheets get changed fortnightly unless there's good reason, then you more or less halve the amount to be dealt with.

BoffinMum · 27/12/2012 22:09

Oh yes, and anyone over the age of 11 ought to be doing their own laundry tbh.

SantaIAmSoFuckingRock · 27/12/2012 22:21

my two are 7 and 3. 3 year old brings his washing down everyday, can sort whites from coloureds and puts the right sort into the machine. he can empty the machine (when i remind him it's finished) and when washing has been dried and folded he puts his own away. ds1 who is 7 can do all that plus pour the right amounts of washing powder and fabric softener, and set the machine on the right setting and switch it on. he also knows to do an extra spin at the end, hang washing and fold it when dry.

BoffinMum · 27/12/2012 22:24

Blimey Santa, send them around here! Grin

In return I can send DS3 (age 3) who hoovers really well, and has his own little tool box to fix things.

tribpot · 27/12/2012 22:26

In the words of Mad-Eye Moody in Harry Potter "constant vigilance!"

I will do a small load rather than a large one, because it makes the amount of washing to deal with that much more manageable, and therefore that much more likely I will actually put it all away before starting on the next one.

This had been working reasonably well, along with recycling old clothes, but in the run-up to Xmas it's all gone a bit pear-shaped. I can tell because I have both clothes airers out at the same time, which means I've put one load on before finishing the one before. This then mushrooms into a bigger problem and so needs to be tackled, if necessary by some extreme measures (service wash at the laundrette / even more throwing things away).

Almost certainly the key thing is to lower your standards (pants do not need ironing!) and/or declutter the wardrobe.

SantaIAmSoFuckingRock · 27/12/2012 22:39

oh yes, we have the tool box too and the holes in the wall where he 'fixed' it! Hmm Grin

a woman once called me an abusive mother because my 2 year old put his duvet back over his bed in the mornings, i'd love to see her face now if she heard about them both doing their washing.

in my defence, my mum taught me nothing about running a house. she was the classic martyr who ranted about no-one giving her a hand but refused to let us help as we would do it wrong. my dsis still lives at home aged 25 (i wonder why!) and doesn't know how to set their washing machine. my mother still folds her clothes and sets them on her bed for her. i promised i would never do that to myself or my dcs, so they're doing everything they are capable of doing and they dont complain. they just say "ok" and do it then go and play or watch tv.

AutumnGlory · 27/12/2012 22:40

I washed 5 loads today, took the clothes down to the launderete on the corner, put around £2 in the machine and after around 30 minutes they were all nice and dry. It is an addiction, I'm a laundry freak and I hate using the same clothes twice but I do...

BoffinMum · 28/12/2012 08:30

I have to say that one of the things I like on holiday is announcing that washing needs doing, and trooping off to a launderette with a magazine and iPod and coffee while the nice big industrial machines do it so efficiently. Poor me, etc. Wink

This week my Xmas present to myself is sending the ironing out to All Ironed Out. You book it online and they collect it the next evening. 24 or 48 hours later they bring it back, perfectly done. It costs a fortune but in terms of personal stress relief at the moment I think I'll ignore that side of thing. Grin

sleeplessinsuburbia · 28/12/2012 08:39

I do one load every day.i don't seperate whites etc (but I might occasionally do a "whites soak" of stuff grabbed from cupboards). Every load has a towel or a pillowcase or a single sheet in it so I don't have to do loads of only towels or sheets. But I have a dryer.

The biggest tip is to not have too much stuff. By constantly rotating towels and sheets it means you don't need doubles, sheets and towels go straight back into bathroom or on beds so there are no piles to fold and put away.

Mrsrudolphduvall · 28/12/2012 08:40

As soon as I get up at 6.30a wash goes on, and is out on the airer by 7.30.
If I have left for work, dh then puts another one on, so by tea time both loads are dry and can be put away.

I wash everything after one wear. Shock
Maybe not cardigans, but everything else.

RandomMess · 28/12/2012 08:41

BoffinMum your post about having 3 seperate laundry baskets and a linen cupboard/press made me laugh. How do you think us lowly people with tiny houses cope? 6 people tiny house we manage just fine Smile

I do confess that I don't generally iron though, low spin and drying things on coathangers Grin

sleeplessinsuburbia · 28/12/2012 08:44

I fold as I take out of the dryer into piles of who owns stuff and as I walk past their rooms I put their pile on their bed and sheets or pillowcases if I washed them. Mine are still young so I need to help them put the sheets on.
I haven't ironed in 10 years, good stuff gets drycleaned and put straight into cupboards so no need.

BoffinMum · 28/12/2012 08:51

LOL In my minute, and I mean minute first flat I had three collapsible grocery baskets and I put slatted shelves around the immersion heater with my own bare hands to act as an ersatz linen press until I could afford a stately home with antique French linen press.

You are so defeatist Grin Washing is there to be conquered! GrinGrin

bigkidsdidit · 28/12/2012 08:59

stupid question...

if you sort into the washing baskets, what do you have in the nedrooms? Or do the DC drop clothes in the laundry baskets every evening? I like the sound of this system!

MousyMouse · 28/12/2012 09:08

no (laundry) baskets in bedrooms, just the basket with the pj's and clothes that can be worn again for the dc.. dh and I put our clothes that can be worn again on a chair to air.

DillyTante · 28/12/2012 09:10

Watching this thread with interest. When I win the lottery the first thing I am doing is paying for a laundry service!