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Housekeeping

Find cleaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Housekeeping forum.

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Original poster

I have too much washing!!

24 replies

BeebiesQueen · 25/01/2013 08:52

How many times do your 1 and 2 year olds wear things like skirts and trousers and tights? and how many nights do they wear baby gros and pj's?

I'm drowning in washing, and it suddenly struck me I wear jeans twice before washing them, and pjs for about 3 nights before washing them (does that make me a slattern?) tights I only wear once so Could I apply the same rules to teh dc? as long as they arent dirty as in food all over them?

OP posts:

yawningmonster · 25/01/2013 09:07

I am afraid at that age my two were total grublets and if they didn't puke on or spill food, dirt, and what ever else they could get into on their clothes it was totally out of the norm for them. I was on about 3 loads of washing a day when dd was that small. My oldest is now 8 and he is more like what you describe...he has school uniform in term time and can get away with three shirts and 2 shorts in a week, socks and underwear daily and pe uniform weekly. Holidays he ca go twice in a pair of pants and tshirt and 3 in pjs. My 3 year old is fairly much daily change including pjs. DH and I are about what you do and then towels and linen washes means that we are down to slightly more than one load a day.
Not sure that helps you much (both mine were cloth naps too which ups the washing when they are small)

Original poster

BeebiesQueen · 25/01/2013 09:21

Their trousers arent too bad, they dont get dirty and I usually strip them off for dinner in the evening so clothes dont get stained.

I think I might try wearing pj's twice, babygro's once as sometimes she leeks, t-shirts once and trousers twice.

At the moment I do around 3-4 loads of washing a day, although I tend not to do any washing on a saturday and sunday unless its urgent

OP posts:

specialsubject · 25/01/2013 10:07

given that you are not a baby and don't leak body fluids all over your clothes, jeans should go a LOT longer than three wearings! Ditto pyjamas.

tights are in contact with sweaty feet so do need a wash after each time.

3-4 loads of washing a DAY is a hell of a lot. Wash their clothes when they are dirty. Babies don't really get sweaty so change things when they have been spewed or excreted on. That will give you enough washing.

FlouncingMintyy · 25/01/2013 10:09

Do you really only wear jeans twice before washing them? .

Original poster

BeebiesQueen · 25/01/2013 10:12

well, both my dc had reflux as babies so I just got in the habit of changing my clothes after 2 days, sometimes wearing on the 2nd day with sick that had been cleaned with a wetwipe but your probably right, jeans can be worn more.

OP posts:

DewDr0p · 25/01/2013 12:56

I check stuff when they take it off - if it's dirty it goes in the wash, otherwise it does another day. PJs get changed 2 or 3 times a week, vests every other day when they have a bath, pants & socks daily.

I think you could def get longer out of a pair of jeans!

nannyl · 25/01/2013 13:28

dd is 16m... she has clean pjs every night... which get covered in breakfast in the morning...

she has clean clothes on after breakfast... which normally see her through until bedtime, but if lunch is very messy she might get another top after nap.....

i cant remember the last time something was clean enough to wear again!

Original poster

BeebiesQueen · 25/01/2013 13:47

lol nanny to make things easier I give them dired cerieal for breakfast. I went to my mums last week and she put milk on dd1's breakfast while I was in the shower. When I came down dd1 said, 'nanna broke breakfast!' meaning she ruined perfectly good cerieal they also get dryish food for lunch then I strip them off for dinner and let them play as much as they like

OP posts:

JamesAndTheGiantBanana · 25/01/2013 14:05

Only wash dirty clothes/bedding. I try to reuse clothes/school uniform if I can, I don't mind sponging off a few marks (but my son usually comes home caked in mud, felt tip and custard so 90% of the time I can't)

DewDr0p · 25/01/2013 14:12

You could get some of those bibs that cover everything? For the 1 yo at least?

DeathMetalMum · 25/01/2013 14:57

We do pj's twice dd feeds herself breakfast but can mostly go two days. She has a vest at night anyway we have a clean one each day.

Tops just about last a day I only change if she get wet rather than dirty. Then dapending on the time of thw day either clean or the cleanest one from the washing basket ie if its straight before dinner. Cardigans I make last a couple of days I make sure she keeps them clean or takes them off if shes going to get as messy. We only have a few that fit well and do washing twice a week I think, whenever her basket is full.

BackforGood · 25/01/2013 15:04

I'm at the idea of washing jeans after 2 wears.

Just do the 'look and sniff test' - if something looks dirty, it goes in the wash. If it doesn't look dirty, then give it a quick sniff and that will tell you if it needs a wash or not.

1 and 2 yr olds IME do tend to get their clothes messy, but, OTOH, they are all little so don't fill up a washing machine like an adults clothes do.

sweetkitty · 25/01/2013 15:54

I have 4 DC so over the years have dropped my standards

PJs - they get clean ones after a bath (3 times a week) unless DSs are v grubby

Pants and socks - clean every day

School uniform - usually clean one every 2/3 days do 2 sets a week

Those not in school tend to get a clean outfit each day

I do things like today the older 2 can wear their uniform until bedtime or get changed into PJs as weren't going anywhere and they are not dirtying another set of clothes.

Towels are clean for each wash, bedding washed once a week for us, once a fortnight for DC.

I do one washing one day and two the next IYSWIM

DoItToJulia · 25/01/2013 16:01

Op, I do roughly the same amount of washing as you. We have clean pjs, kids included, every night. In fact most things are clean on, all of the time. My DH does a mucky job, so I also have masses of his work clothes plus evening clothes. Ds1 has a clean school uniform every day.

I am also really really fussy about tea towels, so do a load of those every other day too.

But I can't stop....I like clean! and I am on maternity leave at the minute so I can be on top if it every day

Tinkerisdead · 25/01/2013 16:02

I wash jeans after a couple of wears too but its usually cos someone has wiped snot on my legs hanging off my knees or i inadvertently wipe my hand on my hip etc.

Pj's i swap maybe every three days for my 4yr old but baby gets clean every night. Clothes they have clean full set daily but things like a hooded top for 4yr old would get re-hung. I dont wash her gymnastics kit though. She wears it for 45mins of jumping on coloured dots or rolling on mats so that gets shoved back in her bag til half term.

I could really do with cutting my washing down too though so i think i'll actually check their soiled first.

Tinkerisdead · 25/01/2013 16:03

Oh yes im constantly changing teatowels too and we have fresh uniform for preschool three days a week.

Original poster

BeebiesQueen · 25/01/2013 16:30

Thank you, some good ideas, but I honestly think with an 11.5 month old and a 2.3 year old wearing my jeans anymore than 2 days might be intresting! they are usually snot striped or have had mucky hands wiped on them.

but I think form now on I might check rather than assuming!

OP posts:

WillSingForCake · 25/01/2013 16:35

Why does a baby need clean pyjamas every night? My 16 month old gets fresh ones weekly at the most. She doesn't get sweaty & I get her changed out of them as soon as she's up.

Wash stuff if it's dirty! Some shocking wastes of power & water going on.

Original poster

BeebiesQueen · 25/01/2013 16:52

most nights her nappy leaks, weve tried diffrent sizes, brands etc, but she just wees a lot!

OP posts:

notso · 25/01/2013 16:57

My 9 month old can usually get away with wearing trousers or dungarees more than once, he has a clean vest and babygro for bed every night though.
My two year old rarely ends the day in the clothes he started in, he is so messy! he usually gets away with clean PJ's every other night though.
DS1 8 would not change his clothes if I didn't tell him to. He has clean school clothes on a Monday and Wednesday/Thursday unless they are really dirty. After school he can usually get away with the same clothes for a few nights, I make him take hoodies and sweatshirts off for dinner though.
DD 12 is something else, she wears many different outfits during the week but hardly puts anything other than undies, PJ's and school stuff in the wash (she does shower twice a day though). I have to rifle through her wardrobe floordrobe and wash things I suspect need doing.
I am probably skanky but if I'm just hanging round the house I wear the same jeans all week, I just spot clean the snot/crud, I hate the feeling of just washed jeans, they are so much comfier when they are lived in!
I don't really use tea towels much either, but we do have a dishwasher and things in the draining board are air-dried.

BrendaB85 · 25/01/2013 17:00

It's never ending in our house! All I seem to do is laundry!

notso · 25/01/2013 17:03

My baby gets night sweats, so needs a clean babygro nightly WillSing

PoppyWearer · 25/01/2013 17:10

I have dropped my standards since the DCs came along and added to the washing pile, and now wear my own stuff for as long as possible before it stinks/gets dirty. Jeans for 2-3 days before one of my DCs drops food or wipes snot on them. I put a towel or apron on my lap when feeding them as added protection. I have also bought myself a lot more clothes (basics, cheap jeans and Breton tees) so that I don't run out if I don't get it all washed.

For the past couple of weeks I've been experimenting with a new laundry-management system (arf). I used to save it all until the basket overflowed (once a week) and then blitz it for three hours, but if one of the DCs or I was sick that day, the system fell apart.

I have instead been doing a smaller wash every morning, and ironing/sorting/putting away daily as well. Have found this takes about 15 minutes a day, and so far it's gone quite well.

Disclaimer should be that DC1 has started school and uniform does make life easier, if not dirty they can re-wear and not all of it needs ironing. Also DH wears suits/shirts to work, and all of his work stuff, shirts included (if he doesn't want to wash them himself), go to the dry cleaner.

I will also say what I always say on these threads, about finding a local laundrette/ironing service. For service washes and irons when you are seriously backlogged or sick. Cost less than you think!

PoppyWearer · 25/01/2013 17:11

FWIW we get through a LOT of DC pyjamas in this house too. Both 17mo and 4yo leak at night. Most nights.

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