How in the name of all that's holy do you keep on top of laundry?

[DunelmDoris]

I've just moved house and I'm delighted that the central heating here is so new and efficient that I can get all my laundry dried on radiators. But I'm still stuck in a neverending loop of washing and drying.

It doesn't help that we're still living out of boxes, but today the last should be unpacked. Once that's done I have no more excuses and I have to accept that it's laundry groundhog day.

How do you do it? What's the secret?

We don't have a laundry basket upstairs - so dirty laundry is dumped on the landing and brought down by the next person coming downstairs (well that is the theory - the reality is when I'm next coming down stairs!). It is then sorted straight into one of four laundry bags (whites, lights, brights, darks) that are hanging up off the door to the understairs cupboard.

I put a load on as soon as there is enough for a load in a bag - once a week I made sure that all four are completely cleared (by combining brights/darks and lights/whites or brights/lights as necessary). I also have two buckets in the ultility - one for ecloths and the other for T-towels, they both have their own separate wash approx. once a week.

Since I have started this system I've never felt overwhelmed by the laundry (which used to be a regular thing!). I do have a tumble drier though.

To stop me being overwhelmed by the ironing I sort it into small separate small laundry baskets (the totes from Lakeland): household (so bed sheets mainly), Mine, DH, DS if it has built up [easier to put away then and then I can just do one basket rather than face the whole lot!] and put stuff that doesn't need to be ironed away straight away.

There are only two of us.

I wash once a week - 2 loads, or 3 in the week that I wash the bed linen (which is every 3 - 4 weeks). Then I iron two days later, but only things that really need ironing.

In the winter months everything is dried on the radiators and drying rack, April to November it goes on the washing line. Everything goes in together. Laundry is no biggy, it takes half an hour a week, ironing never takes more than an hour.

Cleaning the house is a far bigger job.

we have a frightening amount of laundry. However, I think we have too many clothes. It is impossible to get to the bottom of it when your husband has 25 t-shirts, many of which have seen better days. I cleared out about half of my own stuff and find I now have more clean, ironed, available things to wear. It does mean I wear the same 4-5 things quite regularly, but I don't mind.

I think this is our issue thinking. DH has so many t-shirts, some he's had since he's 18! He's oddly sentimental about them. We need a clear out.

I try to do a load a day to keep it ticking over. Sometimes it's every other day but DP often has a day off in the week and will get 3 to 4 loads done to clear the majority of it.
It is a lot easier in the summer when I can put washing on the line to dry and there aren't thick bulky clothes to dry.

I dry on 2 maidens in the spare room but DP tends to put things on radiators for speed. Wouldn't bother me so much if he wasn't allergic to opening windows and cleaning up condensation. Grrrr.

ah, yes, the sentimental t-shirts. We have those too. I have started to hide them as they add to the mayhem. Of course, if t-shirts can't be immediately found (due to laundry back log), a new packet of 3!!! is bought because "I don't have any t-shirts".

one wash a day, I put the clothes in last thing at night and add any last minute mess in the morning, put the wash on as I make breakfast, it rotates between darks/light/bright coloured each day
anything stained (looking at you, weaning baby) gets dumped in a basin and prewashed with vanish until a light/bright wash comes round
because it never really builds up I can fit towels/sheets in whenever theres an appropriate coloured wash on so change the sheets weekly
dry most stuff on a rack in the kitchen with a dehumidifier/condenser on laundry setting, fold and put away each evening (and make DH/DS help)

and I dont iron anything at all... ever, life is too short
buy non iron stuff and fold/shake straight away

We have hoards of washing (family of 6, kids are 13, 10, 7 and 7 months). I put on at least one load of washing a day, every other day I do two loads, It occasionally builds up, like today, where I have 5 loads to do (I didn't do any washing yesterday, I was in a lazy mood). We have a tumble dryer though so it'll all be washed, dried, folded and put away by tonight.

There is no way on earth I could manage without a dryer in the winter. It doesn't get used in summer though, we have two washing lines so can fit two loads of washing out per day when it's warm. I can't wait for summer actually, I love it when I can hang the washing out (sad bastard that I am).

We used to have a dryer at our flat but moved to a house with a garden last year. I LOVE putting clothes on the line to dry. This last week has been sunny and blowy so washing has gone out even if it's not particularly warm. Oh my God, it smells fabulous.

I'm baffled as to how you all have so much laundry that it's a never ending chore. You must be changing your clothes/towels/bedding every five minutes!

As someone up thread said, we only wash what is smelly/dirty and I have a DH who pulls his weight.

Are dehumidifiers really expensive? I'd love one.

Can really relate about the never ending spare bed pile.

www.robertdyas.co.uk/catalogsearch/result/?q=dehumidifier

The electric ones can be. We use the tablet type but I'm not convinced they're hugely useful.

As for accumulating laundry....clean shirt every day, clean trousers/skirt every 2-3 days, clean bed linen every week or two, clean bath towels every week, hand towels and tea-towels as required, DD has clean clothes daily as gets mucky at nursery.

I needed a dehumidifier anyway as my current place tends to damp and condensation even without laundry drying issues, so decided a laundry one might be the most practical idea, various prices and options here www.dehumidifiersuk.com/c/265287/1/laundry-dryers.html
but when I can get stuff out on the line I am cheered

Shocked at you people who put washing on overnight! Please don't do that. They are a fire risk.

www.notts-fire.gov.uk/5A35AAC1E45D48A5A266B05D4AC95FC4.asp

At least one load a day. I also have a delay on my washing machine so I set it for 5AM and its done by the time I get up. This load is always clothes. I might do an extra load if I feel I need to. Bedding gets done on Sunday/Monday. Towels get done on Sunday evenings (as they get tumble dried there is no need to have them airing)

I have an overflowing washing basket right now, but it doesn't bother me. I know by Wed/Thurs it will have gone right down.

It is ongoing though. There's no way around that. You can have a dedicated laundry room if you have the space to keep it out of view but you're never going to be able to do it all once a week and ignore it the rest of the time.

Wash most days.

Tend to do the towels on a Monday.

Bedding done once a week in rotation (4 beds)

Prob have 1 lights load a week, 3 dark loads & 2 blue loads.

I'm crap at ironing so DH does the bulk of it in a Sunday.

I love washing, my mother was crap at washing & I love the smell of clean washing.

I go to the launderette once a week with all towels, sheets and other cotton items like tracky bots and PJ's. I wash everything at home (3 loads) then take it in 2 big Ikea bags to the Launderette dryers, where the whole load is professionally dried in mega massive dryer in about 10 minutes!

One fell swoop. Hate laundry hanging about int he house, so cluttered!

It may be a slightly increased fire risk. But I have mains wired smoke alarms and I close all the doors downstairs when I go to Bed. I can live with it.

Same here George I did read that the only reason now why washing machines and tumble driers are considered a higher fire risk than other things is because people dont tend to have open fires or chip pan's nowadays.

TBH there is a risk with lots of things and if my washing machine is to start a fire when Im up Im still not as likely to know anything about it until the smoke alarm went off anyway whether Im up or in bed.

In theory I do a wash a day - whatever needs doing when, separated into dc's clothes, mine and dp's clothes, towels and bedding. I don't have that many whites so don't bother.
Machine goes on when we first get up if it's dry out then the washing goes on the line except socks and pants they go in the washer dryer. If not dry then it splits between the airer and dryer. I don't overload the airer so whats bern put on is usually dry by the following morning, in the winter the washing on the line also needs finishing off but dries on the airer by the next day again. Dp and I put our own away. I put dd's away but have started to get eldest dd (4) to help.

I don't iron I shake all creases out as it comes out of the machine. This is the reason why I do the majority dp overloads the machine and then doesn't shake so the clothes need ironing then - he's not bothered but I am.

6 of us sometimes 8 of us, every day washing drying and putting away but it's only one load a day and it's done in a few hours most of that is waiting for the machine.

I do not iron, I tumble dry or clothes horse. Line dry in summer. It's daily but it's ok if I keep on top of it it's not too bad.

You can also think about whether you are washing too much. DCS tend to take off clothes and throw them in the dirty washing basket and I then go through taking it all out again! Underwear and anything stained yes. Anything else no, not for several wears.

I put my washing machine and dishwasher on when we're in bed. We've got mains wired smoke alarms in every room, too. They are so sensitive they go off if I iron for too long!

I don't understand how people never get to the bottom of their laundry pile. We've got far too many clothes herebut I've a laundry basket on the landing, all dirty washing goes in there, as soon as there is a load the washer is on. It's dried, ironed and put away by the next day.

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