If you really do three loads of washing a day....

[Clary]

That?s 21 a week, right? What are you actually washing? I?m not having a go, just interested (following ?how many times? thread) in how many people claim to do this much washing.

Yes, some days I might do 3 loads (if one of the kids has a night accident eg) but the next day probably none.
Are you mega washers really doing 21 washes a week? Are you all really dirty? what?s your laundry list, come on, I need to know if there is laundry I am failing to do.
(I have three DCs btw)

"The engineer to came out to look at our machine "

I should just switch off now, shouldn't I really ?

my servis one died earlier this year. we wore it out. i had it 3years.

Why am I refreshinga thread on washing machines? HAs my life come to this?

I am going NOW LOL!

LOL NDP that's an interesting line.......but you know what - we all understood it

If Bozza' still looking at this thread my rules of laundry are:

Mine & DH's clothes are washed in bio powder and nice scented fabric conditioner, but the DC's always have to be done in non-bio and sensitive conditioner.

Towels and flannels are washed separately from everything else (OK, I admit sometimes I wash white towels in with white sheets, if I don't have a full load)

Everyone's underwear has to be washed at 50 deg minimum, but mine and DD's white knickers preferably at 60.

Never wash underwear with tea towels or table cloths.

I prefer not to wash things made of what I call hard fabric (like denim, or trousers) in with softer, delicate fabrics. I think it wears the delicates out.

Because I do have an environmental conscience, never put the machine on unless its full (mine's a new 6kg Hotpoint £279 from Comet coupla weeks ago). I had a scary 6 days without a machine, so perhaps that's why the laundry's particularly out of control just now.

Avoid using the tumble drier if at all possible.

Sadly, all this results in about 15 regular loads ...

For DH & Me:

Hot whites (60 deg: bedlinen, towels, tea towels)
Hot whites (60 deg: DH white shirts, white t-shirts, knickers and bras)
Warm colours (50 deg: mainly DH coloured scants, socks for both of us, darkish coloured t shirts and shirts that can take a 50 deg wash but aren't light coloured or white)
Dark colours (40 deg: black trousers, jeans, DH black pants and socks although these can also go in the warm colours wash above)
DH work shirts (60 deg: I do 6 or 7 at a time and that's the machine full, he's a big lad)
Hot colours (coloured towels, flannels, tea towels, sheets, tablecloths)
Light delicate colours (40 deg: mainly my t shirts that I think might shrink, blouses - usually this combines with a load of my DD's more delicate pink stuff)

For Daughter & Son (washed in non bio powder and sensitive fabric conditioner)

Towels and flannels
Coloured bed linen (their duvet covers and pillowcases)
Hot whites - sheets, white t shirts that don't shrink, DD's knix and socks
Warm whites - everything else white or very pale that can take 50 deg
Warm colours - pastel coloured t shirts, pyjamas, knix and socks washed at 50 deg
Soft darks - dark t shirts, tops, PJs, socks and pants, hats, gloves etc (DS has mainly dark pants and socks)40 deg
Hard darks - (denims, dark coloured skirts & trousers, coats, 40 deg)
Mixed everyday wash - bright coloured everything except undies that have to go in at 40 deg
Light colours 40 deg wash - mainly DD's pink stuff, tops & t-shirts, tights, ballet outfit, swimming cos etc, to which I might add my delicates to make up a full load)

I wash all our woollens & silks in Persil Silk & Wool, but this also divides into two loads, 1 dark colours and 1 light colours.

By my reckoning thats 17. I do one load a day. Which means that our beds don't get changed as often as they should and some things get left in the bottom of the laundry baskets for months.

Can't believe how much time I've spent typing this out, but it feels good to get it off my chest. Am not housewifely in any other respect at all, this just seems to be my thing.

If I divided my laundry up as scrupulously as you, I'd never have anything to wear as I'd run out of clothes before I got a full load.

I'm not proud of it - its a bit of a bind. DH says my epitaph should read "I'll be there in a minute - just putting the washing on ..."

But with a 6kg washer (is usual size 5kg?) and 17 loads a week how on earth do you do full loads each wash? How many knickers do you actully have?!? LOL

FWIW I do 5 loads per week. 1 whites, 1 darks, 1 coloured, 1 delicates (or handwash if there aren't many to do), 1 sheets. Towels get done with whatever wash they match. I have a big washer tho. No dryer - hate them. Have me, DH & two DDs to launder for.

id never have any clothes, does seem to be sensible if youre funny about these things!

i do 3 loads, whites, darks and delicates.

delicates are dhs suit and dds wools or party dresses.

whites is light colours/whites at 60deg

darks is all other colours at 40deg

when i next buy washing powder (buy big big big tub from macro, have been using for over 6 month and it hasnt even got down to half way yet!!) will buy ariel so i can turn darks down to 30, but will still keep whites at 60 as is mine and dds knickers, all towels and dh's work shirts (what do they do in those all day!?!?!?!

Do you really have 2x 6kg loads worth of silk and wool clothes? Is there a shopaholic problem lurking there too Twoisenoughmum?

overlaiding menas more iorning imo
i ahev laods of differnet speeds

The woollens and silks don't get done very often! My DH always saying, is that new? I just say no, its something that's been in the bottom of the laundry basket for ages. Works for things that actually are new too. Sadly, as a size 14 endomorph (only 5'2") with a bit slack tummy from 2 caesarians, my pants are quite big. Think I have about 20 white pairs, 10 black pairs, 5 coloured pairs (for special occasions . But luckily they don't get worn that often ...

May I just add that the big white ones are still gorgeously white ...

But do they have any elastic left after being washed at 60

No need for elastic. Once I've heaved them up over that big shelf they stay there

As quoted from Stacey's post
when i next buy washing powder (buy big big big tub from macro, have been using for over 6 month and it hasnt even got down to half way yet!!) will buy ariel so i can turn darks down to 30,

I use the cheap washing tablets from Wilkos and do my coloureds on 30 and have no problems with them not being clean. I wonder if it is a bit of a gimick on Ariels part.

right, I am definitely looking into buying shares in washing powder! Anyone care to join me?

have two machine and they are on all the time. for me dh and dd1, ds and dd2. my oldest has just started reception so that is having an impact on the amount of clothers which need washing. ie reducing as she is in a school unifrom. my kid are very active and they can get through two sometimes three sets of clothes a day add to this the odd leaky nappy at lunch or during the day, ds accident with standing up weeing and that is a lot of washing.

Would like to add that neither child has changes of clothes during day unless there is actual wee, poo or sick on them (ditto for the grown-ups. Otherwise I'm sure I'd drive myself mad. Doesn't that non-washable paint from nurseries etc drive you bonkers? I've got lots of lovely items that have been permanently ruined. Whose idea was that - let's make a paint for toddlers that never ever washes out? Should be a law against it ...

ah sahmtotwo, never acctually thought about it like that.....will try washing at 30 from now on, it makes a big difference in the energy used doesnt it?

twoisenoughmum I am impressed that you went to the effort to explaing all that. It seems that some poeple have not spotted the bit where you said that you only do one load a day.

magicfarawaytree - two machines.

bozza rather than have a washing machine and a dryer, we got a a washing machine and a washer/dryer - got them cheaper than buying a washing machine and seperate dryer because they are seconds - you know when you get a machine delivered and it gets some superficial damage. now unless I had to I would really not want to go back to one machine. I had three under three and lived in a building site where the dust and dirt meant everything had to be continually washed.

wow, i do my 2 loads a day but I don't have any 'laundry rules' its two piles; delicates and wollens go int otgether on a 40 degree woll wash. Everything else goes in at 60 degrees, towels, red socks, white shirts etc. I admit if ther eis a lot I try and put all the pale coloured things in one load and then darker stuff in another one but thats about it.

We had the towel conversation in my office a while back and the majority of people in the office said they dried towels and re-used them until one colleague said "Yes, I used too until I walked in on DpPdrying himself in the bathroom and found he was pulling the towel backwards and forwards between his legs and then realising I could be wiping my face on it" !!!!! It conjured up all sorts of images and now I think twice about using the same towel as my DP incase he does the same !!!! I do about 10 loads a week I suppose.