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Housekeeping

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Original poster

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

357 replies

Clary · 30/10/2006 13:42

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)

OP posts:
Blossomhowl · 30/10/2006 21:57

ballbaby ~ you would have thought someone had done something truly awful!

My 2 children have clean uniform and pj's every day. Shoot me!

ballbaby · 30/10/2006 22:05

Sorry but if you open your eyes to the environmental disaster which will probably (I believe) occur in my children's lives, I get annoyed when people don't seem to care or take responsibility.

Piffle · 30/10/2006 22:10

I have recently cut down enormously on washing loads for environmentally conscious reasons
I also chose a machine that re uses its rinsewater and I use wash beads in 75% of washes.
We use duvets and we all wear pj's so the bedding needs a wash only once a fortnight, pillow cases done twice a week in with other things.
iI use quick washes for lightly soiled items.
Only ever use a full wash load
We are 2 adults 2 kids (one teen)
I do 4-5 washes 1-3 under a quick wash.
I go through dp and ds's washing and put back anything that has made its way into laundry without being in true need of a wash.

ballbaby · 30/10/2006 22:13

Thank God for people like you Piffle!

Loshad · 30/10/2006 22:18

haven't read all the threads - but as a three wash a day women - yesterday first wash was previous days swimming towels and costumes (i only wash them once a week), second wash was DS1 bedding, third wash was 4 sets of very muddy rugby stuff from sun am, today first wash white clothes from sat/sun, second one darks from sat/sun, third one - our duvet cover and tea towels, fourth one (not really counted)my horse's numnah, girth and brushing boots, tomorrow will wash in any order, a pile of towels, muddy rugby stuff from school today, Ds2's bedding, wednesday will wash DH's cycling gear and my riding stuff together, more rugby kit, lots of dirty school clothes - my boys are incapable, even at 13 of not getting trousers covered in mud each day and so it goes on. I only strip each persons bed once a fortnight but still struggle to keep on top of it with three loads a day. It's very rare for instnace that any of the rugby kit can be recycled for another day - it's usually layered in wet mud, so couldn't even go in the dryer as it would make the dryer filthy.

Loshad · 30/10/2006 22:20

Oh and yes i reuse towels - often far beyond their reasonable use.

Bozza · 30/10/2006 22:21

There are a lot of people getting shocked on this thread!

TBH I am amazed at the amount of washing people do. I do maybe 9 loads a week for two adults and two children. Change towels once a week, bedding once a fortnight - ours one week, DCs the other week. Then another wash with swimming towels etc. Am unsure about this, surely they could be used more than once? I usually put some whites in with our bedding because it is not a full load. DD has a clean outfit everyday, DS has a clean polo shirt every day and sweatshirt/trousers examined and he has teflon coated trousers but even that is not resistant to being the goalie after school and diving around in the mud. Pjs changed 2x a week. They also breakfast in pjs and if they get the odd bit of cereal on them I tend not to care. DD wears two pairs of pants a day but age 2-3 knickers are not filling my washing machine. Dh has a workshirt every day and I have varius work tops etc. I change when I get home but make the same clothes do all week. It is only a few hours.

misdee · 30/10/2006 22:22

i spend the mornings getting things washed, then the evening folding. its neverending. it was worse during halfterm, as during termtime i can usually get 2 days worth out of a uniform, or just need a clean t-shirt/jumper. during holidays it mudpies all day lol.

i do slack somedays and dont do any.

i never do half loads, so my towels will build up with tea towels etc when i can put a full load on. i only wash the nappies when the bucket is full.

i do absolutly stink at the end of the day, so i cant re-wear my clothes from the previous day. which means i have lots of pairs of jeans, loads of tops, undies etc. and i mean loads

Bozza · 30/10/2006 22:22

Loshad are they full loads? One set of bedding does not fill my machine - nor would 4 rugby kits.

misdee · 30/10/2006 22:26

bozza, i know that wasnt directed at me, but 1 kingsize bedding load fills my machine (i can usually add the cot bedding in as well), then dd1+2 and dh bedding will go on another load.

brimfull · 30/10/2006 22:27

I always thought it was a waste in hotels getting new towels every day ,but nowadays most hotels ask you to reuse your towels if possible for the sake of the environment.

I change the kitchen dishtowel every day but our bath towels get used until they can walk to the machine themselves

Skribble · 30/10/2006 22:28

No

I do at least 1 or 2 a day Monday to Friday.
Extra on Monday to catch up from weekend.
Another 2 load on Tuesday as I do beds. Each bed gets changed once a fortnight.

No way have I ever done 3 a day even when DS was in terries. Kids only change school uniform if it is actually dirty. DD can wear the same trousers all week. They only put clothes in wash if they look dirty or smell, if clean enough to wear again they fold up and put in room. Underwear only gets worn once though , I'm not that bad.

So working it out probably about 10-12 loads a week. 2 adults and 2 kids 7 and 9yrs.
2 towels and white shirts.
5 darks
2 bedding
3 light/ mixed.

Bozza · 30/10/2006 22:29

Maybe I have a large capacity machine. I never realised. My kingsize bedding does not fill it - I can normally add whatever whites are hanging around in with it. Whites don't generally build up that much (I also do darks and coloureds), especially not in winter.

Skribble · 30/10/2006 22:30

I do kind size duvet, then another load for sheet and pillowcases, is mine a mini washer .

misdee · 30/10/2006 22:30

my kids must get extremely messy and sweaty (in dd3 case anyway). no way could a pair of trouser last a week lol.

Bozza · 30/10/2006 22:31

It does sound small - unless I am overloading mine.

misdee · 30/10/2006 22:31

i dont overload mine, but its always a full load.

i do have a lot of pillow cases as well lol.

Bozza · 30/10/2006 22:33

No misdee mine are like that too. Actually DD's trousers might do two days but I have never tried. DS does too much mud rolling. But when he is playing football on what was once my lawn but now is just a mud patch, I make him change into jog pants and make him rewear them dirty over the weekend. It is the after school mud rolling when he is with the CM that is the problem.

misdee · 30/10/2006 22:34

one ti[p to cut down on washing, dont let the kids puddle jump on the way home from school

even with welly boots.

everyone needed clean dry clothes after that.

even dd1 knickers were grey with muddy rainwater lol.

Loshad · 30/10/2006 22:36

bozza, it's just an ordinary bog standard one - tbh it's overloaded with 4 pillowcases, i kingsized sheet and 1 king sized duvet - i usually leave the pillowcases to join in with something else. And yes - 4 large and wet rugby jumpers, 4 x outer shorts, 4 x those tight black ones they wear underneath and 4 x pairs of rugby socks and it's a shove it in to get the door to close

Adorabelle · 30/10/2006 22:49

I only have the one child, plus dh & I, & find that some days my machine is on twice a day

Where it all come from I do not know. Yes we have Super Kingsize bedding, & yes she's a grubby little bugger, & yes we all have our own bath towel every night....

Think my question has been answered

misdee · 30/10/2006 22:52

well i am off to fold todays two loads only before bed. might pop one a load on overnight. i noticed the washing basket is filling up again.

i'm certain my dd's put clean clothes in the basket some days. not even worn. hmmmm.

CountessDracula · 30/10/2006 22:53

I also always do short wash and at 30 degrees as much as poss

I'm sorry but I think washing towels after every use is profligate

gRowlers · 30/10/2006 23:02

I try to keep my carbon footprint to the minimum as I would like to think my child and her children and those after them will have a world suitable to live in.
Surely if we are such devoted and good parents, we should be considering their future and not how clean their clothes are every day?
Wash less, use the washing line to dry and rinse stuff in the bath.
No-one has mentioned tumble driers yet.......

hatwoman · 30/10/2006 23:09

piffle - which wash beads do you use and are they good?

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