Clothes washing question for you all

[saltire]

When you are doing washing, do you wait until you have a full load and then put the machine on, or do you wash things as they get taken off just to keep your laundry basket empty, even if it means washing only two or three small items?
I try and leave it till I have a full load, eg, DH's work shirts, and the DSs polo shirts all make up a full load, which i do at weekend, when i change the beds its a couple of full loads, but if i only need to change one sheet through the week i won't wash it until i have other things to go in with it, like towels. unless it's very wet and smelly
The reason I ask is beecause my mum is here, she has just came downstairs with a pair of socks, a t-shirt and a t-towel in her hand and said "These were in the laundry basket will I put them through a wash for you" I said no, there wans't enough to fill the machine, but her reply was "well you will have an empty basket then". She thinks i am strange because i wait until i have a full load. So I'm really interested to know if I am weird, or if she is!

she is weird! How wasteful to put three things through a wash!

I always wait until I have a full load. Actually I usually do all the washing one a week so I have several full loads.

I always wait till I have a full load

So, only twenty minutes or so to wait

Always try and do a full load, unless there are things that need doing sooner.

Only full loads here too. She's the weirdy (sorry saltire's mum ). But if she really has the urge to get the laudry done send her round here.

I never have to "wait". There's always a full load here

Would never put the machine on for 2 or 3 things though.

Well I rarely have so little in my laundry basket that I could do anything less than a full load - the only time I have half a load or less is if I am doing a "delicate" wash.

But I know someone who claims to do 4 loads of washing a day - and I can't see how she needs to do that (afaik doesn't have any bed-wetters, etc) unless she aims to empty her wash basket each day and so only does half loads of colours, whites, etc....

wombling - i think it's wasteful too, it's a waste of water, electricity and washing powder. I do wonder if it's a generation thing though as MIL is the same. In fact - gross story alert - I caught MIL going through our laundry basket and she had mine and DH's dirty underwear in her hand wanting to wash it - 1 pair of each

wait until a full load becuase you are using unneccesary energy and killing THE PLANET MUM

I wash in colour groups eg
Mon - blacks
Tues - whites
Wed - reds/pinks/oranges
Thurs - blues
Fri - yellow/green/brown/grey
I tip the basket out on the floor and see which colour group is most predominant (or what I want to wear next day).
I don't actually have a colour for each day, that would be scary!
Weekends I do towels or bedlinen.
I always do a full load, being an ecowarrior. Who on earth gives a toss how empty their laundry basket is!?

I had three days last week when the machine wasn't on.
She's the same at her house though when we go to visit. They boys will get ready for bed and before I know it she has half their stuff in the machine - like 2 pairs of boys pants, a pair of socks and two t-shirts. She also washes towels on a 90 degree wash. I find that weird. Glad it's not just me who waits till I have a full load

I wash full loads only aswell.I do have a neighbour who does that...she's slightly obsessional though and ahs
a pink wash
a light blue wash
a green wash
a red wash
a stripey wash!!
wtf!!!

I put all colours in together in cold wash except black.

God, that is seriously weird, who cares if the basket is completely empty/part full/overflowing in all directions?

I tend to do 3 loads in one day when mine has reached the last category, then it will be truly empty for a fleeting moment.

What's an empty laundry basket?

I used to know someone who did this with her dishwasher too - not like 2 cups and a plate, but half a dozen things top and bottom and off she went, god forbid she should ever have a few things waiting on the counter

Hunker you can buy empty laundry baskets in Homebase, but every one I've bought fills up straight away, they're crap, total waste of cash.

I do a full load. I know when it's time to put the machine on because I have to go out wearing a crop top, a kaftan, cycling shorts and pop socks, everything else is in a ceremonial pile in, around and on the laundry basket.

I'm a looker, me.

lol trolley!!!!! another vote for the full load

full loads only here. i even started using my towels mroe than once since that thread months ago about washing towesl after one use

this weekend I have done all the laundry and almost have an empty basket now. but by tonuight it wont be empty anymore.

I alwyas do a full load but I have to confess that's because I don't ever not have a full load!

OMG, I have just remembered that atm there is a huge load of 6 microfibre cloths in my machine

(Really I am doing a 90 degree "empty" wash to clean out the gunk so I thought I might as well sling them in at the same time - please don't tell your mum, saltire )

This is another thing with my mum, she does all this washing but lets the ironing pile get so big it could be used for mountain rescue training by the RAF.
My aunt is also a bit "weird" when it comes to washing, she washes something, then puts it on the line to dry (if it's nice) she then bring it in, and puts it in the airing cupboard until it's time to iron it -to air it she says. then she irons it and puts it back in the airing cupboard to air it again. She told my cousins wife and I once that we would get piles by wearing unaired clothes. I couldn't be doing with all the faffing around.

Full loads here too. I even use the quick wash cycle too every time. Saves on water and electric. Comes out just as good I think.
I do seperate the white and lights and wash them together, all the darks and colours get washed together.

Trying to line dry when weather is good, otherwise it gets put on airers or radiator. We don't have an airing cupboard. Clothes eventually make their way into drawers and wardrobes. Never iron anything either, unless we really have to.