Are we gross?

[MaccaPacca81]

After trying to work out how our neighbours manage to run their dryer for 9-12 hours a day, 7 days a week (2 adults, 1 toddler), I had a poke around some old posts and I'm astounded to find out how often some people are using their washing machines/dryers.

It looks like it's common to be doing 2 to 3 washes a day which boggles my brain.

We (2 adults, no kids) do 1-3 washes a week.

How often do you guys wash certain items?

For us its:

Bedding - weekly / 10 days ish
Towels - weekly
Jeans - maybe 4 times a year
Shirts, tops, tshirts - every wear
Undies - obvs every wear
Hoodies, jumpers etc - whenever they smell or look dirty or out of shape

Do any of you wash everything after just one wear? Towels after each use?

We are 2 adults and 2 toddlers and we wash stuff about as often as you do (bedding and towels weekly, tops and pants after every wear, trousers and jumpers when visibly dirty etc) but for us that translates into 1 or 2 washes a day. My toddlers can get through 3 or 4 changes of clothes each, every day, through covering them in food/mud/wee. At any given time I have a full washing machine, a full laundry basket, 2 full clothes horses, and often a small pile at the top of the stairs (side eyes dp) The only good thing about lockdown is that there's slightly less washing to do and more time to do it.

My washing machine is always on! I have DD (4), partner, my dad and I.

Bedding - every 3 days
Towels - Weekly
Jeans - Whenever they need a wash, usually every 3-4 wears
Shirts/Tops - Every wear
Underwear - Every wear
Loungewear (inc, hoodies, tracksuits..) - Every other wear
Pjs - Every other wear.

I am a bit neurotic when it comes to laundry though, as soon as it stops smelling like washing powder/fabric softener I have the urge to wash it again.

I know washing bedding every 3 days sounds nuts, but I have a severe phobia surrounding germs on bedding. If it doesn't smell like washing powder I feel uncomfortable. I have managed to get from washing every day to every 3 days and it took some doing; I still feel very strange on the second night!

Sorry forgot to add, I do 2-3 washes a day.

2 adults 2 kids here.

Clothes - 5 loads per week (I don't sort, so as soon as a loads worth is In the basket I chuck it all in). Jeans get a good 4 or 5 wears per pair before they go in.

Bedding - one week it's two single sets (dc), the week after it's our king set. So one bedding wash per week.

Towels - 're used over and over til they look feel or smell ready for a wash. So maybe one towel load per week.

Other - swim kits and tea Towels etc are just chucked in with whatever else is being washed. Swimkits have stopped now, s have uniforms, but tea towel use has doubled and we seem to have a bazillion of them.

So... 7 per week?

Some of you must be exhausted with all this washing.

I don't think you're grim at all, OP. Totally normal (especially after reading the type of denim you wear and that you have a rotation of 8).
I do about 3 loads per week. There are 5 of us.
I don't have a dryer. Such a waste of energy. They take ages in this country.

Ha ha ha! The outrage at jeans washing! I've got jeans I've never washed! They feel horrible after washing and it's unnecessary. I wear work clothes in the week. One of 5 pairs will be worn at the weekends in winter.

I wear pants and don't shit in them so why would they stink?!

Isn’t it easy to see how a family with multiple children will do more washes than yourself op?

You have one lot of bedding to wash, I have four. You have towels for two people, I have towels for five people. You have cleaning cloths for a two person household, my kitchen and bathroom will undoubtedly need cleaned more than yours, therefore more cloths. You have clothes for two people I have clothes for five. You have coats for two adults, I have coats for five, three of which are children that love to play and explore and get muddy coats and outer ware. It’s goes on and on.

It’s it exactly rocket science.

@MaccaPacca81 - you are right, jeans are not supposed to be washed. I do wash mine, but only every month or so. I don't understand the frequent towel washing either - after all, you are clean before you use them! I do a pale wash, a dark wash, and a towel wash each week (I live alone), plus bedding of course. I don't wash tops after each wear either, and if that makes me gross so be it!

Two parents DD 10 and DS 8.

I do five a week. Whites, darks, red colours, blue green colours and towels/sheets.

Usually all on a Saturday ...

My adult son has moved out during the lockdown
DH said yesterday we have gone from min of 1 - 2 washes a day to probably 3 -4 a week between the two of us 😂
We have loads and loads of towels though so do a big towel and bedding wash once a week
My son would shower twice a day and use 2 towels each time . Often change his clothes twice a day as well
Being at home now means that I can live in my gym clothes so no need for work clothes

I was everything after just one wear, bedding weekly and towels every 3 days. No way would I wear jeans only washed 4 times a year!

Bedding Once per Week. Nothing as grim as unwashed bedding. Our KIngsize, One Single and Cot Bedding.

Towels/Tea Towels every few days as DS has a frustrating habit of leaving them in a ball on the floor.

School Uniform once a week (I buy enough for a week)

Whites once a week (school shirts and baby Vests)

DH workwear on a weekend when he arrives home so once a week.

Dark Wash every other day (my work wear and three football kits per week from DS)

Baby Clothes Wash Once or Twice a week.

I do at least 2-3 washes per day.

Stupidly small washing machine.

2 towels and a few other bits and the machine is full.

We use a towel after every shower. The idea of towelling yourself dry. All the skin cells rubbing off onto the towel and then hanging it up to be used everyday for a week to me is so gross.
(We use kitchen towel to dry hands after washing them)

I think it is the towels that take up a lot of room in the machine. We probably have 14 washes per week for towels and some clothing

You can only get a king size duvet in for 1 load, the base sheet and pillows have to go on a separate wash so another 5 washes for bedding and a couple of other washes for any lights and dark stuff

Dd and Ds when they were at school age and had multiple ECA there would be so many different “uniforms” to wash each day.

Even now they work in various industries and can go from job to job needing a change of clothing for each job.

2 people in my household and I do 2-3 washes a week (usually Friday night)
I wash when dirty, so some clothes are worn more than once before washing.

Bedding and towels every other week
Dark wash
Light wash

Easy. People do too much washing!

Wait.....jeans 4x a year ......yes you're gross. Erggghh

I'm not washing as much with lockdown as I'm not wearing new stuff for work each day.

Obviously washing tops, underwear etc but much easier.

My jeans are washed after 2 wears as otherwise they feel yucky in a certain area

OP I'm a jeans fanatic I only buy good quality jeans such as Levi's & 7 for mankind etc ... the thought of wearing them for months on end makes my skin crawl. Without being too gross Jeans are tight round your crotch & bum area & those areas sweat & produce bacteria & germs & no amount of clean knicker wearing will prevent such bacteria being transferred to the crotch area of your jeans. Wearing & washing them is something that can't be avoided! I wear mine for 5 days ish before they are washed. And going a full week without changing towels for multiple people isn't hygienic either. Ugh yes that's grim in my opinion

We are a family of five and get through about 1/2 washes per day .There are only 2 of you so obviously a lot less than me .Its up to you but 4 times a year doesnt seem very much to wash jeans TBH! I wear jersey trousers and wash them every 4th time of wearing them .

To the people who wash your bedding every few days, how does it get so dirty in a few days?

One load per person in a household per week I have found as a rule of thumb, obviously we mix the loads but it's still true with adults (less messy but clothes are bigger)

Cat and I, 2 uniform washes a week, 3 sets, woollens, delicates 1 a week, bedding/ towels1 a week, the extra general stuff, with lockdown tajr out uniform,

At least 2 a day. Two adults, three children and a dog. There’s always extra things that need washing like their school coats or blazers. The throws from the sofas. We use micro fibre cloths for cleaning so they need washing and washable wipes.

Hand towels get grubby after 2 days. Bath mat, shower mat.

I wear jeans twice before washing them. The children need a new set of clothes each day. It’s relentless.

I found young kids meant that even the adults needed multiple changes per day, between nappy leaks, mud smears, and food mess.