Overwhelmed by laundry

[Mamalamadrama]

Large family. Struggling to get anywhere with the laundry. Don't have a tumble dryer. Having to dry things on radiators, airers but there is just piles of washing everywhere.
It's driving me insane.

Sincerely hope you aren't doing ALL the laundry??

Prioritise the kids and toddlers backlog with a trip to the laundrette as others have suggested.

Make a point now that the adults do their own laundry unless there's a physical reason why they can't.

I wash everything at once at the weekend and take it to the local laundrette to dry.

DP moved in a few months ago, so with his usual clothes and all his work stuff, and my usuals plus my work uniform, the laundry amount shot up overnight!!
He suggested a laundrette trip… Soooo worth it!! Cleared a huge backlog in one go, so he went again this weekend, it’s such a help.
I understand if money is tight, OP, but could you manage a trip just as a one-off lifeline?.
Cant wait for it to stop bloody raining and start to get a bit nicer outside so laundry is back to normal 🤞☀️
Love line-dried washing!

I agree with those saying wash it all at home and just this once dry it at the launderette.
Then have two wash baskets, one lights and the other for colours. As soon as either is full put a wash on and put out on airer before bed. Come morning move to radiators then fold and put away.
Try not to do more washes until the first lot is put away and there's really no need to put towels in the wash after every use and that goes with other clothes as well, if you can get one more wear out of things before they go into the wash basket that'll make quite the difference too.

Best solution I've found is my under stairs storage cupboard, I've placed a small oil filled radiator in there, and have a free standing clothes airer. Can dry a full load in less than 24hrs, I leave the radiator on 24/7 - it's cheap to run as its always maintaining temperature in such a confined space.

An extra spin helps, especially heavy jeans

How long as your washes?

Tbf I'd sell my husband on EBAY before I'd give up my tumble drier, I'm def with you on the need for one 😂. I'd use his side of the bedroom and get a single bed for me and use the profits to run it.

Is there a spare room or part of a room near a radiator that you could put one or two airers right next to it? When our tumble dryer packed up we put two airers up in the guest bedroom and turned one of the radiators up high - they dried in a few hours. Also do an extra spin!

@SleepingStandingUp you've just given me a great idea. I wonder how much husbands go for on ebay.😁

I think I might give this system a go! Thanks for sharing this!

Back in the day I remember doing 14 loads a week, that was a slog because I used to do it all on the same day! I recommend using the highest spin cycle. I couldn't have got through though without my tumble drier and steamer iron.

If the problem is trying to dry things, then everyone washing clothes on their own schedule might make the problem worse.

We have a "you do not put a wash on unless you know how/where you are going to dry it" rule after everyone decided to do a wash and we literally had nowhere to put it all.

@SleepingStandingUp wow thank you for that. Sounds amazing but I think I may have some sort of attention deficiency as that just blew my mind.
@redskydelight yes it's finding space to dry it all. I wash stuff and then it starts to go mildewy in baskets while I try get others stuff dry.

Tbf I might too 😂😂 only got three kids but we've been in emergency jumpers for school twice since January. Thank god school have zero reaction to them going in in maroon instead of blue 😂😂

Haha just write yourself the days of the week, put some slots in nad then allocate a type of washing for each slot.
Make the bloody adults do their own or go dirty!!

Do long washes overnight and then hang up first thing in the morning.

Did you go to the laundrette?

First of all does everything need to be washed, we always try to re-wear and it makes a big difference. Clearly if the item is dirty it needs washed.

Have you looked into renting a tumble drier? It means you don't need the initial outlay, I do this and it has been helpful as i never had money for repairs/inital outlay for appliances. I would struggle without mine at this time of year because my house is too small to have full loads of laundry hanging about. You can then use it for the bulky stuff like bedding and towels even if you can't afford to run it for every load.

@MyLemonWriter this thread is 2 years old 😄