Do you do a lot of washing?

[MUM2BLESS]

I am at present cutting down on the amount of washing I do for the week. Sometimes I can be washing almost everyday.

I have four children.

Do you wash on certain days or whenever you need to?

Would love to hear from you.

What about ironing. I just fold up the clothes somtimes, iron now and then

When all 4 of my big ones lived at home I used to feel I was on a never ending loop of laundry. I only did washing at the weekend because I work FT, but that meant several loads at a time (a white wash, a dark wash, a blue wash etc).

Now there are just 3-4 of us at home I still seem to spend all weekend washing. Now we have a jeans wash, a white wash, a pink wash, a dark wash and a general bright coloureds. With a 3 yo DD it must be said that the pink load is the biggest.

meant to add I don't iron. Anything.

I have 2 boys and 2 girls so once the clothes have been outgrown by the younger of each they are passed on. I have an excellent arangement with a friend, I give her all the outgrown girls clothes and she gives me all her outgrown boys clothes. Fortunatley we both have very similar taste in clothes

Now I just need to find someone who wants baby boy clothes in exchange for older girl clothes................

ATM I hardly buy anything!

No. I go to work 3 days a week and pay a lot of my income over to a lady who does our laundry. But she does a lot of laundry and ironing - especially cloth nappies for the twins.

Thanks for that

I save clothes from one child for the younger of the same sex. Once the younger girl has worn them, they get saved for their younger cousin. Boys' clothes grown out of now go to the bin if overworn, or charity shops or the charity bin in the supermarket carpark.

My pleasure.... you did ask!

3 dcs here and a wash a day - inexplicably,if I miss a day I have to do three loads the day after! I do it before work and hang it out so it's drying during the day. I put all clothes away unironed and iron as I go.

I know what you mean about missing a day. I think if you do that then the clothes simply multiply overnight so you end up with more than you started with. Moral of the story? Never miss a day!

Just interested anybody with teenagers who sometimes wear things once, then into the dirty washing it goes?

I guess its good that they are hygiene concious but what if its not dirty?

mum2bless, are you writing an article??

No I just doing a lot of thinking. There is a lot going on in my house right now. Its just interesting to know that things are busy with other families too.

Sorry hope I am not asking too many questions.

No you're not ask away...........

Thanks everyone for your input.

3 kids
2 adults

I wash every day, between 2-4 loads. Only iron work shirts and school uniform.

I have 5 children. I recently changed my system and only do clothes washing at the weekend. bEdding is washed and dried on the day it is taken off and towels are washed when they are a bit minging.

Towels and Bedding is washed, dried (tumble) and put away straight away.

Clothes are dried and put straight into children's baskets - they then put them in their cupboards.

Hardly any ironing is done.

I can't really see how you all do so many loads of washing. I only do about 4-6 loads of clothes washing a week at the most including mine/dhs. Plus 1-2 for bedding and 1 for towels.

Everyone has different ways of doing things.

My kids all only wear their clothes once. I have 2 adult kids and one teenager, as well as a preteen and a 7 year old, (see earlier.)

The younger ones have to wear clean stuff every day because they are dirty! The older ones don't want to smell. Teenage boys are pretty whiffy even with good personal hygiene.

If I didn't wash every day, I would be drowned in dirty washing, no doubt about it. AS the children get bigger the washing increases exponentially because their clothes are so much bigger and heavier. Washing for little kids is nothing like washing for adults, tbh, and I have far more washing now than I did even 7 or 8 years ago when younger kids were tiny and older ones approaching teenage years. Even then, though, I did at least 2 loads every day, more when doing bedding.

I have 4 dd's aged 8,5,2 and 1 and do at least 2 loads a day and a nappywash every other day. I don't iron I just fold it as it comes off the line, put it in the individuals piles on my bed and then put it away when they go to bed.

It really depends on the children you are dealing with. My son who is five can get his clothes messy sometimes. Some teenagers need telling to perhaps change their clothes, others change their clothes regularly, perhaps too regularly, without being told.

I can imagine that we all shop differently too. Some spend more than others.

Indeed we do - I do more washing with my 3 dcs than my neighbour does with 2 (obv). But she spends £140 weekly on her main shop and does top up shops twice a week. £140 keeps us going for a fortnight!

3 DCs and a semi-independent DSS. 2 loads a day. One before bed, and one first thing in the morning (about 7 ish). Then both loads out on the line asap.

Sometimes an extra load if bedding needs it.

And most things ironed (often by grandma - thank the Lord for her!)

She sets the ironing board up in the sunshine in the garden on an extension lead.

Its great when you get help with the household chores.

Is there anyone who seems to be doing all by themselves? whether you prefer to do it that way as your fussy or no one wants to help?