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Original poster

Men and washing machines

89 replies

motherinferior · 12/09/2003 11:16

Just out of interest, can anyone tell me of a sole heterosexual male who can do the washing properly - the full thing, you know, sorting different colours/temperatures rather than bunging everything in at 60 degrees; putting in suitable loads (and taking the prevous load away and putting the clothes in the right places rather than leaving everything on the racks or lines, or at the very best piled up chaotically on the bed); taking it out and hanging it up; and finally putting this lot away too?

And if so, can I have him stuffed and put in a museum?????????

OP posts:
fio2 · 12/09/2003 11:20

Mine doesnt know how to even put clothes in there, let alone sort it etc. He showed me how to use the programmes on it when we first had it but seems to have conviniently forgotten.

oliveoil · 12/09/2003 11:23

Mine stomped into room the other day and asked why his jeans were still in the basket 'they've been there for days'!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

He does all the cooking and shopping though so I will let him off. Just.

Boe · 12/09/2003 11:47

DP does it all except the last bit - I am leaving the piles of ironing he did the other night in the front lounge to see if he is going to put them away - the other night being 10 days ago!!

berries · 12/09/2003 12:06

Mine, he looks after all the dirty to clean bits, I take over & do the ironing & putting away bits. He doesn't like me to do the washing as I always manage to leave the black sock in with all the shirts

Podmog · 12/09/2003 12:07

Message withdrawn

bloss · 12/09/2003 12:25

Message withdrawn

aloha · 12/09/2003 12:47

My dh does 80-90% of the washing too! It's quite a new development and I have to admit I'm not picky about it, everything goes in at 40degrees and NOBODY does the ironing chez Aloha. We use our lovely, lovely new tumble dryer and I put my stuff away, he puts his stuff away, and we both put ds's stuff away.
He's in charge of the dishwasher too.
He's feeling a bit old at the mo, but I don't think he's quite ready for a museum yet!

WideWebWitch · 12/09/2003 13:12

Yes, mine can too. Dp does 95% of all the washing in our house unless I have a funny five minutes and do some. I'm almost phobic about washing, completely detest doing it so if it was left to me we'd always be running out of clean pants. Neither of us irons - in fact I got the iron and ironing board out last week (but didn't actually use it) and when ds came home he gave me an odd look and said "No! You haven't been ironing have you?" 3 days later I put it away again, unused. Dp also does about 50% loading the dishwasher and about the same shopping, cooking and cleaning. No, you can't have him stuffed although I am prepared to let him be photographed as an exhibit

lucy123 · 12/09/2003 13:19

I remember ironing!

I ironed a shirt for dp once and he was so disgusted with my efforts that he ironed his own (never mind then). Now he works from home and I think the iron has gone rusty.

He can also do the washing properly, but can also survive for longer than me without clean clothes so I usually end up doing it. Ditto all other housework really - doesn't do enough but does it very well (better than me) when he does.

And I'm a terrible one for leaving the washing on the line/rack/bed!

Jenie · 12/09/2003 13:24

Dp thinks we have a sock fairy, if he's running low he calls under the bed (when I'm in ear shot) "I'm running low on socks sock fairy". Hey presto a day later and the sock fairy's been and he calls again under the bed "thank you sock fairy".

I don't iron - buy clothes that don't need it or just shake vigorusly then put children in them. If dp want's anything ironing he does it himself.

As for dishwashers he does that as I always turn it on 1/2 full and can never arrange it so that I get as much in it as him (never was any good at Tetrus).

janh · 12/09/2003 13:29

We have a sock fairy too but ours takes away single socks.

scottiebabe · 12/09/2003 13:33

I have a double boast as not only can dh do it all from sorting thru to hanging out or putting in dryer - ironing and putting away but so can ds - who is 18 - we just all "muck in and do it together" i put a load in this morning took dd to school when i got home dh who is on lates was up and hanging it up and no doubt when i get back from picking up dd, ds who will be home from school first will have brought it in

Boe · 12/09/2003 13:37

Sorry to digress - just need to vent something - they may be perfect but why do they piss around the toilet instead of in it???

Have just cleaned bathroom and lifted up seat to find nice little splatters - aaaaarrrrrggggghhhhh!

waterbaby · 12/09/2003 13:42

Do you run training courses Scottie? Have got two could enrol now!! DS enjoys putting wasing into machine (mostly the throwing down the stairs bit) and I goit her a mini-washing line wuth tiny pegs she can hang some of her clothes and our socks on - 99p from Ikea and has bought me so much free time in the garden.

DP is another kettle of fish. Does do it sometimes but goes green if you mention it at the moment - the reason? He's destoyed all of my favourite (= too expensive to replace right now) by bundling them (dry clean, hand wash, wash alone, the whole lot) in at 60 degrees.... now have some very glamourous rags, so look fabulous when doing the housework!!

It was one of those moments when you had to laugh or cry!

Welshmum · 12/09/2003 13:43

I'm going to be revolting but....we had my brother to stay for a few months and I noticed a wet smelly patch on the carpet by the loo, tried and tried but couldn't get rid of it. Eventually realised brother was peeing while reading magazines in the other hand. Had to replace carpet when he left. It was totally gross, He's lovely though - especially now he's in his own house.

scottiebabe · 12/09/2003 13:57

have had a few ppl ask if i could train their men - mmmm something to think about heehee

BearintheBigBlueHous · 12/09/2003 14:26

You could try starting a revolution by telling your ds's what my DM told me just before I left home many, many years ago - when you go to a girl's house, if she doesn't have a urinal in the loo, sit down to pee. Always remembered it (and, strangely, never found a girl who had a urinal - apart from the one who lived above a pub who had six)and developed the habit - it's easier to read that way too. I also do the washing etc (but don't want stuffing) - DP works her arse off bringing in the money, least I can do is a bit of laundry.

Original poster
motherinferior · 12/09/2003 18:41

Right. I'm telling dp, and indeed his mum that it's him that belongs in the museum! I hadn't quite got to the point of thinking it was 'natural' for blokes not to do washing properly - but certainly that nobody'd been nurtured into it. I am very, very happy to see that this is not the case, and that Feminism Has Not Been In Vain.

Shall also disillusion him about the Looroll Fairy.

OP posts:
lou33 · 12/09/2003 19:02

Dh doesn't do laundry or ironing, but does do kitchen duties (cooking, cleaning, loading), school runs, medical appointments (of which there are many) mums and tots, nappies......

doormat · 12/09/2003 19:35

Mine will only look at washing machine and tell me to call engineer (only coz its under guarrantee)
He will bring his clothes down and put them in the dirty basket. It took him ages to figure out I was only going to wash his clothes if he brought them down.

ANGELMOTHER · 12/09/2003 19:35

What's this Ironing thing people speak of ?????

Tinker · 12/09/2003 19:37

Bilmey, I don't do any of that stuff with the washing so couldn't expect anyone else to. All goes in at 40, after a few days goes on dryer in dining room, may get folded up to be left in various piles on dining room table, to then be shaken and worn as required.

janh · 12/09/2003 19:56

doormat, do your kids put their clothes in the dirty clothes basket? Mine don't, they collect it on their floors instead, it drives me wild. Sometimes I remove it in a bin liner but they never seem to notice it's gone...they mostly don't put clean clothes away either, I give them a nice folded pile and that goes on the floor too...what am I doing wrong?

katierocket · 12/09/2003 20:34

not read all of this thread but I came to it having just sorted out loads of 'dud' washing and drying DP has done. He is actually very helpful and good at 'doing his share' but I think he must get a mental block when doing washing - wrong program, fills dryer to overloading so everything comes out damp, leaves the stuff he took out of dryer in heap in basket.
I just got to the point of thinking - it's easier to do it myself.

but DARE to suggest he might like to think about refining his technique and WW3 starts.

Clarinet60 · 15/09/2003 12:36

Bloss and Aloha, your partners are angels, which explains a lot. Lucky you. Washing machines and my DH? No, we won't go there. He leaves his dirty washing where it falls and that's that. I managed to train him to put the smelliest stuff (he has a mucky job) in the laundry basket, but it's cost me dear in terms of indignant fuming and snorts and sighs that would rival Harry Enfield's teenager.