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Original poster

Capsule wardrobe and weekly laundry... can it be done?

31 replies

flootshoot · 13/08/2013 12:36

For those of you who've embraced a capsule wardrobe, how often do you wash your clothes? I'm attempting a housework schedule and I'm planning to wash clothes once a week. But I'm also streamlining my wardrobe and I'm wondering if at some point something will have to give!!

If you have a capsule wardrobe, do you have emergency spares for eg. getting soaked in the rain, sick DC etc? Or do you simply wash more often if you go through your clothes more quickly than normal?

TIA

OP posts:
Bonsoir · 13/08/2013 13:01

Washing clothes once a week sounds extremely ambitious to me!

Original poster
flootshoot · 13/08/2013 13:29

With a capsule wardrobe, or just generally, bonsoir? Grin

It's been ok so far... am generally earmarking a day each week so it's usually more like every five/six days. It's lovely ignoring the washing machine in between.

OP posts:
vitaminC · 13/08/2013 13:50

I wash a different colour/type of item each night:
Sunday: dark clothes
Monday: dark towels
Tuesday: light clothes
Wednesday: light towels
Thursday: red/orange/pink/brown clothes
Friday: red towels
Saturday: sheets.

That way, everything gets washed once a week, but not on the same day.
I have enough different colours in my capsule to ensure that I always have clothes clean that I can mix and match to make an outfit...

Hope that makes sense!

MousyMouse · 13/08/2013 13:54

I wash whenever the washbasket is full.
have three: lights, darks and towels.

appletarts · 13/08/2013 14:11

Are you guys serious? You write out what washing you're doing on what day?

vitaminC · 13/08/2013 14:14

I have 6 kids. If I'm not organised, nothing gets done right!

appletarts · 13/08/2013 20:08

6???? Well don't blame you then!

NorfolkIngWay · 13/08/2013 20:11

Red towels? < hoiks judgy pants>

NorfolkIngWay · 13/08/2013 20:14

I don't wash every day - it ends up with constant drying, folding etc.
Get a machine with a big drum capacity.
One load towels ( not red) Grin
One load bedding.
One darks
One lights

Mintyy · 13/08/2013 20:26

Roffle at washing once per week! How many loads are you doing on that day?
How many people in your family? It all sounds a bit grim.

My washloads are:

White towels, bedding, tea towels and flannels - 60 deg wash
Coloured towels, bedding, tea towels and flannels - 60 deg wash
White clothing - 50 deg wash
Pastel coloured clothing for me and the dc - 40
Bright colours for me and the dc - 40
Dark colours but soft clothes, no zips or anything, so can include tights or black bras done up for me and the dc - 40
Dark colours, trousers, jeans etc for me and the dc- 40
Dh's casual shirts - 50
Dh's work shirts - 50
Dh's dark gym gear, socks and scants - 40
Bath mats - 60
Woollens
Other delicates

I do a wash a day for a family of 4 and don't think I am ott about the amount of washing I do.

LittleMissSnowShine · 13/08/2013 20:30

I wash most days or every other day for me, DH and DS (& soon o be DS2). I find that with sheets, towels and all our various clothes (plus hazards of toilet training!) if I wasn't doing washing 3-4 days a week then I would have an absolute mountain to get through. But if you find saving it all up and doing it on the one day works for you, then fair enough!

ChippyMinton · 13/08/2013 20:38

I tend to do several washes on a single day, so that everything can be folded and put away in one go (I do have a tumble dryer though).

I have a fairly limited wardrobe of trousers/skirts/cardigans, so stuff than can be worn more than once without laundering, and several tops and t-shirts that go with them, that get washed after every wear. That keep me going for the week.

Original poster
flootshoot · 13/08/2013 22:28

mintyy that's a lot of separating! I do four or five loads. Bedding, towels, darks/colours x 2 and lights. We are a family of four although the DC are small.

OP posts:
vitaminC · 14/08/2013 11:58

It's a blended family so we rarely have all 6 kids at once. 3 or 4 on average I would say. But I still need to wash every day!

The red towels are my kids' swimming towels (and a couple of red tea towels), Norfolk Smile

Ruprekt · 14/08/2013 12:04

Omg Mintyy that sounds like a full time job!

We are a family of 4. 2 boys of 11 and 8.

Tshirts and underwear get put in the wash every day.....pile it up til Friday then do a couple of loads.

Shorts and trousers do not get washed every wear...they can get 2 or 3 wears out of them.

Bedding.

Towels.

= 3 washes per week.

Non tumble dried items get hung up to dry and the rest go to the launderette as I hate washing everywhere. £2.20 for 2 or 3 loads washing.

Ruprekt · 14/08/2013 20:49

Killed this thread too .........Confused

Allthingspretty · 14/08/2013 21:35

I remember the one week washes when I was a student. Used to love my visit to the laundrette.

Original poster
flootshoot · 14/08/2013 21:38

allthings that is exactly what inspired me to go back to it. There's a lovely sense of satisfaction of a job done that just doesn't happen with daily washing. I last washed on Saturday and am doing it next on Friday and the pile looks perfectly manageable (although of course it's summer...)

OP posts:
OnTheNingNangNong · 14/08/2013 22:23

We wash daily, I couldn't do everything in one day, there's no drying room. Although I should look to make a capsule wardrobe for the DC. They have enough to last them 3 weeks each!

Ruprekt · 15/08/2013 10:27

What on earth are you all washing to have to do a daily wash?

Am off on hols on Sat so am going to the launderette to dry the bedding I washed yesterday. Basket is currently empty. SmileSmileSmile

vitaminC · 15/08/2013 17:41

What on earth are you all washing to have to do a daily wash?

Clothes, DIY clothes (we're currently decorating our home and doing up a cottage on the weekends!), gym clothes (both dh and I go to the gym 2-3 times a week, during our lunch breaks), labcoat, sports kits, swimming kits, dance kits etc... for 6-8 people (including 4-6 very sporty teens/pre-teens!)

Towels and bedclothes for 8 people, plus tea towels, tablecloths, napkins, oven gloves, cooking apron, occasionally sleeping bags...

It piles up very quickly Grin

MousyMouse · 15/08/2013 19:10

What on earth are you all washing to have to do a daily wash?

4 of us

beddingx4= 2 loads
towels= 1 load
darks
lights
that already 5 loads a weeks

Arisbottle · 15/08/2013 19:14

My clothes only get washed once a week and I have a weeks worth of outfits ready Sunday evening.

I wash most days but it tends to be towels and bedding.

CatsWearingTutus · 15/08/2013 19:17

I wash every two weeks. I have about ten work outfits and several more casual ones plus stiff for going out. In the house i just wear pyjama bottoms and teeshirts (and if anyone stops by its DHs job to stall them while I put on something presentable Grin). It's brilliant!

MrsCampbellBlack · 15/08/2013 19:21

I'm with mintyy. I do at least one load a day, nearer 2 really.

I have 3 dc's and a husband who does a lot of exercise which adds lots to the laundry pile.

I guess if you go down the Katherine Hepburn route of identical black trousers and tops you'll be fine. Bored but fine. Wink