Laundry, Laundry and more Laundry

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our house is a family of 5. We do a load every night as soon as the last person hops in the shower. That’s more than we really need to do but it’s better to be caught up than behind. Our LG washer takes around 45 min which helps. I would hate to have a washer with a much longer cycle time. My older kids are starting to help load the washer. Now it’s actually better than when we had a live in nanny who washed clothes maybe every 3 days.

So you mix the laundry of the entire family as well as mix underwear with socks and pants etc? I think this is gross

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I asume that means that nothing is ever used 2x...including towels and PJs? You could rethink that? Under 6 year olds are not HSers playing a varsity sport daily. They do not get that stinky.

OP here - no the 6 and 5 year old aren't too bad. Its the baby (all PJs can only be worn once because he pees and it stinks) and his clothes during the day can't be reused at all. DH and I both work out so our regular clothes plus workout clothes daily. Then 4 beds sheets at least once a week (unless there is a night time accident) and towels. Its never-ending.

Step 1...find a different diaper. This should not happen with any frequency. A bigger one, a night time one, a different brand. something.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our house is a family of 5. We do a load every night as soon as the last person hops in the shower. That’s more than we really need to do but it’s better to be caught up than behind. Our LG washer takes around 45 min which helps. I would hate to have a washer with a much longer cycle time. My older kids are starting to help load the washer. Now it’s actually better than when we had a live in nanny who washed clothes maybe every 3 days.

So you mix the laundry of the entire family as well as mix underwear with socks and pants etc? I think this is gross

Because the washer can get your socks clean but only by transferring the sweat to your jeans?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our house is a family of 5. We do a load every night as soon as the last person hops in the shower. That’s more than we really need to do but it’s better to be caught up than behind. Our LG washer takes around 45 min which helps. I would hate to have a washer with a much longer cycle time. My older kids are starting to help load the washer. Now it’s actually better than when we had a live in nanny who washed clothes maybe every 3 days.

So you mix the laundry of the entire family as well as mix underwear with socks and pants etc? I think this is gross

Because the washer can get your socks clean but only by transferring the sweat to your jeans?

I don’t get that PP either.

Family of four, usually do about 4-5 loads fri nite into sat. More if it’s sheet change day (every 2 weeks).

Rarely do any on weekdays.

[Anonymous]

We spent time living with a french family years ago and the kids kept their clothing clean for days. It was the norm for them to wear the same outfit three days in a row and for it to still look good. Since then, I've worked with my kids to identify when things really need to go in the wash and when they can be re-worn. So underwear and socks go in the hamper every time you wear them. But shirts and pants can be worn multiple times before needing to be washed. They fold them and put them on a chair in their room or put the worn but clean item back in the drawer. This has dramatically cut down on laundry. Also, all towels need to be used at least three or four times before washing. We have separate hooks for each family member so they are not confused.

[Anonymous]

Put a load in the am when you get up and stick in the dryer before you leave for work. After dinner, one of you cleans up, the other folds and puts the load away. Or figure out where in your daily routine to do it. One load a day. Stick to it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We spent time living with a french family years ago and the kids kept their clothing clean for days. It was the norm for them to wear the same outfit three days in a row and for it to still look good. Since then, I've worked with my kids to identify when things really need to go in the wash and when they can be re-worn. So underwear and socks go in the hamper every time you wear them. But shirts and pants can be worn multiple times before needing to be washed. They fold them and put them on a chair in their room or put the worn but clean item back in the drawer. This has dramatically cut down on laundry. Also, all towels need to be used at least three or four times before washing. We have separate hooks for each family member so they are not confused.

this works too

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our house is a family of 5. We do a load every night as soon as the last person hops in the shower. That’s more than we really need to do but it’s better to be caught up than behind. Our LG washer takes around 45 min which helps. I would hate to have a washer with a much longer cycle time. My older kids are starting to help load the washer. Now it’s actually better than when we had a live in nanny who washed clothes maybe every 3 days.

So you mix the laundry of the entire family as well as mix underwear with socks and pants etc? I think this is gross

then you just swap every day or so. Hot load one day, cold load the next.

[Anonymous]

I use a pick up/drop off service twice a week. I started a thread about it but the message was very clear that no one gets overwhelmed by laundry. But anyway. I used Happy Nest. There are other services.

[Anonymous]

I do 2-3 loads a week. We have a very very large capacity machine. It holds about twice as much as our old one did. Kids put theirs away.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I asume that means that nothing is ever used 2x...including towels and PJs? You could rethink that? Under 6 year olds are not HSers playing a varsity sport daily. They do not get that stinky.

OP here - no the 6 and 5 year old aren't too bad. Its the baby (all PJs can only be worn once because he pees and it stinks) and his clothes during the day can't be reused at all. DH and I both work out so our regular clothes plus workout clothes daily. Then 4 beds sheets at least once a week (unless there is a night time accident) and towels. Its never-ending.

I wear work slacks multiple times and sweaters as well. Often I am washing underear socks and tshirt/turtle neck only. I realize it depends on your job. I work in an office.

[Anonymous]

Read the book by Patric Richardson, the laundry guy. He makes a very persuasive case for using the express cycle (like 20-22 minutes max), warm water always, and a very small amount of soap without all of the additives.

I find all of that advice to work great and 20 minute laundry cycles makes the whole process so much faster.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Laundry ninja here:

You must learn to accept the infinite cycle of the laundry. It is not a mountain to be conquered. Find zen in the process and let go of the end product.

Not until it folds itself and puts itself away.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our house is a family of 5. We do a load every night as soon as the last person hops in the shower. That’s more than we really need to do but it’s better to be caught up than behind. Our LG washer takes around 45 min which helps. I would hate to have a washer with a much longer cycle time. My older kids are starting to help load the washer. Now it’s actually better than when we had a live in nanny who washed clothes maybe every 3 days.

So you mix the laundry of the entire family as well as mix underwear with socks and pants etc? I think this is gross

That’s not gross. They all get clean.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Laundry ninja here:

You must learn to accept the infinite cycle of the laundry. It is not a mountain to be conquered. Find zen in the process and let go of the end product.

Not until it folds itself and puts itself away.

Yes. For me the washing/drying is not the issue. I don't even mind gathering it all up and bringing it to the basement from two stories up. It's the folding and the putting away that do me in.