How many loads of washing a week?

Aless

There are two of us and I probably average 5 or 6 loads a week.

I was recently looking at buying a washing machine and the very informative man in John Lewis said that the manufacturers test their machines (and calculate the life span) based on 4 to 5 loads a week. I could not believe this. I do not wash that much (bedding and towels fortnightly, clothes when they are dirty not because they have been worn) and if you have young children you wash so much more. I thought 10 to 12 would be an average if you were a family (and that was before reading any threads on here)!

tiny_courageous

One of darks and towels, one of lights and bedding, per week.

Scrapaholic

Two of us at home + was just thinking last week that I seem to be doing enough loads for a family of 4 ! I'd say at least 6 loads per week . Have asked dh to wear his cotton t shirt (worn under proper shirt ) for 2 days instead of 1 . He showers daily and doesn't have a sweaty job ! Other underwear + shirt clean on daily . Well done to those able to dry themselves on small towels or flannels . Never thought of it but won't try it as just want to be wrapped in a huge towel straight from shower . Do air those + re use tho'. Probably use too much powder + conditioner than necessary too.

seafarers_wife

When its just me home I do a wash every 2 days, but I have a quick wash programme on the machine that will do a 15 min wash so all my clothes go in on that so the washer is usually a quarter full when i put it on (7KG drum). so 3 quick clothes loads a week, 1 towel load a week on a proper wash and a bedding wash every week.

when DH is home I do a full load wash every other day. so 3 full clothes loads a week, 2 towel loads a week and 1 bedding wash.

dreading to think how much washing im going to have when baby arrives as i dont have a tumble drier, only a couple of clothes horses and an outside airer :rotfl:

mumof3plusoh

I try to wash every day as there is 5 of us! Not done that this week so washing bin is overflowing:( Hate washing in the winter as like to line dry my washing and takes ages to dry on the airer. Need to put another load in now. Have done all the uniforms and ironed most of that yesterday so just need to iron the shirts now. Can't wait:eek:
probably about 9-10 loads a week and more when bedding needs doing.

merlot123

Four of us.

I used to do 2 washes a day, then the bedding x 3 washes a week.

I have reduced it to:

2 x coloured
2 x whites
my bed
Childrens bedding goes into together.
One extra load for towels as my daughter insist on using a huge bath sheet each time she bathes, a bath towel for her hair.

Do you think it is manky to dry the said towels my daughter has used on radiator and then shove them back into cupboard to reuse, she will not use a towel which is out, incase her brother has used it, but then again neither would I, hygiene is not his strongest point. He hasn't discovered girls yet, he thinks if he sprays a ton of Lynxs on, he's clean!

System

I try and stick to a routine. 5 or 6 loads on a Monday and Friday. 3 or 4 loads on a Wednesday.

Bedding gets washed weekly and hand towels changed on a Monday and Friday unless they need changing sooner. Dog bedding gets changed weekly too. Bath towels get washed after each use.

When i had all the kids at home my washer was on all the time cause they were mucky sods but now theres only the three of us i appreciate my 'non washing days'.

[Deleted User]

gosh, I am thinking aloud now, 2 of us and allotment clothing and dh`s cycling kit to take into account

bedding every week (after listening to a `disease` scientist on the radio, she did hers every week ). 2 loads
towels, flannels every week (multiples as changed regularly)
shower and bath mats every 2 weeks
cycling kit 4 times a week
big mixed pale load at eco 40 which takes 2.5 hours every week
a hot wash every week of kitchen cloths of all sorts and anything else that needs hot
a dark wash a week

I make that 10 or so. I use ecozone balls most of the time and rainwater all the time and try to get the wash on when we have sun, so I can line dry and also use the pv electricity

BitterAndTwisted

Single person here. I do one light wash and one dark a week. If there's not enough of either to justify using the machine it waits until there is which is quite often.

Rummer

I try to do one every second day and a couple at the weekend.