Keeping on top of the washing!

escortg3

Two adults in our house and no tumble dryer. I do bedding fortnightly, whites once a week. darks twice a week and two of OH work clothes (farming).

We put some items on radiators and turn around often.

I hang pretty much all of it on hangers and hang on curtain rails with heating on for a couple of hours morning and night, the washing usually is dry 36 hours.

Bedding goes over the stairs banister, same dries no problem.

I also have some net wire in the airing cupboard that i hang socks and knickers etc on and they dry in no time.

mum26

Sambucus_Nigra wrote: »

I'd rather be outside doing anything other than ironing. And I don't watch tv at all.

OP - why not try wearing stuff longer and doing less washing in the first place. Towels and bedding do not have to be washed weekly - if you are showering and bathing regularly and the towels are dried on the radiators after each bath/shower there really is no need to do a whole towel wash each week. And it's only undies that have to be washed after each use. Most other stuff can be worn several times before it needs a wash.

And when you do have stuff, try splitting the duties - whoever in our house cooks, the other does the pots. And I sort the washing and get it dried, and himself does the ironing. It's a partnership - so partner up!

I agree with you but it is much easier if you have a partner who will just get on with it and pull their weight. Mine likes cooking (using every utensil he can find), makes his packed lunch and will iron his own work uniform, the other 7 peoples worth of cleaning up, washing, ironing and packing up is left to me and I work too! I ask nicely, cajole, leave notes, get mad but nothing I do makes any difference.

art_for_arts_sake

Sambucus_Nigra wrote: »

And it's only undies that have to be washed after each use.

Haven't you heard of turning them inside out and using them again?:D:eek:

londonsurrey

I do multiple loads a week. I've now put up clothes lines from the "rafters" of the garage. They dry quite happily in there. I've put in a fan to circulate the air for a few hours every now and again. Cheap to run.

Mupette

whats an iron?

Denene

fannyadams wrote: »

there is never an evening that the machine doesn't run and it can take a 7kg load but I usually use the thumbs up method to make sure it's not overloaded.

I imagine I'm being stupid here, but what's the thumbs up method? I have a bad habit of just stuffing the washing machine full, so I'd be interested if there's a general rule for filling it.

lushlifesaver

Two of us here and I do at least 1 load a day; bedding one day, towels another, 2/3 dark loads a week and 1 white generally

Bed linen gets washed once a week (our bed but not spare bed)
Towels once a week - bf has one I use two (1 big, 1 small for hair)
Jeans once a week
T shirts usually after every wash for me but I watch a tot so I'm usually covered in rusk and various other things by the evening, bfs get washed after 2/3 wears
Sports stuff gets washed after one use though
My dresses get washed when i think they need it, varies between dresses

mummyroysof3

there are 5 of us and i do a clothes load every day(sometimes 1 day a week i skip one) 2 loads of bedding, a white wash once a week and a load of towels/bath mat.

so thats 10 per week....i hate putting it all away more than washing and getting it dry though

DUKE

Aaaaw just get a tumble dryer! I spent years throwing washing out in the early hours (sometimes in the dark :eek:) & not getting it in until I got in from work, again in the dark. Then it was all over the place on a clothes airer .... Then it was many hours of ironing because of all the creases .... I try & save on everything but not on the tumbling, unless it's a really nice sunny day I just happily (I've done my time don't forget) throw it in the tumbler without a care in the world. Order a tumbler today, you wont regret it!

starrystarry

Sambucus_Nigra wrote: »

OP - why not try wearing stuff longer and doing less washing in the first place. Towels and bedding do not have to be washed weekly - if you are showering and bathing regularly and the towels are dried on the radiators after each bath/shower there really is no need to do a whole towel wash each week. And it's only undies that have to be washed after each use. Most other stuff can be worn several times before it needs a wash.

I couldn't bear to wear clothes several times before washing them (apart from jeans, which I will wear twice). I'd rather stay up til the wee small hours scrubbing clothes by hand than have to put the same stuff back on the next day.