Best way to do washing as a single person?

dekaspace1

I have mild autism so my brain thinks to only use washing machine once per week, rarely is it above that except when I wash bedsheets but even then I try and put in things like underwear and the odd t shirt.  The only time I have varied from this plan was when I was in shared accommodation and had bills included so would quick wash/freshen up work clothes or if it was in the hot summer jeans and t shirt.
This works well but even with this method at end of week I end up with 2-4 t shirts and a pair of jeans and my underwear being the main thing being washed so a near empty machine so for a while I also put in bathtowels but these left lint on my clothes so have stopped
It's only a small machine but I hate waste.

My thought was do 2 smaller half washes a week but since I am washing things like underwear I don't know if this will be enough or 1 cold wash a week for everything but the underwear and the small hot wash once a week for underwear and everything.

C_J

Hi Dekaspace - does your machine have a quick wash cycle? If so, that wouldn't be using/wasting as much water and power as a full wash. Or could you hand wash your underwear and save up the bulkier stuff to put through a machine cycle once a fortnight?

dekaspace1

It has a quick wash cycle but it doesn't seem to work then again the dial seems messed up as it skips settings, washing machine itself does work great though.
I am uncomfortable with hand washing underwear and notice when I do it often feels more itchy, I have enough underwear to last 2 weeks without washing it.
I tend to like wearing the same stuff i.e 2 or 3 t shirts per week which as I wear pyjamas indoors is fine so don't get stinky as when I do go out even if once a day its for 45 minutes on average so unless its a hot day I just air them out and at most spray with something to get rid of the mildest smells that way it can last 2 days average sometimes 3 days hence why I only wash 2-3 t shirts a week.
I do have loads of t shirts in wardrobe many still with tags on as my mum likes to buy them for presents but I don't like them for reasons like the fabric, the colours often are very bright and look bad on me etc.

Farway

You're overthinking it.

Do as I do, bung it all in once a week and get on with life

C_J

This is probably too much effort, but a few years back when we used to go away regularly for short breaks in our touring caravan, I bought a hand operated mini washing machine which we would take with us. It was about the right capacity for a few t-shirts and sets of underwear, and worked a bit like a mini compost tumbler (!). It looked a bit like this one https://www.amazon.com/Avalon-Bay-Non-Electric-Apartments-Delicates/dp/B06XSD2CMC/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8 but I don;t know if they are still available in the UK. Maybe from caravan spares shops?  Do I recall correctly that you are not comfortable with electrical equipment? If so this might be a good answer, if you have room to store it.

(I've just done a google search and things seem to have moved on from that to an electric model
https://www.amazon.co.uk/PORTABLE-WASHING-MACHINE-MOTORHOMES-FUNCTION/dp/B00UOYLLIW)

comeandgo

There is just my husband and myself at home now and I have a large drum washing machine and I only do a dark wash about every two weeks, sometimes three weeks if summer and we don't wear as much darks.  Towels and sheets once a week along with other whites and colours.  

dekaspace1

Thanks, im fine with electricals its more of a autism thing my brain works in a logical pattern so it conflicts with doing washing when things need cleaned and doing it in bulk so its a conflicting thing in brain.
Thats why its such a relief for me say when I have been somewhere like on holiday and had the option of a free to use washing machine, that way I would do a quick wash with what I am wearing, then at end of week when I have come home I may have a few pieces of underwear but I wait a week or I see it as a time when I can do something like an "extra" wash i.e thats when I see I can wash things like towels or bedding.

That is the main issue, my towels leave lint on my clothes I used to put them in at same time and also if its a hot wash the dye comes out of clothes onto the towels and I don't think its great to have a hot wash just for underwear and darker clothes and a seperate wash for towels and light things when already im struggling to half fill a washing machine.

Soot2006

Most modern washing machines are very economical and will only use the water required for a half load rather than do a "full wash" when they're not full. Might be a more comfortable way of thinking about it? Or buy a few more clothes and alternative pale wash one week and dark wash the next?

I use my 15 minutes cycle loads. It wouldn't fully clean something really dirty, but it's ample for freshening up towels that have just been used to dry off a clean body  ... Very economical, too!

dekaspace1

My machine is about 15 years old one which has seperate cold and hot hoses so not sure how economical

3secondmemory

Farway said:

You're overthinking it.

Do as I do, bung it all in once a week and get on with life

That’s not how autism works 😃

Sky_

You could:

 a) Work out how much electric and water is used for each wash, to find out how much a wash costs you.  You may find that it's so little that you're happy to wash more often.  Or:

b) Work with alternate weeks -- week one, wash clothes on a normal wash and week two. wash towels/underwear/bedding on a hot wash.  You might need more towels/bedding and t-shirts, but that's worth it if it stops you stressing about your laundry schedule. 

Also, maybe hint to your mum that you really like a particular brand/colours/material for t-shirts, to guide what she buys you in future--it's a shame if things are sitting unworn.

I hope you work it out.