Stopping Doing Pointless Traditional Things

TBagpuss

I’m another one who doesn’t generally separate washing (I will be cautious with new things that are very dark or brightly coloured, but as there’s only one of me I don’t generally have enough to run separate loads!)
 I don’t iron. Last time I ironed anything it was a dress I bought for my best friends wedding, and my ‘new iron (7 1/2 years old) has been used three times , twice by my mum to press bits of patchwork she was making and once when she ironed my dad’s shirt for a funeral. 

If I’m ever rich I’ll pay someone to iron my bed linen, as the feel of freshly ironed sheets is so nice, but not nice enough to be worth the time and effort to do it for myself. (I also have a physical issue which makes ironing uncomfortable, but if I’m honest I didn’t do much even before that!)

on the other hand, I do do a lot of cooking from scratch as I find that for a lot of things it tastes better, and I know where all the ingredients come from.
but I find the process of cooking quite enjoyable, and I feel no guilt if I chose to buy something ready made instead, when I fancy it.

I also send handwritten letters and cards, I enjoy writing them and people seem to appreciate getting them.

As others have said, a lot of it is about what you enjoy or feel is worth while for the benefits it gives you.

sillyvixen

Username03725 said:

I rarely wash my car - that's the definition of pointless in the winter living in the countryside. A run through a cheap jet wash every few months will do. Inside is clean, but outside, no.

My current car has not been washed on the outside since I got it 18 months ago!! Its a dark silver and looks better after a good rain shower!! Previously I had a dark red car that went years between the car wash - I got it done before a holiday once and went to the supermarket to pick up bits for my holiday and spent ages trying to locate it in the car park as it was so bright and shiny!! The interior has been hoovered but takes 2 extension leads to get the hoover close enough, but I have received a rechargable hand held car vacume for Christmas to make things ready easier, and will get a car wash at some point this year. I don't have a hose to do it myself.

Naomim

I stopped sending Christmas cards a few years ago. We now only receive about 5 and they go straight in the recycling. I just don't see the point. If you don't talk to someone from one year to the next why send them? My MiL has been caught out a few times the past couple of years sending cards to couples to subsequently find one has passed away. If she kept in touch, she'd have known.

I also rarely iron. Sometimes I have a burst of it. As a family of 4 I do split washes, couldn't bear kids going to school with off white shirts but when I wash they go straight in a hanger to dry.  When 16yo was 3 he put his hand on the iron and burnt himself quite badly. Even now he gives the iron a wide berth! 

MaryNB

I use my iron once in a blue moon. I buy clothes that don't need to be ironed (my office doesn't have a particularly strict dress policy). My mother is shocked I don't iron bedsheets but I had to do most of the ironing for the house when I was growing up and hated ironing, especially fitted sheets. Never saw the point, I never iron bedsheets. 
She also insisted on a flat top sheet, which I always hated so I never use one. Always find it uncomfortable and a pointless extra piece of semi loose fabric. 

I do separate out washing but the few white items of clothing I have go in with white bedsheets and towels so it's no hassle. Wool jumpers having to go in a separate wash is more of a faff. 

Don't do Christmas cards except if there's someone I'm close to that I won't see over Christmas. I find it odd that my mother posts me a Christmas card even though I spend Christmas at my parents' house and usually don't get the card until I get back in January. In my first job I had a few colleagues that were obsessed with sending Christmas cards. One colleague couldn't spell my first name (which is not Mary) and it took her three attempts to get it right - if someone doesn't know me well enough to spell my name why are they bothering to give me a Christmas card??

My parents have the "good dishes" and silverware (received as a wedding gift) in a cabinet in the dining room. I have one set for common use. Don't see the point of a second set. My guests will just have to cope with Ikea homeware. 

RogerBareford

Brie said:

One of the things I loved (though thought completely mad) when we shared with the inlaws years back is my MiL ironed everything. And I mean everything.  Should I ever win the lottery (unlikely as I don't buy tickets) I will hire someone to iron for me.  

Washing laundry has been on my mind......over the last nearly 2 years socialising has been minimal, in fact leaving the house has been minimal.  So showering has been a bit less than when I was going to work daily.  So why bother to wash clothes??  (stick with me on this for a bit) 

And there was a thing on radio where they were discussing how much damage washing clothes does to the environment (chemicals from soap into the ocean as well as all those polyester fabrics) as well as the clothes (bleaches the colour out and wears down the threads to say nothing of shrinking).  Clothes will last longer if washed less often which is a great thing.  Then again there was another programme where the experts were saying that you should replace all your underwear at least once every 6 months.  Hmmm.  I did wonder if they actually were employed by M&S or similar.

OK - so I do shower regularly and wash my clothes when they need washing but not after every single time they get worn as one very particular friend of mine does.  (well actually her husband does it for her).  I'd agree with knickers but jeans??  Jumpers that are worn on top of a couple of other items??  No - waste of time (& the rest)

And a side bar to this.....cleaning one's house.  Again - I'd love to hire someone to do this.  But it's not going to be in the budget any time soon so I'll keep slugging away.  But my brother was told off by neighbours years back for clearing the cobwebs in the house he took on - particularly those around the windows and doors.  Not only was it cruel to the spiders but it meant there was less pest control for flies and mosquitoes.  See - everyone has a different opinion.

I definetly agree with the comment about not washing cloth after every single time they are worn!.

I only wash my Jeans when they are actually dirty or it's been 6 months as they really don't need to be washed that often, same with jackets, coats, jumpers, hats etc.

I also think people shower too much if they do it every day as there really is no need unless your working out each day.

Blue_bell_20

I used to always wash all clothes colours together and didn’t have an issue for 4 years, then one day my washing came out pink. I think it might have been red socks. My favourite grey cardigan was in there and it went a pink/grey. Ever since then I separate them into lights and darks. Not worth risking it again. 

GaleSF63

Christmas cards are often the things that do keep you in touch. I have a few friends I haven't seen for a while, and the only contact has been updating info on family and friends in the card. In 2 cases I can think of, that consistent once yearly contact has led to a reconnection and more frequent contact at least by phone or email - if we'd lost touch altogether that wouldn't have happened. 

There's no rule about how often you should make contact to be in touch.

Kim_kim

olgadapolga said:

The most pointless traditional thing to do, in my opinion, is sending Christmas cards. Why send them to people you never see? Why only get in touch with people once a year? To let them know that you're still alive? To ensure that you get s card back? Total waste of time and money, bad for the environment and the cards only end up binned (recycling or otherwise) anyway. Far better to ring or email more frequently.

I think it makes more sense sending cards to people you rarely see than sending cards to people you see daily.  

Mrs_Ryan

I always, always separate colours. OH doesn’t and he’s ruined a fair few expensive things of mine (worst was a pale Lipsy tracksuit. I had sold it on EBay and put it alone in the washing machine to wash before I sent it. I explained to OH why it was alone in the machine and thinking he was being helpful he put a brand new pair of highly pigmented black jeans in to wash with it to fill the machine. It cost him a lot of money as I had to refund the buyer and I didn’t speak to him for a few days) 

I’m absolutely fastidious about what goes in the dryer as well. I have certain items of clothing that OH knows he is not, under any circumstances, allowed to go anywhere near if the drying is to be done. Since he put my £230 wool type Essentials jumper in the dryer (fortunately for him it was already very oversized and so it didn’t make a huge difference) if he knows certain items of clothing are in the machine he asks me to check the load before he puts it in the dryer. Our washing machine seems to be on constantly- I am one of those people who washes everything after one wear. 

I don’t do ironing but OH is obsessive about it. He often irons my PJ tops..! 

Madmel

I love ironing so I'm happy to do that when I watch TV. My dad is the same. I do separate washing into lights/white and dark. However, I only put a wash on when there is a decent load. We don't have a drier, only a long line outside and a ceiling airer and dehumidifier which I use when the weather is bad.

Pointless things to do: Sunday lunch in the middle of the day. Why? It takes time in the morning to prep it, then you eat it and are good for nothing afterwards. If I do cook a roast on a Sunday, we have it in the evening. I agree about car washing too. When I lived in a city and pre-kids, I did wash the car regularly. Now I live rurally, there's no point.