The Money Mustache Community
Learning, Sharing, and Teaching => Ask a Mustachian => Topic started by: Gone Fishing on September 08, 2015, 11:58:45 AM
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I don't keep a real close count, but we probably do 5-6 loads for a family of 4. Seems like a lot to me.
Just curious how many loads/week for most mustachians? Please include household size.
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I don't keep track either but it's probably about the same.....5 or 6 loads per week......but that's just for me and the g/f. I think she generates most of it though. She uses a towel for each bath/shower and it always ends up on the floor and a beach towel if she happens to get in the pool. I use one towel for the entire week. She wears a clean pair of PJ's every night. I sleep in my birthday suit. She goes to the office every day in business casual clothes. I work from home in shorts and tee shirt every day. Throw all of that together with the bed sheets once a week and all of the other stuff that gets used and needs washed and it seems like laundry is going all week. I do try to hang quite a bit of the clothes to dry to cut down on dryer use though or hang them while still a little damp. I also try to take stuff out of the dryer right when the cycle is done to prevent having to run it again to de-wrinkle. I hate wrinkles! LOL
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We average 5-7 loads per week for a family of five. If they are playing sports that number goes up. Also, my kids are younger, so their clothes are still small. But I guess once they get older they won't be as messy, so maybe it will balance out.
For the record, we don't wash our sheets or towels as much as some people do. I'm not saying I let them go months, but we don't wash them weekly.
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Guessing about 1.2 loads a week for one person, or 1 every 6 days or so. I re-use my bath towels for a long time, and probably should wash my sheets more often, and wear certain clothes more than once. No pets either. It's kind of seasonal too - more often in the summer as extra sweating, but summer clothes are smaller. I wear more layers in the winter, and bigger clothes.
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Probably too many. I agree with the my SO generates more. I usually wear my casual business pants 3-4 times. So my total week looks like this.
7 pairs of socks, 7 underpants, 1 towel, 3-4 work shirts, 3-4 T shirts, 1-2 misc. One load for me. The wife tends to use more towels and wash every item after every use. She may be close to double. So 2 loads? Then the son is 1 load --- So 4 loads total?
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One person, I do laundry approx once every 7-10 days. No kids but one dog.
I wear clothes more than once. Jeans can go forever, tops usually 2-3x depending on the weather/what I was doing.
I have tons of underwear.
I wash sheets 2x a month. Towels with the weekly laundry.
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3-4, family of four.
Generally one white, one colored, one overflow (beach towels, etc).
The extra is for sheets, which we change every couple of weeks.
My work pants get worn a few times between washings (like, many).
My work shirts only get washed if dirty or if they don't pass the sniff test. (It's hot right now, I sweat).
7 pairs undies, 7 pairs socks, 2 bras.
We use our towels for a week before washing.
Kids' clothing are small.
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We're a couple and do one load a week. Two if we're washing the sheets and blankets. We don't give a shit about separating colors or whatever - everything goes in together.
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Single person, and I typically one load every 15 days or so.
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Single person, and a bit of frugal clotheshorse, so I do 2 loads of laundry once every 15-20 days. I don't have on-site laundry and have to go a few blocks to do it, so that motivates me to put it off.
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2 people
1-2 loads/week
This is from best guess. Most of the time it seems like we do 1-2 loads every weekend. Sometimes 3 if we skip a week or two.
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2 people
1-2 loads/week
This is from best guess. Most of the time it seems like we do 1-2 loads every weekend. Sometimes 3 if we skip a week or two.
Same thing here.
I don't keep track either but it's probably about the same.....5 or 6 loads per week......but that's just for me and the g/f. I think she generates most of it though. She uses a towel for each bath/shower and it always ends up on the floor and a beach towel if she happens to get in the pool. I use one towel for the entire week. She wears a clean pair of PJ's every night. I sleep in my birthday suit. She goes to the office every day in business casual clothes. I work from home in shorts and tee shirt every day. Throw all of that together with the bed sheets once a week and all of the other stuff that gets used and needs washed and it seems like laundry is going all week. I do try to hang quite a bit of the clothes to dry to cut down on dryer use though or hang them while still a little damp. I also try to take stuff out of the dryer right when the cycle is done to prevent having to run it again to de-wrinkle. I hate wrinkles! LOL
Jesus christ....5-6 loads per week for 2 people. I mean I rotate between 15-20 dress shirts and 4 pairs of wool dress pants so I rarely wash them. I am not flithy so they stay clean for a long period of time. My wife primarily wears scrubs to work so thats that.
We do 2 loads a week: colors and whites. 1-2 times a month we add in 2 extra loads for blankets and sheets. Towels are on a once a week cleaning.
A larger amount of dress shirts will make those dress shirts last so much longer. I swear I've had this set for about 6 months already and I think some of them are new. Also, buying duplicate shirts helped me out greatly.
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2 people
Estimated 1-2 loads per week.
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3 people (2 adults 1 teen) = 3 loads per week. One is sheets and towels, one is our clothes, one is teen's clothes, if that.
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2-3 for a family of 2.
We always have one of regular clothes. Sometimes there are few enough that we can throw gym clothes into that load too.
If not, we wash gym clothes separately. (And usually on a small load setting.)
Then we either do a load of delicates or a load of towels/sheets/blankets. Those alternate based on how many need to be washed.
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I separate my laundry into light, dark and colored. So I only do laundry once a month for a total of 3 loads for one person. Otherwise I won't be able to fill up a full load.
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Gosh, I don't count. I have to wash every other day during the school week because the kids only have 4 uniform shirts each and they have to keep one at school for accidents. So maybe 4 loads a week? And an extra if someone pees the bed? We are a family of 4. The kids usually get too dirty to re-wear their clothes, but their clothes are tiny anyway (they are 3 and 4).
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I do one load of laundry a week. I could get by without washing for 2 weeks, but then I'd have 2 loads to do...so it's a wash.
(Pardon the pun. ;) )
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Around 5 per week for 4 people. Two adults and two teens. I don't keep really close track, though. Some weeks might be 6 loads.
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Family of two.
2-3 loads, depending on if we do sheets/duvet covers. Once in a blue moon we'll have a 1-load week, but it's rare. If we go more than three, it's because we had company who did a number on sheets/towels.
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Probably averages out to one a week (maybe a little less) between the two of us.
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One person.
2 loads every 3 weeks.
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4 people.
3 loads a week, a little more if we had bed wetting or washing blankets.
Most is H, he exercises daily and gets stinky. He can't re-wear stuff.
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I try to keep it to 3 loads a week for the 4 of us. Thankfully no more diapers!!!
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household of 3 but all do their own laundry. I can get it down to 2 loads every 3-4 weeks, changing sheets weekly, towels every few days. Another load if I do a duvet cover.
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One person, one load every two weeks. It helps that I don't sweat much and that I have a desk job without any client-facing duties.
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We have a a tiny European w/d. I do about 3-4 loads a week, which usually includes a load of sheets one week and a load of towels the other. That's probably 2 loads in am American washer. Two people in the house.
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1 person and 1 load a week + 1 extra a month for sheets/towels. If it weren't for exercise clothes I could stretch it out longer between loads.
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We have a a tiny European w/d. I do about 3-4 loads a week, which usually includes a load of sheets one week and a load of towels the other. That's probably 2 loads in am American washer. Two people in the house.
Yeah I forget how huge American washers are. We have a tiny high efficiency machine, haven't used a dryer in years.
I rarely re-wear clothes after getting out of the habit living in hot places, and often wear natural fabrics which bleed easily, so separate into warm(reds), cool(blues/greens), and pale colors. In winter, 4 loads/week; spring-autumn, usually 3. Then another 2 of sheets, duvet covers, cloth napkins/dishtowels, etc. DH doesn't trust me to do his, so he generally does 1 load/week. Total (ack!) 6/week, or 7 with all our winter clothes.
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We have a a tiny European w/d. I do about 3-4 loads a week, which usually includes a load of sheets one week and a load of towels the other. That's probably 2 loads in am American washer. Two people in the house.
I was thinking the same thing. My sister has a much bigger machine than I do (we're both in Europe). She loves it though, as there are five of them. :)
I live alone and typically do two loads a week. One at 40c (work clothes (1 pair trousers, 5 shirts/tops), evening/weekend clothes (whatever trousers are due for cleaning plus a couple of tops, perhaps a jumper), 5 or 6 bras, dishcloths, tea towels) and one at 60c (knickers, socks (in winter), hankies, STs/panty liners, cloth TP, towel, face cloth, vests (if I've worn any), small towel that I use as a mat on the floor by the kitchen sink, eco-cloth that I use to clean floor with, any other cleaning cloths I've used, bathmat, if it needs it). Bed clothes get done every few weeks in a separate load.
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I have a big American Kleenmaid top loader. 3 adults, 3-4 loads a week and 1 pet load/week.
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I separate my laundry into light, dark and colored. So I only do laundry once a month for a total of 3 loads for one person. Otherwise I won't be able to fill up a full load.
I wouldn't have enough clothes to go all month!
In college I could definitely do this though- I owned a lot more clothes, and a lot more underwear! But I've always washed in cold water, so I never sorted laundry (now with husband we sort by stink level... gym clothes get a higher setting on the washer.).
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2 adults: about 2 loads per week.
My SO does 1 load per week, I do 1 load every 2 weeks, and we make big loads of towels and sheets every few weeks.
I don't wash my stuff after 1 use (office job non facing customer) and I have a lot of wool items I like to wash by hand, so it's less machine loads.
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2 of us...2 loads a week.
Only use undies and work shirts once. But after work shirts 2x. Socks all day-once. a few hours-twice.
Bath towel use all week.
Sheets every 2 weeks
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I separate my laundry into light, dark and colored. So I only do laundry once a month for a total of 3 loads for one person. Otherwise I won't be able to fill up a full load.
I wouldn't have enough clothes to go all month!
In college I could definitely do this though- I owned a lot more clothes, and a lot more underwear! But I've always washed in cold water, so I never sorted laundry (now with husband we sort by stink level... gym clothes get a higher setting on the washer.).
Yep, same here. I've expanded a bit now so that I could get through two weeks, just about, if necessary. Because sometimes I do go away for the weekend and might not be organised enough to get everything done in the evenings before I leave. For the same reason, colour catchers (but only the Punch ones, haven't found other brands any good) are a standard thing for me. I could always start just getting clothes in all the same colour but I like the variety and colour catchers allow me to wash things altogether and not have to have way too many clothes/use the machine for just one or two things. I do use them twice though - a new one goes in with the first load and then gets re-used for the second load (which is always the one with socks and towels and things - don't so much care if colours run in any of that).
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1 person. Most of my clothing is coloured, I do a load of that about once every 10 days. Lights go in with the sheets and duvet cover, I change those out every other week.
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We do about 1.5 loads a week (usually two loads one week, one load the next) . . . but we've got a gigantic washing machine. That's for a family of three (usually one load a week when it was just two of us). All our clothes are washed on cold after soaking for a couple hours in the detergent, we have never had problems with washing coloured and white clothing together.
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Family of 3 (2 adults, one 16-month-old), and let's say 3-4 loads of laundry a week on average.
We separate out whites, darks, and delicates (because it DOES make my work shirts last longer and look less worn if they're not being bashed about with jeans...). At least a load of darks every week, whites every two weeks, delicates every week and a half or so (aka: when I run out of work dresses and shirts...)
4th load is sheets/random house linens. We wash our bed sheets every 2 weeks (when they start accumulating cat hair), but my daughter sweats in her sleep and soaks her sheets through nightly, so those need changing much more frequently or they smell like stale sweat (charming baby, I know).
Could we do less? probably. Would the time spent managing what the rest of the household is doing with their clothing and linens be worth it to me? Not even remotely. Pick your battles, y'know?
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I do one load per week but there are only 2 people in my household. I also hang dry all my clothes to avoid using the dryer.
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I separate my laundry into light, dark and colored. So I only do laundry once a month for a total of 3 loads for one person. Otherwise I won't be able to fill up a full load.
I wouldn't have enough clothes to go all month!
In college I could definitely do this though- I owned a lot more clothes, and a lot more underwear! But I've always washed in cold water, so I never sorted laundry (now with husband we sort by stink level... gym clothes get a higher setting on the washer.).
Eh, I handwash some of the underwear while bathing to make sure I have enough until the next laundry day. I have an office job and don't sweat a lot so I could get away with re-wearing some of the clothes (e.g. black pants for work or blue jeans on casual Friday).
I always wash cold water, too, but some of my clothes still bleeds particularly the purple, red and black.
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Single person, 1 load per week.
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My girlfriend and I each do about two loads a week (lights, darks), but often we combine one or both (they aren't large loads), so I'll call it an average of three per week for two people.
We had a roommate at one point that ran the washer/dryer at least twice PER DAY. I still don't know what the hell she was doing. And whenever I took a peek, they were always full loads.
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My girlfriend and I each do about two loads a week (lights, darks), but often we combine one or both (they aren't large loads), so I'll call it an average of three per week for two people.
We had a roommate at one point that ran the washer/dryer at least twice PER DAY. I still don't know what the hell she was doing. And whenever I took a peek, they were always full loads.
Oh, man, the water. The electricity. THE TIME. *faints dead away in horror*
Seriously... I've been running the washer/dryer 3-4 times per day this past week (just moved into a new house and our things have been in storage for 5 months for the transition, and all the fabric smelled musty and a bunch had dust on it, so... washing everything before putting it away). NEVER AGAIN am I doing that much laundry. Such a time and money suck... ok for a 1-week transition period, but every day??? Girl, get a hobby!
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2 people, 2-3 loads a week.
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4 people (2 kids ages 4 and 6). 3-4 loads a week. Down from 8 loads a week when we were cloth diapering.
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We do a bajillion loads per week. Seriously. Bajillion.
WE have a teen daughter who is of the mindset that as long as she doesn't have to wash/fold it everything is dirty. As soon as we tell her to wash her own stuff, she stops doing laundry and her room starts to stink. We lose either way.
WE have 2 boys who haven't mastered bladder control - especially at night. This means the bedsheets and comforters and mattress protectors often get changed at midnight. Its not uncommon to have to do an emergency bedsheet washing for both beds at once.
On top of that is laundry for parents.
When folding the largest stacks are always the boys, followed closely by the teen, then Momma, then me. Others are excited for FIRE, I'm just excited for the kids to just make it through the night without peeing everywhere.
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My girlfriend and I each do about two loads a week (lights, darks), but often we combine one or both (they aren't large loads), so I'll call it an average of three per week for two people.
We had a roommate at one point that ran the washer/dryer at least twice PER DAY. I still don't know what the hell she was doing. And whenever I took a peek, they were always full loads.
Oh, man, the water. The electricity. THE TIME. *faints dead away in horror*
Seriously... I've been running the washer/dryer 3-4 times per day this past week (just moved into a new house and our things have been in storage for 5 months for the transition, and all the fabric smelled musty and a bunch had dust on it, so... washing everything before putting it away). NEVER AGAIN am I doing that much laundry. Such a time and money suck... ok for a 1-week transition period, but every day??? Girl, get a hobby!
I know! Our utility bills took a pretty substantial tick down when she moved out. I don't think she ever "got" why we were so confused/frustrated/blown away by her usage.
For a while "to save money" she would hand wash her clothes in the tub (using WAY more water than the washer) and then throw them in the dryer to cook for an hour.
(https://imgflip.com/s/meme/Jackie-Chan-WTF.jpg)
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We do a bajillion loads per week. Seriously. Bajillion.
WE have a teen daughter who is of the mindset that as long as she doesn't have to wash/fold it everything is dirty. As soon as we tell her to wash her own stuff, she stops doing laundry and her room starts to stink. We lose either way.
Unless you live in her room, let it stink. Let social pressures do the parenting for you! Betcha she doesn't last a month.
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We do a bajillion loads per week. Seriously. Bajillion.
WE have a teen daughter who is of the mindset that as long as she doesn't have to wash/fold it everything is dirty. As soon as we tell her to wash her own stuff, she stops doing laundry and her room starts to stink. We lose either way.
Unless you live in her room, let it stink. Let social pressures do the parenting for you! Betcha she doesn't last a month.
You underestimate my kid. We've taken that approach in the past.
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We do a bajillion loads per week. Seriously. Bajillion.
WE have a teen daughter who is of the mindset that as long as she doesn't have to wash/fold it everything is dirty. As soon as we tell her to wash her own stuff, she stops doing laundry and her room starts to stink. We lose either way.
WE have 2 boys who haven't mastered bladder control - especially at night. This means the bedsheets and comforters and mattress protectors often get changed at midnight. Its not uncommon to have to do an emergency bedsheet washing for both beds at once.
On top of that is laundry for parents.
When folding the largest stacks are always the boys, followed closely by the teen, then Momma, then me. Others are excited for FIRE, I'm just excited for the kids to just make it through the night without peeing everywhere.
I feel ya on the boys. My 3yo is recently potty trained, but using pullups at night. He still has daytime accidents.
My older son still pees at night. (My brother was 13 when he stopped, so...). We use a nighttime pad-type thing, but sometimes he needs the sheets washed anyway mid-week.
The teen daughter - gotta be a way around that.
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You could always rent out her room and force her to move in with a brother. . .
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You could always rent out her room and force her to move in with a brother. . .
Does she have a cell phone? Because with all the teens I know, a sure way to get your way is to take away the phone until she does her laundry.
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You could always rent out her room and force her to move in with a brother. . .
Now that's funny.
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we have 4 people and we average 4 loads a week with a bonus load once a month for the sheets.
the next challenge will be to declutter our closets and stop buying more clothes.
it's a bit extravagant to own 10 sets of clothing when I'm washing the laundry every 2-3 days.
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Others are excited for FIRE, I'm just excited for the kids to just make it through the night without peeing everywhere.
I dream of the day when I can mark pull-ups off the shopping list...
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Two adults in my house. I go a load about every 3 days. I only do full loads but space out doing them b/c I use the grey water in my garden.
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You guys must wear less than me :-/
1 person, 2 loads per week.
1 for clothes (2-3 pairs of shorts, 7-10 shirts, bras, sports bras, knickers, socks, sports uniforms)
1 for sheets, bath towel, floor towel, and kitchen tea-towels.
I've noticed that my housemates don't wash their bras very often - they'll wash 1 sports bra and 1 or 2 normal bras per week. I ride to school every day (in 40oC/104oF weather for half the year!), so my bras get a bit gross if I wear them more than twice. Actually... They don't wash their sheets very often either (once a month?).
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2 Loads per week for myself and SO.
Super cost effective. We spend ~25/yr on laundry.
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Single, no pets, no kids. I do laundry once every 7 to 14 days, usually on cool wash, and line dry outdoors if sunny, or on my laundry rail if raining, takes about 2 days in winter. I wear clothes more than once, and wear an underslip under dresses/skirts, and an apron when cooking/cleaning to protect my clothes [got those tips from Madame Connoisseur on Youtube!].
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Related but unrelated... during the nice-weather days, we line dry as well. One of my great inventions is my scrap lumber laundry tree that cost us a whopping $9.00 for a 4X4 post. The rest of the lumber and the wire was scrounged. I should post a pic. Its so ugly its lovely.
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For my clothing - probably a bit less than 1 load per week, but my boyfriend throws a few of his things in when he is over - so probably one load per week. I do a load of work clothes (special handling) about every other week.
Kids are about 1 load each per week, maybe slightly less frequent.
Bedding and towels are changed and washed weekly - about 2 loads total.
One load for misc accidents and unfortunate events.
So - 5-6 loads per week for a adult, adult visitor on a regular basis, two kids, 1 dog, 3 cats, and desire to have clean sheets on a weekly basis.
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4 people, plus a gaggle of poultry. The washing machine never really stops. Probably a load a day on average. Dish towels, cleaning rags, sheets, towels, garden dirt, duck poop, little boy nighttime pee - it all adds up.
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4 people, plus a gaggle of poultry. The washing machine never really stops. Probably a load a day on average. Dish towels, cleaning rags, sheets, towels, garden dirt, duck poop, little boy nighttime pee - it all adds up.
One of the perks of living in an apartment is having access to multiple commercial machines, so I can efficiently do a bunch of laundry in one afternoon. Otherwise, I'd be running a single loader six days a week.
I'd rather do one load a day/every other day than have to deal with it all at once!
Having recently acquired poultry, I have not found them to increase my laundry. This statement has me curious.
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Having recently acquired poultry, I have not found them to increase my laundry. This statement has me curious.
It's more that I'll let garden dirt on my grubby clothes slide for a few days, but once I kneel in duck poop, those clothes are getting washed. If you aren't the type to crawl around where your animals crap, I imagine there would be little impact on laundry. :)
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I'd rather do one load a day/every other day than have to deal with it all at once!
Quick note because it might help others: when my baby was little (and puking up on everything, all the time - I was going through multiple outfits a day on both of us, never mind blankets/sheets/couch slipcovers/etc... so much laundry) I noticed that our electricity bill was calculated at X/kwh up to a certain usage, and then a higher rate for usage over that.
So I switched from doing 3-4 loads of laundry in one day to spreading them out over multiple days, since we had to use the dryer and that uses up crazy energy.
Direct effect: 20$ less on our already-low electric bill.
Maybe those who do more laundry and can't line-dry might wanna look into how their electric rate is calculated!
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I'd rather do one load a day/every other day than have to deal with it all at once!
Quick note because it might help others: when my baby was little (and puking up on everything, all the time - I was going through multiple outfits a day on both of us, never mind blankets/sheets/couch slipcovers/etc... so much laundry) I noticed that our electricity bill was calculated at X/kwh up to a certain usage, and then a higher rate for usage over that.
So I switched from doing 3-4 loads of laundry in one day to spreading them out over multiple days, since we had to use the dryer and that uses up crazy energy.
Direct effect: 20$ less on our already-low electric bill.
Maybe those who do more laundry and can't line-dry might wanna look into how their electric rate is calculated!
We use the time delay on our washer to make sure we only running the washer during off-peak times. We time it to come on at 7:00 PM than the second load goes in around 9:00PM.
The early wash gets hung outside as soon as its done, the late wash goes out in the morning.
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A bit under 2.5 for 2 of us... We each generate our own load of "cold" wash every 7-9 days (depending on temperature & activities), and together we generate one load of "warm" wash every 2 weeks.
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Generally four loads a week for two people, this in a smallish older top loader that holds exactly 5 pairs of pants at a time.
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I'd rather do one load a day/every other day than have to deal with it all at once!
Quick note because it might help others: when my baby was little (and puking up on everything, all the time - I was going through multiple outfits a day on both of us, never mind blankets/sheets/couch slipcovers/etc... so much laundry) I noticed that our electricity bill was calculated at X/kwh up to a certain usage, and then a higher rate for usage over that.
So I switched from doing 3-4 loads of laundry in one day to spreading them out over multiple days, since we had to use the dryer and that uses up crazy energy.
Direct effect: 20$ less on our already-low electric bill.
Maybe those who do more laundry and can't line-dry might wanna look into how their electric rate is calculated!
We're charged less for usage as you use more. I still line dry everything though, because it's less wasteful.
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For 1 person, I do laundry once a week with 3 loads, including my towels. I use a new towel and face rag everyday.
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Ridiculous amounts: single adult who goes through at least 2 changes of clothes per day (work out togs that stink, then work clothes that actually get dirty, sometimes also date night clothes) plus does the linens from the date night play space.
8-10 loads per week and I run the washer pretty much every time I can fill it.
Yeah, that's a lot. I hang dry all pants but use the dryer for everything else. The city started metering water usage this year and my bill went down a tiny bit until the Spawn & her bf moved in in June. They're moving out next week so it'll be interesting to see how much I can shave off that with just me again.
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For 1 person, I do laundry once a week with 3 loads, including my towels. I use a new towel and face rag everyday.
I've always found that by using soap when I shower I come out clean . . . and my towel doesn't get terribly dirty. It gets washed every few months mostly out of habit. :P
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Family of four (incl. a 2yr old and 5yr old)
I probably do 5-6 loads per week.
2 loads with family clothes (so nice to hear other people don't sort whites/darks, I thought I was the only one!)
1 misc towels, kitchen linens, kid clean-up cloths (can't wait til the youngest grows out of the sticky, messy phase!)
1 diapers (sometimes 2, he's halfway potty trained)
1 misc. Could be sheets, blankets, mid-week clothes or greasy workshop clothes..
I try and do most wash on the weekend when electric rates are the lowest, then I can line dry outside.
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Between the 2 of us, probably less than a load per week. I'm a bit surprised at some of the high frequencies on the thread. I get if you have kids that have accidents your usage would go up. But things don't need to be washed all the time, and you can fit a lot into a load.
For 1 person, I do laundry once a week with 3 loads, including my towels. I use a new towel and face rag everyday.
I've always found that by using soap when I shower I come out clean . . . and my towel doesn't get terribly dirty. It gets washed every few months mostly out of habit. :P
Yeah, me too. Just hang it up after use. Eventually it might start to smell a bit and then it gets washed. But it takes months. I wear shorts and sweats for sitting around the house and those don't get washed for a month either. They don't get dirty. Socks, underwear, and shirts get washed after one day's use. But I have 30 or so of those so I go a month between loads.
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I dunno where people live who can hang dry towels and they don't get funky in a day or 2, especially if you shower more than once per day (ie; after workout in the AM, then again after a grungy day at work or before date night). My bathroom must just be a stagnant zone, even though I run the fan during showers and leave the door open always. :P
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I dunno where people live who can hang dry towels and they don't get funky in a day or 2, especially if you shower more than once per day (ie; after workout in the AM, then again after a grungy day at work or before date night). My bathroom must just be a stagnant zone, even though I run the fan during showers and leave the door open always. :P
If you're showering more than once per day, just use two towels. Let one dry completely before using it again. Yours are clearly not getting dry. Maybe hang them in a less damp room?
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1 person.
About 5 loads/fortnight (2.5 per week).
- I wash work uniform in a separate hot wash (Australian here- for a laundry load with only compulsory uniform in it, there is a $1 tax deduction per load as long as a diary is kept). Once weekly- I have enough uniform for one week.
- Rest of clothes are divided into delicate/wool wash (washed with soapnuts) and things that do better (or tolerate) a more vicious cycle (home made laundry liquid.
- My closet has been pared down to a point where any more reduction will lead to an increase in laundry loads as I start running out of clothes.
I don't own a dryer. For the times where I think a dryer might be really really useful (like, once annually) I'll toddle down to the laundromat.
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We do a bajillion loads per week. Seriously. Bajillion.
WE have a teen daughter who is of the mindset that as long as she doesn't have to wash/fold it everything is dirty. As soon as we tell her to wash her own stuff, she stops doing laundry and her room starts to stink. We lose either way.
Unless you live in her room, let it stink. Let social pressures do the parenting for you! Betcha she doesn't last a month.
You underestimate my kid. We've taken that approach in the past.
Okay, i have teens, so I will add my note here.
We wash about 2-3 loads per week, for a family of 4 (teenagers); but then once a month to 6 weeks, I need to do a MEGA clothes wash.. just finished 8 loads on the weekend. I finally counted and realized that my 13 yo son has at least 20 pairs of underwear, maybe more...
Everyone is expected to wash their own clothes, but for the kids, I think I must do about 60% on the mega wash weekends, and 20% for DH. I wear business clothes, and change to casual when I get home, so my laundry is mostly underwear, a few t-shirts, and a pair of jeans every two weeks.. and one load of delicate business clothes.
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I dunno where people live who can hang dry towels and they don't get funky in a day or 2.
Isn't the PNW notoriously damp?
Yes.
Drying inside in the Pac NW is challenging. Clothes/towels/etc that are wet will mildew or literally grow mold before they dry in many homes, especially from October - May, when the outside humidity is likely to be 100%.
We run a dehumidifier as needed in our bathroom in the winter, and our airflow in that room is actually pretty good by local standards. So making a towel last 2 months between washings or some of the other things I've heard from mustachians in more arid climates is not my frugality hill to die on.
Line drying in the summer isn't bad, though - our summers aren't hot, but they are usually warm and dry enough to get clothes dried within a day. We often toss our damp towels outside to dry after an AM shower.
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Between the 2 of us, probably less than a load per week. I'm a bit surprised at some of the high frequencies on the thread. I get if you have kids that have accidents your usage would go up. But things don't need to be washed all the time, and you can fit a lot into a load.
So much of this is lifestyle specific.
DH's job involves meeting with business people alternated with repairs that can be quite dirty. He changes shirts between duties, the dress shirt can last a day or two but he might go through 3 grubby tees in a day. Jean's can often go two days but not always.
We live far out in the country on a working farm. Beyond the poop hazards that Erica mentioned, I'm often sweaty and working with dirt, mud, machinery, and itchy things like hay and grains.
My day job is business casual - those can go several wears between washes.
Bath towels and sheets can go months, but we use tons of hand towels and rags.
2 people, 5 loads a week.
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1-2 per day, easily. Family of 6. Most of the loads are towels. It's amazing how many towels we go through.
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Between the 2 of us, probably less than a load per week. I'm a bit surprised at some of the high frequencies on the thread. I get if you have kids that have accidents your usage would go up. But things don't need to be washed all the time, and you can fit a lot into a load.
So much of this is lifestyle specific.
DH's job involves meeting with business people alternated with repairs that can be quite dirty. He changes shirts between duties, the dress shirt can last a day or two but he might go through 3 grubby tees in a day. Jean's can often go two days but not always.
We live far out in the country on a working farm. Beyond the poop hazards that Erica mentioned, I'm often sweaty and working with dirt, mud, machinery, and itchy things like hay and grains.
My day job is business casual - those can go several wears between washes.
Bath towels and sheets can go months, but we use tons of hand towels and rags.
2 people, 5 loads a week.
That. Basically.
My husband and I both work office jobs (business casual: shirts and underthings get washed after a full day of wear, pants get re-worn. Similar to what most people on this thread do.) But then we get home and switch to work gear and deal with the toddler, the barnyard chores, and the general outdoor chores (change #2 of clothes in the day). And then, once the work is done and the kid is in bed, we take a shower and slip into flannel PJ pants or sweats to curl up and read/watch TV for a half-hour before going to bed (change #3 of clothes in the day). And that's not even accounting for the toddler getting into the finger paint (or, when she was younger, puking up on everything that stayed still long enough).
Look: PJ pants get re-worn for most of the week, business wear gets washed when it needs it, farm gear gets washed every two days or so and kept in the machinery room (no way is there chicken poo in my bedroom, not happening)... but with our lifestyle, I can't really see of a way to do less laundry.
As Erica said: could we do better? Possibly, but not without significant effort/sacrifice, and I think there are much better places for us to be putting that energy (places that will save more money, as a starting point). So... not my frugality hill to die on. (Home cooking, minor animal-keeping, the aquaponics set-up I want to start in the spring, no take-out lunches, tailoring and fixing of clothing instead of buying new, limits on electronic gadgets, being a 1-car family and limiting car use... yes. Laundry: high effort, low returns.)
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I dunno where people live who can hang dry towels and they don't get funky in a day or 2, especially if you shower more than once per day (ie; after workout in the AM, then again after a grungy day at work or before date night). My bathroom must just be a stagnant zone, even though I run the fan during showers and leave the door open always. :P
I HATE the smell of mildew. It really drives me crazy. And I'm a bit of a clean freak. I solved the PNW towel-drying problem by buying thinner towels, asking my husband to "shuck himself" (sounds terrible, but basically is just brushing all the water droplets off himself before towel-drying), and then hanging towels on a dining chair if the bathroom is too small/humid. If you shower twice a day, I'd try rotating two towels. By the way, a mildewy towel will retain a bit of that bacteria even after washing and be prone to smelling funky again. I've read that a plain hot wash with just vinegar and no soap will kill off the mildew.
I'm pretty shocked at how much laundry some of you folks do (I totally get that having kids means tons more to clean, talking about homes without kids). I do a big light and a big dark load every two weeks for clothes and towels for the two of us, plus sheets when it's needed.
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One person, one load every two weeks. It helps that I don't sweat much and that I have a desk job without any client-facing duties.
After reading this post, I've been rethinking my clothing habits. I mean, she lives in the PHILIPINES! Therefore I know that the heat and humidity of South Carolina is no excuse. I'm trying to get to the 1 load / 2 weeks benchmark by the end of next month.
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One person, one load every two weeks. It helps that I don't sweat much and that I have a desk job without any client-facing duties.
After reading this post, I've been rethinking my clothing habits. I mean, she lives in the PHILIPINES! Therefore I know that the heat and humidity of South Carolina is no excuse. I'm trying to get to the 1 load / 2 weeks benchmark by the end of next month.
Cheering you on. The environment and your wallet will both thank you. Plus, think about all the time you'll reclaim! :)
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Between the 2 of us, probably less than a load per week. I'm a bit surprised at some of the high frequencies on the thread. I get if you have kids that have accidents your usage would go up. But things don't need to be washed all the time, and you can fit a lot into a load.
For 1 person, I do laundry once a week with 3 loads, including my towels. I use a new towel and face rag everyday.
I've always found that by using soap when I shower I come out clean . . . and my towel doesn't get terribly dirty. It gets washed every few months mostly out of habit. :P
Yeah, me too. Just hang it up after use. Eventually it might start to smell a bit and then it gets washed. But it takes months. I wear shorts and sweats for sitting around the house and those don't get washed for a month either. They don't get dirty. Socks, underwear, and shirts get washed after one day's use. But I have 30 or so of those so I go a month between loads.
I'll only reuse a towel on gym days and I'll hang it to dry. Otherwise I fear that they'll start to smell if I use it more than twice.
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Two Adults and 1 Dog
2 loads (whites and coloureds) on most weekends. Hydro is cheaper on the weekends.
On weeks we don't wash, if we need t-shirts/smalls/shorts for farm-work, I handwash them in the bathtub and dry them on the balcony railing.
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...work out togs that stink, then work clothes that actually get dirty, sometimes also date night clothes...
Hehe. In Queensland, togs are swimming clothes / bathers / costume. So I'm imagining someone working in their swimmers :P
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After reading this post, I've been rethinking my clothing habits. I mean, she lives in the PHILIPINES! Therefore I know that the heat and humidity of South Carolina is no excuse. I'm trying to get to the 1 load / 2 weeks benchmark by the end of next month.
I hope you succeed! Also, I love your avatar!
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1 load per week
1 adult 3 kids
I can't figure out how everyone is doing so much more
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We do about 2-3 loads per week for a family of 4, and that includes DH in a dirty job (agriculture). But I'm in an office job and wear clothes many many times before washing.
For those of you buying pull ups, you might want to consider cloth training pants. I've not been there or done that, my kids were EC'd and transitioned to dry nights quite easily, so I might not know what I'm talking about. But I did use cloth diapers as well as EC, and I felt it was a good move. I can't see why replacing disposable training pants with cloth wouldn't also work.
About towels for those who live in damp environment. You might want to try turkish towels, which can be had on amazon for $15-$20. They are thin, not terry, and super absorbent. My mom got me one as a gift while visiting Turkey, and I liked it so much (and my husband did, too) that we got a 2nd from Amazon. They dry so fast they don't really have as much time to get the damp stink. I would get rid of all of my other towels because we only use our turkish towels (one each, maybe washed every 5-6 uses, which for me is about a months worth) but I'm emotionally attached to the other towels and sometimes the kids use them.
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1 load per week
1 adult 3 kids
I can't figure out how everyone is doing so much more
Do you live in a nudist colony? Only wear swimsuits? Seriously, what's your secret?
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After reading this post, I've been rethinking my clothing habits. I mean, she lives in the PHILIPINES! Therefore I know that the heat and humidity of South Carolina is no excuse. I'm trying to get to the 1 load / 2 weeks benchmark by the end of next month.
I hope you succeed! Also, I love your avatar!
Thank you!
I did a load last weekend, but the contents were slightly different from normal, as I had a couple of shirts whose "time had come." I think the trick for me will be to have dedicated sleepwear. I'll let you know if I'm successful!
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Household of two, myself and my husband, both work in professional settings.
Sheets (one load) and towels (one load) are washed each week, plus two to three loads of clothes.
Oh, I'm spring cleaning at the moment so between loads of clothes I'm also washing our doona cover, blankets, and cushion covers, and giving them a couple of days on the line to air dry.
More info for extra credit: we have a 6kg top-load washing machine, use laundry powder bought on special, and air dry on a mini Hills Hoist on our balcony. We own a clothes dryer but only use it a few times a year, when it's absolutely necessary.
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Oh, I'm spring cleaning at the moment so between loads of clothes I'm also washing our doona cover, blankets, and cushion covers, and giving them a couple of days on the line to air dry.
Spring cleaning in September - please don't be from Australia. If you live in the northern hemisphere, we are on the same wavelength.
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I think I do it every two to three months. Switch the sheets out about every 6 weeks, maybe. It's only me and I own a ton of clothes and underwear and hate laundry.
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One load of cloth diapers every week, two washer loads/one dryer (hang the rest) every week or so.
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I think I do it every two to three months. Switch the sheets out about every 6 weeks, maybe. It's only me and I own a ton of clothes and underwear and hate laundry.
That's a very impressive laundry rate! How large are the loads?
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One person here. I probably average 1 load of laundry every week and a half.
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Oh how I love laundry!
I'm geo-batching right now, so there actually isn't much to accomplish. I wear the same uniform for a week, just re-iron it daily. I also go through 5 undershirts, 2 after work outfits, and 2 sets of workout clothes. Socks. Underwear. I could get away with one load, but I have to separate out the undershirts and bleach them. Otherwise they turn grey and have to be replaced.
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Oh how I love laundry!
I'm geo-batching right now, so there actually isn't much to accomplish. I wear the same uniform for a week, just re-iron it daily. I also go through 5 undershirts, 2 after work outfits, and 2 sets of workout clothes. Socks. Underwear. I could get away with one load, but I have to separate out the undershirts and bleach them. Otherwise they turn grey and have to be replaced.
Seems like quite a minimal laundry list~ Is your avatar of a Lanturn?
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4 loads every 5-6 weeks. 2 adults. Whites/darks/brights/ towels&sheets.
Wash our comforter which takes a load on it's own about once every 2 months or so.
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Oh, I'm spring cleaning at the moment so between loads of clothes I'm also washing our doona cover, blankets, and cushion covers, and giving them a couple of days on the line to air dry.
Spring cleaning in September - please don't be from Australia. If you live in the northern hemisphere, we are on the same wavelength.
Sorry to disappoint. :) Days are getting longer, temperatures are getting warmer, the washing is getting dry in a day, and I am relishing it all with child-like wonder!
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One load every 10 days. DINKs.
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Is your avatar of a Lanturn?
Possibly...? I thought it was an angler fish when I shamelessly stole it from the internet. I thought it went well with the theme of my username.
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Our Bajillion loads per week is down this week... 7 yr old has only woke up wet twice this week. Small victories people, small victories. I think the early rise time since back to school has made the difference.
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Our Bajillion loads per week is down this week... 7 yr old has only woke up wet twice this week. Small victories people, small victories. I think the early rise time since back to school has made the difference.
What worked for my brother until he was 10 or so was that he'd go to bed around 7:30, when my parents or I were going to bed (11ish?) we'd wake him up for a quick bathroom trip (we were lucky - he'd basically sleep-walk through it and pass right back out), and then wake him up at 6 for school. Wouldn't work for a non-deep-sleeper, but if it helps...
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Possibly...? I thought it was an angler fish when I shamelessly stole it from the internet. I thought it went well with the theme of my username.
It definitely is an angler fish either way (Lanturn is based off of it); it was the coloration that made me think that it was. In any case, looks good :)
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I don't do my fiance's laundry, so I can't speak for him. I do about 2 loads (1 hot, 1 cold) of clothes every 2 weeks. We've been doing the towels and sheets once per week lately because we are fighting fleas, but usually do those every... 4 weeks? Honestly it's so infrequent I can't even estimate.
Related question:
I don't have a washer/dryer in my current place. To use the ones in the building, it is $1.50 per wash and $1.50 per dry. I already hang dry *most* of my clothes, but what about washing? I'd like to save the laundry machines for towels and sheets only if I can. Washing and hang drying those in our no-outdoor-space-studio would be... logistically challenging.
Does anyone hand wash most or all of their laundry? Are there any tools for it out there? Is there any way to do it without having to spend money on something I don't already have (e.g.: sink, bathtub)?
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I don't do my fiance's laundry, so I can't speak for him. I do about 2 loads (1 hot, 1 cold) of clothes every 2 weeks. We've been doing the towels and sheets once per week lately because we are fighting fleas, but usually do those every... 4 weeks? Honestly it's so infrequent I can't even estimate.
Related question:
I don't have a washer/dryer in my current place. To use the ones in the building, it is $1.50 per wash and $1.50 per dry. I already hang dry *most* of my clothes, but what about washing? I'd like to save the laundry machines for towels and sheets only if I can. Washing and hang drying those in our no-outdoor-space-studio would be... logistically challenging.
Does anyone hand wash most or all of their laundry? Are there any tools for it out there? Is there any way to do it without having to spend money on something I don't already have (e.g.: sink, bathtub)?
I think that you may want to consider the amount of time that you'd be spending washing the clothes. Drying without a machine works well because it does not require much interaction, but that's not the case for washing. However, if you don't have much to wash and/or it's something that you don't mind spending your time on, then more power to ya! With that said, I don't have any real advice. My mom used to hand-wash clothes and it looked like a lengthy and tedious process.
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I don't do my fiance's laundry, so I can't speak for him. I do about 2 loads (1 hot, 1 cold) of clothes every 2 weeks. We've been doing the towels and sheets once per week lately because we are fighting fleas, but usually do those every... 4 weeks? Honestly it's so infrequent I can't even estimate.
Related question:
I don't have a washer/dryer in my current place. To use the ones in the building, it is $1.50 per wash and $1.50 per dry. I already hang dry *most* of my clothes, but what about washing? I'd like to save the laundry machines for towels and sheets only if I can. Washing and hang drying those in our no-outdoor-space-studio would be... logistically challenging.
Does anyone hand wash most or all of their laundry? Are there any tools for it out there? Is there any way to do it without having to spend money on something I don't already have (e.g.: sink, bathtub)?
I think that you may want to consider the amount of time that you'd be spending washing the clothes. Drying without a machine works well because it does not require much interaction, but that's not the case for washing. However, if you don't have much to wash and/or it's something that you don't mind spending your time on, then more power to ya! With that said, I don't have any real advice. My mom used to hand-wash clothes and it looked like a lengthy and tedious process.
Definitely a thought. I have a fairly minimalist wardrobe - not quite Project 333 level, but I think I have maybe 50 items total in my closet? Including about 15 scarves that rarely if ever get washed. Hopefully that would make hand washing my stuff a little easier, because there isn't much of it. Most of the items are fairly delicate too and I really *should* be hand washing them as per the labels, I just ignore it for now. :)
It's just hard to handle paying $24/month for laundry when that is more than the cost of my whole electric bill at my last place - which *had* an in unit washer/dryer on top of the fridge, tv, microwave, electric stove, etc. And my last place was literally right next door to my new place so it's not a difference in electric prices.
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Definitely a thought. I have a fairly minimalist wardrobe - not quite Project 333 level, but I think I have maybe 50 items total in my closet? Including about 15 scarves that rarely if ever get washed. Hopefully that would make hand washing my stuff a little easier, because there isn't much of it. Most of the items are fairly delicate too and I really *should* be hand washing them as per the labels, I just ignore it for now. :)
It's just hard to handle paying $24/month for laundry when that is more than the cost of my whole electric bill at my last place - which *had* an in unit washer/dryer on top of the fridge, tv, microwave, electric stove, etc. And my last place was literally right next door to my new place so it's not a difference in electric prices.
Well, it never hurts to try it out for a while to see if you'd continue hand-washing. My mom only used a sink, some cleaning substance, and hot water, but there may be a more efficient way to hand wash nowadays. Hope someone can help you out, and good luck!
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Oops, did forget to mention the number of loads; it's probably 2-3 each time, so maybe more like one load a month if you're spreading it out. But there are two washers in our building basement so I put them in at once, with an extra load after while the first are drying. Would love to hang dry. I should probably do the sheets more often but I just haaaate it and it's a time-suck when the w/d unit isn't in the apartment. Total cost each time is probably $12ish.
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@ Britan - watch CL for an apartment sized combo unit. They often come up for free or close to it here. You just have to beat the scrap metal guys to it.
If the challenge is with space, I have nothing to offer. And handwashing is a pain, so I seek out ways to avoid it.
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One load of cloth diapers every week, two washer loads/one dryer (hang the rest) every week or so.
One load of cloth diapers per week? How old is your diaper-wearing child? We're about to go into diaper phase again and w/ a newborn I'm expecting every other day for diapers and assorted things that have been fouled.
Right now we probably average 6ish loads a week for 4 people (2 adults, 2 kids under 7). We try not to wash things unless they're actually dirty - but overall, we get a lot of things dirty!
People doing a load or two a month... I guess you don't do sports/workouts and don't have a job requiring formal attire? I would probably be at 2/week just by myself.
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Personally I let my workout gear get pretty grungy before it's washed. If I need to I handwash the sports bra and I have a big supply of t shirts to swap in if needed. The shorts usually air dry fine and are ready for use again. I figure if I'm on a run no one needs me to smell like roses (I also run slowly so I don't sweat toooo much if it's mild out). As for work, I have a big supply of dresses and skirts which hardly ever need to be washed. Jeans also don't need much washing and most shirts can be worn much more often than once when it's not back to back. I use the smell check or toss something in the laundry bag when it becomes stained. I'm sure if my washer/dryer was in unit I'd wash things more, but having to get quarters and lug everything downstairs and stay in for an evening or afternoon to do it is a real disincentive. From a watyer and energy standpoint (and for clothes lasting longer) it's better to be sparing anyway.
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2 adults - 1 load of regular a week, 1 load of delicates every 2 weeks. Towels and sheets as needed.
We both workout / play sports multiple times per week. The one load of regulars consists of our work-out clothes plus under garments/socks/t-shirts.
Both work in finance and dress the part. Formal work clothes do not need washing after every wear. Pants go until something is spilled on them or I feel they need a washing. Shirts get multiple wearings as well - at least 4 or 5 times. I change the very second I get home from work. These items make up the every 2 weeks delicates loads.
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@Prospector: Sadly I can't install my own W/D because the building doesn't have the infrastructure in unit to do so, and I rent so I can't add it, but I do agree that it's a great idea for anyone with that option! (Unless there are some that don't require additional hookups. If so please tell me what to look for, I am interested!)
I think as middle ground, I'm going to start hand washing the articles of mine that "should" be hand washed as per their instructions. I have 2 loads worth this weekend, at least 50% of which "should" be hand washed, so I'll report back on how that goes. Luckily I don't pay for water utilities so this should truly save the full $1.50 from the wash cycle.
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I think as middle ground, I'm going to start hand washing the articles of mine that "should" be hand washed as per their instructions. I have 2 loads worth this weekend, at least 50% of which "should" be hand washed, so I'll report back on how that goes. Luckily I don't pay for water utilities so this should truly save the full $1.50 from the wash cycle.
Sounds like a plan and a good start :)
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Definitely a thought. I have a fairly minimalist wardrobe - not quite Project 333 level, but I think I have maybe 50 items total in my closet? Including about 15 scarves that rarely if ever get washed. Hopefully that would make hand washing my stuff a little easier, because there isn't much of it. Most of the items are fairly delicate too and I really *should* be hand washing them as per the labels, I just ignore it for now. :)
It's just hard to handle paying $24/month for laundry when that is more than the cost of my whole electric bill at my last place - which *had* an in unit washer/dryer on top of the fridge, tv, microwave, electric stove, etc. And my last place was literally right next door to my new place so it's not a difference in electric prices.
Well, it never hurts to try it out for a while to see if you'd continue hand-washing. My mom only used a sink, some cleaning substance, and hot water, but there may be a more efficient way to hand wash nowadays. Hope someone can help you out, and good luck!
http://www.amazon.com/Columbus-Washboard-2072-Family-Size/dp/B0000CBILJ/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1442664157&sr=8-2&keywords=washing+board
I've only used one once, but don't forget a tried and true tactic: the washboard.
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2 people with "dress up" jobs. 2 loads every sunday (sometimes saturday if we both are likely to work on sunday).
But, I wear suits 5 days a week (weekends are super casual in office) and just gym shorts/T at home; DW wears scrubs a day or two most weeks, and 1/3 of her office clothes that need drycleaning.
When we had 3 teenage boys at home, was 4-5 loads, I believe.
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4 loads a month
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It's out of control here - about 4-5 loads a week for two adults. We each bike to work (20+ miles a day), so each day generates very sweaty commute clothes, a change into work clothes, dirty commute clothes go back on for the ride home, then lounging around the house clothes. The house clothes get worn a few days before washing, but the others are wear once and clean. Plus my husband will bike home, change into other nondrenched workout clothes and lift weights, then shower and change again.
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One load of cloth diapers every week, two washer loads/one dryer (hang the rest) every week or so.
One load of cloth diapers per week? How old is your diaper-wearing child? We're about to go into diaper phase again and w/ a newborn I'm expecting every other day for diapers and assorted things that have been fouled.
Right now we probably average 6ish loads a week for 4 people (2 adults, 2 kids under 7). We try not to wash things unless they're actually dirty - but overall, we get a lot of things dirty!
People doing a load or two a month... I guess you don't do sports/workouts and don't have a job requiring formal attire? I would probably be at 2/week just by myself.
Diapers should be every other day. I used to do every third day sometimes because we used disposables at twice-a-week daycare. I wonder if maybe their child was not wearing them every day--maybe just on weekends? They get pretty stinky if not washed promptly.
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I'd say 1.5 loads per week. Two-person household.
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1-2 per week. 2 adults.
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1 per week for 2 adults - including when we do towels and sheets (it's about one per 10 to 15 days + the occasional towel/sheet 2nd load).
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One load of cloth diapers every week, two washer loads/one dryer (hang the rest) every week or so.
One load of cloth diapers per week? How old is your diaper-wearing child? We're about to go into diaper phase again and w/ a newborn I'm expecting every other day for diapers and assorted things that have been fouled.
Right now we probably average 6ish loads a week for 4 people (2 adults, 2 kids under 7). We try not to wash things unless they're actually dirty - but overall, we get a lot of things dirty!
People doing a load or two a month... I guess you don't do sports/workouts and don't have a job requiring formal attire? I would probably be at 2/week just by myself.
Diapers should be every other day. I used to do every third day sometimes because we used disposables at twice-a-week daycare. I wonder if maybe their child was not wearing them every day--maybe just on weekends? They get pretty stinky if not washed promptly.
She is in daycare which requires disposables so you are correct she only wears them on weekends and evenings. In addition she is in the middle of potty training so that decreases it some. We have not found the diapers to be any different than when we did the wash every three days. But then again we do separate them right away and rinse unless we are out. That might make a difference.
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Just me, but I have 2 cats. I average to 1.5 loads a week. That sometimes works out to 3 loads every 2 weeks.
Change towels weekly, sheets every two weeks. I'll probably switch to weekly sheets due to allergy issues. I dislike making the bed, but I like not being able to breathe even less.
My roommate, however, has a horse. Horse clothes and regular clothes are 100% separate. And she has a massive wardrobe. She honestly could go 2-3 months on regular clothes except for socks/undies/bras. Horse clothes - if the weather swings between hot and cold, she can go at least a month.
On the other hand, I've seen her room. Much prefer mine :)
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Reporting back on my hand washing experience. Mixed results depending on the harmed type.
Delicates, undergarments, t shirts, hand wash only items: great success and not actually that hard
Yoga pants: not so good.
Method:
Water+clothes+dr. Bronners +sink+washboard
Soak
Scrub
Rinse twice
Wring
Roll in dry towel
Line dry
I had 4 delicate sweaters, 1 light blouse, 5 t shirts, a cotton dress, 3 camisoles, and 3 work out shorts and yoga pants, and underthings.
It took about an afternoon to do it all. Not any more or less time than with the machine, though slightly more hands-on.
Everything but the yoga pants went well. Im sure they aren't as truly and perfectly pristine as if I used the washer, though they look and smell clean so I'm not sure what else I can ask for. The yoga pants didn't dry all the way though and are a bit musty.
You'll notice I left out my trusty pair of jeans. They don't get washed often but when they do, they are so dirty they need to go in the washing machine. Plus wringing them is a beast.
Overall, I think I'll keep doing this and maybe do 1-2x/month load of jeans and yoga pants.
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She was running a laundry service as a side business?
We had a roommate at one point that ran the washer/dryer at least twice PER DAY. I still don't know what the hell she was doing. And whenever I took a peek, they were always full loads.
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I have all my clothes guaranteed not to bleed (anything new gets washed in the sink by itself until it doesn't bleed, plus I cold water wash, which helps). So clothes are one load.
Usually one load per week of clothes. One load per week of towels. One load every two weeks of sheets. It's just me and the dog. The dog has enough fur, no laundry items from her. I have adjustable water levels on my washing machine, so a small load gets the appropriate amount of water.
I find it is affected by several things - if I am low on clothes for a particular season, I wash more often because things are rotated more frequently. When it is a super hot humid summer I change clothes more than once a day, so that makes for more laundry. I love air dried sheets, so the sheets may get washed a bit early or late depending on the forecast.
Re sheets, fitted bottom sheets really changed the laundry dynamic. When I was a little girl, back in medieval times, my Mom changed the beds once a week. The top sheet went on the bottom, the bottom sheet went to the wash, a clean sheet (from last week's wash) went on top. That meant each sheet was on the bed for two weeks. So fewer sheets per wash, done more often, but she had two kids so there were three sheets in each load. Of course we all knew how to do mitered (=hospital) sheet corners, I had to do that as part of my housekeeping badge in Brownies. I have fitted bottom sheets, so they get done as one load.
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We probably do about 5-6 as well, although I don't keep track. 4 in the household, including a baby and a toddler who are both in cloth diapers. The baby's a spitter, which means that sometimes the adults go through more than one outfit a day as well! We don't own a dryer, so everything gets hung to dry.
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I don't do my fiance's laundry, so I can't speak for him. I do about 2 loads (1 hot, 1 cold) of clothes every 2 weeks. We've been doing the towels and sheets once per week lately because we are fighting fleas, but usually do those every... 4 weeks? Honestly it's so infrequent I can't even estimate.
Related question:
I don't have a washer/dryer in my current place. To use the ones in the building, it is $1.50 per wash and $1.50 per dry. I already hang dry *most* of my clothes, but what about washing? I'd like to save the laundry machines for towels and sheets only if I can. Washing and hang drying those in our no-outdoor-space-studio would be... logistically challenging.
Does anyone hand wash most or all of their laundry? Are there any tools for it out there? Is there any way to do it without having to spend money on something I don't already have (e.g.: sink, bathtub)?
It would involve spending money but this would make hand-washing easier.
http://thescrubba.com.au/
We have one for travelling.
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It would involve spending money but this would make hand-washing easier.
http://thescrubba.com.au/
We have one for travelling.
I loathe hand-washing but that's nearly making me want to give it a go. Cool!
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For our two person household, we do about 4-5 loads of laundry every 3-4 weeks. During the summer months, I tend to hang up most of these clothes on our clothesline outside, which means that I only put about one load into the dryer every time I do laundry.
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One person, one load every two weeks. It helps that I don't sweat much and that I have a desk job without any client-facing duties.
After reading this post, I've been rethinking my clothing habits. I mean, she lives in the PHILIPINES! Therefore I know that the heat and humidity of South Carolina is no excuse. I'm trying to get to the 1 load / 2 weeks benchmark by the end of next month.
Cheering you on. The environment and your wallet will both thank you. Plus, think about all the time you'll reclaim! :)
Ah, sorry for the late reply. I missed all the thread updates!
A couple more things to explain how I can go two weeks between laundry chores in a tropical climate:
1. I really don't sweat much or get much dirt on my things.
2. I don't have kids or pets.
3. I handwash and linedry my underwear at the end of every day. I don't count it as a "load" because it is, literally, two small pieces of clothing a day.
4. I spend most of my day in an air conditioned office.
5. Since I'm a homebody, most of my free time is spent indoors.
6. I don't have space for my own washer or dryer, and my loc laundromat is expensive (HCOL area), so I'm super motivated to keep things clean.
It won't work for everybody, but that's how I manage. Laundry is entirely dependent on your lifestyle and personal circumstances.
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Wow, seems like everyone is doing non stop laundry!
We (just 2 of us) do about 3 loads every 2 to 3 weeks. The laundry hamper just doesnt fill up to fast.
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1 adult, one or two loads per week. Depends if there are towels, dishtowels, or the once a month load of sheets. Dryer is rarely used--I hang everything up to dry.
Water and electric bills are very low.
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One person, one load every two weeks. It helps that I don't sweat much and that I have a desk job without any client-facing duties.
After reading this post, I've been rethinking my clothing habits. I mean, she lives in the PHILIPINES! Therefore I know that the heat and humidity of South Carolina is no excuse. I'm trying to get to the 1 load / 2 weeks benchmark by the end of next month.
Cheering you on. The environment and your wallet will both thank you. Plus, think about all the time you'll reclaim! :)
Ah, sorry for the late reply. I missed all the thread updates!
A couple more things to explain how I can go two weeks between laundry chores in a tropical climate:
1. I really don't sweat much or get much dirt on my things.
2. I don't have kids or pets.
3. I handwash and linedry my underwear at the end of every day. I don't count it as a "load" because it is, literally, two small pieces of clothing a day.
4. I spend most of my day in an air conditioned office.
5. Since I'm a homebody, most of my free time is spent indoors.
6. I don't have space for my own washer or dryer, and my loc laundromat is expensive (HCOL area), so I'm super motivated to keep things clean.
It won't work for everybody, but that's how I manage. Laundry is entirely dependent on your lifestyle and personal circumstances.
I'm back to once a week. I can do once every other week, but it's aweful tight. If it rains during my designated laundry week, walking to the laundry room is not pleasant. Or if I wait a day or two, I quickly deplete my stores of clean clothes.
It was a good trial, though. If I ever own a washing machine myself again, I'll definitely revisit the challenge.
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One load a week takes care of all my laundry. I rarely wear anything white or light coloured and wash everything together. I wear only raw denim jeans which don't get washed very often, perhaps every few month, hand-washed and hung dry. My wife is the same but since she works in a relatively high end retail department store and must look "proper", she wears delicate clothing which she washes by hand. We hang dry everything except my wife's towels. I also have been making our liquid laundry detergent from a mixture of borax, washing soda and soap flakes, which cut significantly on our laundry costs.
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4 or 5 loads a week. Arghhh.
2 adults and 2 teenagers. Lots of sports. Kids allergic so towels and their bed linen are washed often on high temperature.
Line dry everything exept towels and bed linen.
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I don't do my fiance's laundry, so I can't speak for him. I do about 2 loads (1 hot, 1 cold) of clothes every 2 weeks. We've been doing the towels and sheets once per week lately because we are fighting fleas, but usually do those every... 4 weeks? Honestly it's so infrequent I can't even estimate.
Related question:
I don't have a washer/dryer in my current place. To use the ones in the building, it is $1.50 per wash and $1.50 per dry. I already hang dry *most* of my clothes, but what about washing? I'd like to save the laundry machines for towels and sheets only if I can. Washing and hang drying those in our no-outdoor-space-studio would be... logistically challenging.
Does anyone hand wash most or all of their laundry? Are there any tools for it out there? Is there any way to do it without having to spend money on something I don't already have (e.g.: sink, bathtub)?
It would involve spending money but this would make hand-washing easier.
http://thescrubba.com.au/
We have one for travelling.
This is cool. I think I'll get one! And the video gives me the urge to wash my clothes while traveling the world.
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2 loads per week for one person. Thankfully my washer adjusts the amount of water based on load size. So I do one small load of work clothes and one larger load of clothes I wore at home that are covered in cat hair. I am not willing to mix the two loads, I have tried it in the past and it drives me nuts trying to get the cat hair off the work clothes.
Plus I guess a load a month for towels or sheets. I should probably do those more often, oh well.
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3 loads; one sheets/towels, one dark, one light.
maybe once a month I might do an additional load if we go camping or do something equally dirty, or if I decide to wash the slipcovers.
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Family of 6, we do 7-8 loads a week.
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Family of three-5 loads a week.
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22 year-old guy living alone, I do a load every 12-25 days, I'd say. Normal is two weeks; sometimes I make it to three, but never four. My most recent one was only a week wait because of washing sheets before fiancee flies in tomorrow to visit.
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My wife and I do our own laundry. I do 2 loads every 2 weeks. One light colors and one dark colors.
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Just me and my 2 kids 50% of the time ~ so I guess an average of two people. The washing machines in my basement are huge, so I do on average 2.5 loads of laundry a week. One for my clothes, one for kids clothes, one for everything else (but every other week) - sheets, towels, etc.