Author Topic: How often do you do laundry?  (Read 30504 times)

Mrs WW

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How often do you do laundry?
« on: January 29, 2014, 11:07:35 AM »
I follow the Prudent Homemaker and was SO surpriced to find out that she does three or four loads of laundry a day! Granted she has 7 kids, but come on, 20 or more loads a week? Thats three or more full loads for each kid!

We, a family of four, do three (european sized - yes even the washing machines are smaller) loads a week and that with two professional, hard biking parents that work out three days a week and with two very dirty kids! One lights, one darks and alternating towlels/sheets and reds every week. We also hang dry everything (indoors and out) except the towels in winter time.

This seems to be very much the normal rate in Sweden, and believe me we and people around us are surely not gross. What is your experience, how often do you run your washer?

The Taminator

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Re: How often do you do laundry?
« Reply #1 on: January 29, 2014, 11:10:45 AM »
When the hamper is full. Usually ends up being every two to three weeks and usually three loads. Household of two office workers.

Albert

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Re: How often do you do laundry?
« Reply #2 on: January 29, 2014, 11:21:12 AM »
Usually two loads (modest size) once a week for just myself.

nordlead

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Re: How often do you do laundry?
« Reply #3 on: January 29, 2014, 11:24:27 AM »
A "eruopean sized" washer means a front loader with no agitator, but a "US sized" means a top loader with an agitator. A front loader can hold more than a top loader with an agitator. But, Prudent Homemaker says she uses a front loader but doesn't say how big it is. Either way, 20 loads is a lot.

We have 3 small kids (4 and under) and I think we do ~7 loads/week. I'm guessing though as my wife does most of the laundry.

CommonCents

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Re: How often do you do laundry?
« Reply #4 on: January 29, 2014, 11:34:02 AM »
When the hamper is full. Usually ends up being every two to three weeks and usually three loads. Household of two office workers.

Same.  Usually 2-3 loads every two weeks for two office workers.  (Two being much more common than 3.  Three is for things like when we've had guests over and have their sheets/towels to do, or we decide a bunch of blankets need to be done etc.)

Frankies Girl

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Re: How often do you do laundry?
« Reply #5 on: January 29, 2014, 11:37:25 AM »
Average of 2 loads of laundry a week, sometimes a third load in there when stuff needs bleaching (towels and socks).

Two adults working in an office environment.

rocksinmyhead

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Re: How often do you do laundry?
« Reply #6 on: January 29, 2014, 11:42:34 AM »
I feel like we do WAY TOO MUCH laundry but I don't know why, all I know is we can never keep up with folding it! we probably do 3 loads a week, maybe 4. it just feels like a lot, and it is for only 2 people... one office worker, one in manufacturing but his job duties have shifted more lately so his clothes typically don't smell like chemicals and don't need to be washed every day :) also we both run 4-5x a week and I do yoga 3x a week, but I don't wash my yoga clothes every time because it isn't super sweaty yoga.

Samsam

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Re: How often do you do laundry?
« Reply #7 on: January 29, 2014, 11:42:54 AM »
1-3 times a month, and usually 2 loads at a time.  Household of 2 girls. 

galliver

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Re: How often do you do laundry?
« Reply #8 on: January 29, 2014, 11:58:45 AM »
Probably averages 1-2 loads per week (done weekly) for just me. Typically driven by lack of pants.

Thegoblinchief

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Re: How often do you do laundry?
« Reply #9 on: January 29, 2014, 12:01:51 PM »
I don't really track it, but probably 4-6 a week. (2 adults, 3 kids).

I sort the dirty laundry into warm and cold piles pretty much every day, and throw in a load as soon as I have enough to run the washer at full capacity. That way I'm not trying to line dry an insane amount of clothes.

CNM

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Re: How often do you do laundry?
« Reply #10 on: January 29, 2014, 12:03:46 PM »
We do:

1 load once a week for baby's clothes
1-2 loads per week for baby diapers
1 load per week for my clothes
1 load every other week for sheets
1 load ever other week for towels
1 load every other week for husband's clothes
Maybe an extra load of something- kitchen rags, cloth napkins, placemats, dog bed cover- on average 1 per week

So, that adds up to... 5-7 loads a week.

That sounds like a lot, but when you're using cloth rather than disposable that adds up.  If Prudent Homemaker (I don't know her website) has several kids in cloth diapers at once, that's a lot of loads right there.

bevathome

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Re: How often do you do laundry?
« Reply #11 on: January 29, 2014, 12:03:55 PM »
For our family of four (2 adults, 2 school-aged children), we do 4-5 loads a week.

Greg

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Re: How often do you do laundry?
« Reply #12 on: January 29, 2014, 12:07:10 PM »
Our household of 2 adults and one kid does 2-3 loads per week. One is just towels, sheets, napkins and rags. 

There are many possible reasons the "prudent homemaker" does so many per week.  Pets, small loads, too many sorting categories.  We usually do everything together unless there's a lot and more than one load to do anyway.

One nice thing about a good front load machine is it will use less water for smaller loads, and of course the drying could take less time as well.
« Last Edit: January 29, 2014, 12:09:22 PM by Greg »

mollyjade

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Re: How often do you do laundry?
« Reply #13 on: January 29, 2014, 12:07:17 PM »
Two office workers. Two loads a week. One of non-white clothes, and one of either sheets, towels, whites, or kitchen laundry.

zinnie

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Re: How often do you do laundry?
« Reply #14 on: January 29, 2014, 12:16:24 PM »
We do about 2 loads a week. There are just two adults here.

It helps that we only have one set of sheets, one of towels, etc. because there just isn't that much stuff to wash. I wait until each category hamper is completely packed to the brim and stuff it all in.

Edit: I was thinking back to this thread and we definitely do 2 loads a week, not 1-2. So I corrected it!
« Last Edit: March 31, 2014, 12:59:38 PM by zinnie »

ChiStache

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Re: How often do you do laundry?
« Reply #15 on: January 29, 2014, 12:17:02 PM »
About 4 loads a week. Two office workers, plus we operate an AirBNB, which generates sheets/towels. AND, we're thinking about cloth diapering the baby we're expecting in May. I wonder if I'll lose my mind!

One thing that's helped me is hanging all our work clothes right as they come out of the wash.  No drying, no ironing. Let them dry on the hangers (in a well ventilated area.) Saves money and time.

BPA

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Re: How often do you do laundry?
« Reply #16 on: January 29, 2014, 12:30:00 PM »
2-3 loads a week.  Just me and my teenaged son.  I am allergic to anti-perspirant and he is a teenage boy, so things can get stinky otherwise.  :D 

And I love me some fresh sheets. 

I haven't used my dryer in 8 years though so that helps.

Mrs WW

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Re: How often do you do laundry?
« Reply #17 on: January 29, 2014, 12:37:52 PM »
Thanks all for answering! By european I mean a 6-7 kg capacity. Turns out I really meant old fashioned since most new washing machines have an 8-9 kg capacity without being any bigger than before. I guess my sil's and friens's HUGE washer an dryer set that you can fit a comforter in (12 kg or more, from sears i think) swayed my view of US style vs. European!

catccc

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Re: How often do you do laundry?
« Reply #18 on: January 29, 2014, 12:40:27 PM »
I would say that our family of 4 averages 2-3 loads a week, usually closer to two.  When we cloth diapered, it was maybe 3-4 loads a week.  But no poopy diapers involved, since we poo-trained our babies, so it was kind of a 1/2 way cloth diapering situation.


Nothlit

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Re: How often do you do laundry?
« Reply #19 on: January 29, 2014, 12:47:16 PM »
Single adult male here. I do laundry about once every 10-12 days, which usually consists of two loads in the wash (whites and colors separated) and everything combined in the dryer. The bulk of what I'm washing is usually underwear and washcloths. Shirts and pants don't get very dirty or smelly at my desk job so they don't need to be washed every single time I do a load.

brand new stash

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Re: How often do you do laundry?
« Reply #20 on: January 29, 2014, 12:49:49 PM »
3 kids 2 adults...about 5 loads a week. 

kt

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Re: How often do you do laundry?
« Reply #21 on: January 29, 2014, 12:50:39 PM »
about 1 wash a week, clothes every other week and towels/bedsheets in between. just me here though.

Ashyukun

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Re: How often do you do laundry?
« Reply #22 on: January 29, 2014, 02:11:22 PM »
Usually about three loads a week if the fiancee and I are anywhere near coordinated- a load of light, a load of dark, and a load of towels/my kendo uniform/gym and dance clothes using the detergent with Febreeze in it.

jrhampt

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Re: How often do you do laundry?
« Reply #23 on: January 29, 2014, 02:17:10 PM »
When the hamper is full. Usually ends up being every two to three weeks and usually three loads. Household of two office workers.

Same.  Usually 2-3 loads every two weeks for two office workers.  (Two being much more common than 3.  Three is for things like when we've had guests over and have their sheets/towels to do, or we decide a bunch of blankets need to be done etc.)

Same here. 

jexy103

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Re: How often do you do laundry?
« Reply #24 on: January 29, 2014, 03:03:54 PM »
Usually two loads (modest size) once a week for just myself.

Same here. I do 1-2 loads a week for myself (definitely a load of dark, and usually a white/light combined); occassionally (every 1-2 months), I'll do a third load for sheets.

Melody

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Re: How often do you do laundry?
« Reply #25 on: January 29, 2014, 04:05:57 PM »
As soon as the (small) hamper is full. The washer is only a 5kg one (front loader, apartment sized) so it doesn't fit much. I do 3 loads every two weeks on average. Basically a load of clothes each week and an extra (sheet/towel) load every 2nd week. Don't own a dryer - the sun is free :)

milla

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Re: How often do you do laundry?
« Reply #26 on: January 29, 2014, 04:14:50 PM »
Four loads a week, family of four. All on the same day. I honestly don't know how to make 20 loads of laundry a week.

Gray Matter

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Re: How often do you do laundry?
« Reply #27 on: January 29, 2014, 04:56:20 PM »
Family of five, do laundry once a week, two to three loads.   More if/when a dog/kid pees/vomits on the bed.

dragoncar

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Re: How often do you do laundry?
« Reply #28 on: January 29, 2014, 04:59:14 PM »
Every 2-4 weeks.  Depends on what I get into.

happy

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Re: How often do you do laundry?
« Reply #29 on: January 29, 2014, 05:27:32 PM »
Feels like I do too much. Adding it up 4loads for the humans and 2 loads for the pets per week. Sometimes an extra load for something special e.g. reds, which I collect up to do together. 

3 grownups - 1 adult, 2 teens (one of whom is stinky). Towels done fortnightly. Girls sheets every 4 weeks, boys sheets fortnightly.

Never really thought about the pet bedding before...hmmm these little guys are using up a lot of resource.

chicagomeg

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Re: How often do you do laundry?
« Reply #30 on: January 29, 2014, 08:16:47 PM »
Maybe I'm doing something wrong haha. Husband & I do two loads of colors, a load of whites, and a load of towels every weekend. Plus, I usually was a few of the blankets from our couch that are constantly covered in dog hair, or the dog's beds, or the old towels we used to give them a bath or dry them off...

But, laundry is my favorite chore & we don't pay for the water heater or the water, so oh well.

bikebum

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Re: How often do you do laundry?
« Reply #31 on: January 29, 2014, 08:31:33 PM »
I do a full load every 2 or 3 weeks. Girlfriend does a full load probably every week.

When I was a kid, my mom washed all my clothes after one use. Once I moved out for college, I realized that laundry is a pain and started wearing my clothes longer before washing.

Rural

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Re: How often do you do laundry?
« Reply #32 on: January 29, 2014, 08:44:55 PM »
We do 3-4 loads a week, American top loader. That's work clothes for both of us (office work), plus a 'second shift' of house building, car fixing, shoveling, etc and the associated dirty, smelly clothes for my husband. Plus some of the above for me, especially car fixing (generally not shoveling, as it's not among my skills...). Oh,and our towels and the dogs' bedding get washed every couple of weeks, and our bedding just a little less often. Maybe 3-5 loads is more accurate.

fat bruce lee

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Re: How often do you do laundry?
« Reply #33 on: January 29, 2014, 08:47:27 PM »
Between the GF and I, 1-1.5 times a week where we may have 2 loads. I typically rewear most dress shirts a few times and chinos for a week+.  What KILLS me is the third person doing late laundry and having the dryer run all night.  For maybe 10 pieces tops.  Rack gets used too. 

I actually like the dollar store detergents.  I don't buy into names.  I'm not dirty enough where I need tide xxxxtra clean.  The laundry process is costly in $$ and time so I like to minimize. 

pachnik

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Re: How often do you do laundry?
« Reply #34 on: January 29, 2014, 08:55:24 PM »
2 loads per week.  we are 2 office workers.

girly mustache

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Re: How often do you do laundry?
« Reply #35 on: January 29, 2014, 08:59:36 PM »
2-3 loads a week for one adult and one child... A lady I work with mentioned the other day that they do 30(!!!) loads of laundry each week - 2 adults and 2 children. I almost choked on my coffee when she said that...

chucklesmcgee

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Re: How often do you do laundry?
« Reply #36 on: January 29, 2014, 09:17:00 PM »
2-3 loads a week in a small washer. Gym clothes make up about half of that. Found that hanging wet button-up shirts to dry saves time in the dryer and leaves them less wrinkled.

greaper007

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Re: How often do you do laundry?
« Reply #37 on: January 29, 2014, 09:25:39 PM »
I'm potty training my daughter right now, so it ends up being a load  just about every to every other day.   I'd say 5-7 depending on how the week went.   I re-wear my jeans and outer shirts until they stink, but I find I have to wash socks, underwear and t-shirts after one wear or people start to think I'm French.

Still, I'd like to get it lower just to lower our energy use.

Zikoris

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Re: How often do you do laundry?
« Reply #38 on: January 29, 2014, 09:47:42 PM »
One load a week, two people. Our stuff is old enough that colours don't run together, so we wash everything together. We do sheets and blankets once a month, so that weekend we do two loads. We hang everything to dry.

payitoff

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Re: How often do you do laundry?
« Reply #39 on: January 29, 2014, 09:52:36 PM »
about 3 loads every weekend, 1 colors, 1 darks, 1 white, linens once a month.

greaper007

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Re: How often do you do laundry?
« Reply #40 on: January 29, 2014, 10:10:04 PM »
2-3 loads a week in a small washer. Gym clothes make up about half of that. Found that hanging wet button-up shirts to dry saves time in the dryer and leaves them less wrinkled.

Same here, it's strange how wearing gym shorts twice makes them smell worse than any human being living or dead.   It must be some kind of ball bacteria that causes it.

livetogive

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Re: How often do you do laundry?
« Reply #41 on: January 29, 2014, 10:51:16 PM »
I'm a big sweaty dude who works out a lot, so I end up doing 3-4 loads every 10 days or so filled with ACUs, workout clothes and towels but our washer is pretty small.  in a laundromat I bet it'd be 1.5-2.

Nudelkopf

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Re: How often do you do laundry?
« Reply #42 on: January 30, 2014, 12:43:45 AM »
Probably averages 1-2 loads per week (done weekly) for just me. Typically driven by lack of pants.
Me too, on all accounts. My second load of the week is normally linen or towels (alternating weeks), and I tend to put some clothes into that load as well.

wtjbatman

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Re: How often do you do laundry?
« Reply #43 on: January 30, 2014, 01:03:32 AM »
Not sure, let me ask my girlfriend.

(glad she's not on these forums)

marty998

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Re: How often do you do laundry?
« Reply #44 on: January 30, 2014, 04:21:03 AM »
2-3 loads a week in a small washer. Gym clothes make up about half of that. Found that hanging wet button-up shirts to dry saves time in the dryer and leaves them less wrinkled.

Same here, it's strange how wearing gym shorts twice makes them smell worse than any human being living or dead.   It must be some kind of ball bacteria that causes it.

Yes this is true. everything is supposed to come out clean (and does), but I always think twice about dropping a very sweaty singlet or shorts into the washer with the normal dirty clothes. Fear of contamination is misplaced but nevertheless the fear is still there that the toxic smell will mix.

Kaminoge

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Re: How often do you do laundry?
« Reply #45 on: January 30, 2014, 05:01:40 AM »
On average 2 loads a week (front loader). Work clothes I wash rarely but exercise clothes and inner layers add up (not just underwear, thermals - I'm a wimp about the cold). I also swim daily and go through several towels a week because of that.

Similar topic I learned off Facebook that one of my friends changes the sheets EVERY week. Now I can understand doing that sometimes in mid summer in a hot country (where you wake up drowning in sweat every day) but this friend lives in northery Italy.

Worsted Skeins

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Re: How often do you do laundry?
« Reply #46 on: January 30, 2014, 07:39:44 AM »
We are a household of two adults, one working outside the home.  We do three or four loads per week in a top loader.  Some of this can be seasonal--sweaty clothes and beach towels in warmer months.  We use towels and dishcloths instead of paper towels except for grease. 

This thread reminded me to glance at our cloth napkins.  Maybe they should have been tossed in the wash earlier.

snellbert

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Re: How often do you do laundry?
« Reply #47 on: January 30, 2014, 09:16:19 AM »
This is interesting, I don't think I've ever counted! I'm not certain, but I'd guess 7-8 loads a week on the high end. Two adults and two toddlers. We use cloth diapers and are potty training my oldest, so it's a bit higher than normal lately. We also use cloth napkins/wipes. I'd probably wash kid clothes less often, but with two dogs and a crawling baby, she turns into a hairball pretty quickly. 

-2 loads diapers/wipes/potty training mishaps
-1 load towels/napkins
-1 load kid clothes
-2 loads adult clothes
-1 load underclothes

anastrophe

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Re: How often do you do laundry?
« Reply #48 on: January 30, 2014, 11:31:31 AM »
1 load per week for two people. Once a month I do sheets and towels, so five loads per month. We don't even have enough clothing to do two loads per week, nevermind per day.

kolorado

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Re: How often do you do laundry?
« Reply #49 on: January 30, 2014, 11:54:39 AM »
Family of five, large capacity washer, 6 loads per week. So that's two loads each on Mon., Wed. and Fri. I give the wet items a quick tumble in the dryer to fluff the fibers and then hang them to dry in the basement.
I grew up in a family of seven with an average sized washer. We did about 10 loads a week. It was my job often enough that I remember that. :)
« Last Edit: January 30, 2014, 11:56:11 AM by kolorado »