d. 17 loads is the correct answer.
This is speaking quite conservatively. I knew that I was keeping track this week and so I tried to maximize each load and do no re-washing of a load that has gone through the washer already that might not be quite clean (ahem, armpits). I did on a couple occasions keep a piece of clothing (mostly Pookie’s underwear) from going in the dryer and save it for another same type of load for the washer. And Pookie’s sheets needed washing and didn’t make it in (he sweats a lot in his sleep like Auntie Rachel used to do).
I think I’m probably averaging more like 20 loads a week. That’s a whole lot! But after reading Susan’s laundry count, maybe it’s not so bad. And did organization lower the load count? No. It probably makes it more. Am I going to change my washing technique? Probably not unless I find a more efficient method.
I think after Pookie stops having mini-accidents (a little potty on the way to the bathroom or not wiping well after #2), requiring a load to be washed within 24 hours (or eww!), that should cut the total down a load or two. Three or four pairs of little boy underwear (in one week) does not a full load make; it does require me to find a nearly ready load and wash it when I could’ve procrastinated it (the load) a day or two longer. When Bun stops throwing food at the wall from his highchair I won’t have to wash as many dishcloths. When June stops dripping water all over the kitchen floor after drinking from her bowl I won’t have to wash as many hand towels. But when that day comes, I’m sure there will be different laundry trials (as I suppose my more seasoned readers would like to remind me): school clothes and after school clothes, sports uniforms, teenage drag-and-drop-itis (Yep, I remember it Dad!), clothes that were tried on and didn’t pass the test of nice enough to wear today but ended up in the laundry anyway or all over their bedroom floors (only to get infected by drag-and-drop-itis), towels that were used once to dry a clean body and dropped into the hamper, etc.
Perhaps it’s time for Pookie (4 ½ year old) to be in charge of laundry—maybe the towels. I will have to think on this idea for the next few days or so. Right now his only chore is changing the empty paper towel roll and putting a new one on. He does it happily though with a boost to his self-esteem each time. With laundry, I have horrible fears of the things he might find interesting to put in our front-loader washer—including his sister.
5 comments:
wowzers I must say, that is a lot of laundry. I say moving to a much warmer climate, definately lessens your load amount.
Good on ya! It's the laundry club for you. And can I just say, no matter what you do, it does not get better because they just get older with bigger clothes and more of them, and/or you add more children anyway. So just accept the role you have begun to play. It's all good!
I wonder why Mom didn't have us do our own laundry sooner. Fear of our incompetence, perhaps? Thoughts of the confusion and arguments that could (and did) replace the "who does this belong to?" question (which never quite went away anyway)? Maybe she was just waiting until there were few enough of us that we could each have our own laundry day. I don't think there really is any "best way" to do laundry. It's just one of those things that will never be convenient, fun, or finite.
I guess when you have a super mega ultra huge king capacity washer and stuff it to the gills you don't have to do as many loads. And I detest folding laundry so much I firmly refuse to do laundry more fequently than every six days, unless there is a true laundry emergency (say...Becca wets her pants four times a day for three days, then I will make an exception)
I think I would go into convulsions if I had to do that much laundry
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