Do you check his pockets when you do laundry?

[mickeyboat]

DH came flying up the stairs this morning asking if I had started the dark laundry load. Of course I had, and he flips out because he thinks his checkbook was in the pocket of his shorts. I stopped the load, and lo and behold, it was soaked and in a ball at the bottom of his pocket.

He then proceeded to chew me out because I hadn't checked his pockets. I told him that it was his responsibility to check them, and anything in the laundry hamper was fair game. We have been "fighting" about this the entire 14 years we have been married, and I thought we had come to some sort of resolution, but apparently not. The agreement was if I found the pants on the floor and wanted to wash them, I had to either check the pockets or check with him first. I agreed to do this after I washed and ruined his cell phone several months ago. But if the pants are in the hamper, I will assume he has already cleaned them out.

He was able to salvage his checkbook register and has plenty of checks, so there is no huge loss, but I expect we will discuss this again tonight when we get home from work.

So what do you do?

Denae

 

[mudnuri]

Can't say I'd appreciate being 'chewed out' by my husband because HE left his check book in his pants pocket.

I think its time to tell your husband to grow up and empty his own pockets.....

I dont check pockets, if its in the pocket, and it ends up in the washer...your own fault...next time, check your pockets is the rule in my house!

Brandy

 

[RitaZ.]

I don't check DH's pockets because he doesn't like to keep anything in them, not even loose change.

Just tell your DH to empty his own pockets.

 

[crazyme5kids]

Let him do his own laundry.

 

[MsLeFever]

I'm hoping that I don't sound either like a sexist or a wuss here....

Check his pockets. He's not going to change or he's unable to. It won't take but a couple of seconds and you'll avoid all of those arguements. I think it may be a Dr. Philism - would you rather be right or happy?

At least he's not hiding anything in those pockets from you!

 

[wendy46001]

We have a double check policy...I check my pockets before they go in the basket and he (yes he does the laundry) checks them before they go in the wash....
Honestly i have an issue with leaving my chap stick in my pockets....
we had to ruin a few loads before we figured out that we both need to keep checking...
As for the argument...his pants his responsibility

 

[mickeyboat]

Can't say I'd appreciate being 'chewed out' by my husband because HE left his check book in his pants pocket.

I think its time to tell your husband to grow up and empty his own pockets.....

I dont check pockets, if its in the pocket, and it ends up in the washer...your own fault...next time, check your pockets is the rule in my house!

Brandy

Agreed. I told him the same thing. I think he was pretty stressed about ruining his checkbook and wanted someone else to blame. I know his mother always checked his pockets, and I was wondering if I am in the minority becayse I don't.

Denae

 

[THESCHULTZFIVE]

Let him do his own laundry.

That's what I do.

 

[Blondy876]

Not only do I not check pockets but if it goes in the hamper inside out I wash and fold it inside out. If he doesn't like it he can do his own laundry. I'm not his mother. Plus, he never washes my clothes at all. If he does a load he washes only his things. If I did that he would be naked.

I wouldn't be washing anything of my dh's if he got angry at me about not checking his pockets. He should be thanking me for making sure he had clean underwear.

 

[liamsaunt]

I think it is reasonable for you to expect him to check his pockets before putting his clothes in the hamper. Maybe you could try to remember to double check also, just in case. My DH is always leaving tissues in his pants pockets, and it makes a mess in the laundry if one of us doesn't catch it. I do not think it is reasonable for him to be angry with you because he forgot to remove his checkbook from his pants.

 

[mickeymo]

Whomever does laundry, checks pockets and gets to keep whatever is in the pockets. If I find loose money - it's mine!!! Sometimes, I score the jackpot!!!! The kids are even willing to help sort laundry and check pockets More often than not, it's my tissues which cause more of a problem in the washing machine and dryer, if I overlook a pocket. With the finders keepers rule, everyone has become more diligent about checking their own pockets before they hit the basket.

 

[mudnuri]

Agreed. I told him the same thing. I think he was pretty stressed about ruining his checkbook and wanted someone else to blame. I know his mother always checked his pockets, and I was wondering if I am in the minority becayse I don't.

Denae

I dont think your in the minority.....i still say i wouldnt do it....

Brandy

 

[golfgal]

I check MY pockets but no one elses. I also keep anything found in the laundry. Dh is pretty good about cleaning out his pockets, usually a golf tee or something is about it. The kids tend to forget. If an item of clothing feels particularly heavy I will check pockets to make sure it isn't a cell phone or asthma inhaler though.

If my Dh got mad at me for his mistake, that would be the end of the laundry service, period. Sorry, but your DH owes you a BIG apology. I wouldn't do any more of his laundry until he realizes you are not his slave.

 

[PRINCESS VIJA]

If it is in the hamper I do not check the pockets. If it was on the floor I would check them. DH does the laundry as well and he also does not check pockets. We take responsibilty for our own stuff so if I left something in my pocket and it got ruined, I would acknowledge it as my fault and vice verse for DH.

I would probably recommend that he do his own laundry!

 

[offwegotoneverland]

We also put in place the finders keepers rule. That really helped DH learn to empty his pockets as he can't get more "spending money" (ie money that is not budgeted for other stuff) if he sticks it in the wash. (laundry money is diverted to our vacation wine fund jar no exceptions so he does get it back sooner or later)

 

[Cantw8]

I'd stuff him in the washer and let him find it himself

BTW, I only check the kids pockets, too many of my clothes have fallen victim to a wayward tube of lip gloss or a pen

 

[budbeerlady]

I do NOT check pockets!!!!!! If it is in the laundry it is dh's job to check his own clothes when he takes them off. He got the point after his wallet went through the wash one night and it hasnt happened since. I dont have the time to check them all and I am not his mother, if it was in the hamper/basket it was considered ready to wash.

 

[Dodie]

Let him do his own laundry.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Heck ya' you check pockets if you are doing laundry. DH and I both do laundry, so whoever is tossing it into the machine checks the pockets.
Over the years we have had some serious messes in the laundry from not checking pockets...GUM being the worst. NEVER AGAIN do I want to spend an entire day cleaning up clothes and my laundry machine. Esp. the nice, new, fancy machine we have now.

 

[CJMickeyMouse]

I check pockets. All of them. I have found everything from $100 to a ball point pen to a Kleenex and I am not about to suffer the consequences of ANY of those items going through my washing machine!