laundry help

[momxx5]

After being quite sick with kidney stones and then back to work, I have fallen so behind on laundry that I probably have easily 10+ loads not including changing bedding.

What is the quickest way to get it all done?
Small loads that dry faster???
or my usual....largest loads I can do (huge capacity washer/dryer) although it does take longer to dry a load than wash??

 

[sherreis]

have you thought about going to a laundromat??? You can get a lot done at once. Then, you can do the rest at home.

Just a thought. Hope you feel better

 

[angwill]

I would stick with larger loads and just do them through the day or week. Smaller loads are going to take the same time to wash and cost you more money in water and electricity.

 

[jmartinez1895]

I am sorry that you got sick and I hope that you are doing much better. We are a family of 5 and this past April I had my gallbladder removed. I was in the same boat as you. We also have large capacity machines and I stuffed them and sometime swould have to run a dry cycle 2 times ,but for me is was better than having to get up and down and load and unload for smaller loads. Once they dried I could sit on the couch and fold them and due to the drying time I got to rest between loads.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

I agree with PP go to the laundromat. You can wash a bunch of loads at once and dry a bunch of loads at once.
When I used to go to the laundromat I loved being able to do 5 loads in the amount of time it would have taken me to do one load.
I took a book and read while waiting. And in about an hour I was able to get 5 loads washed and dried!

 

[momxx5]

Laudrymat is too expensive so that is a no go.

I am doing my usual large loads and like pp said it allows for folding time while waiting on dryer.
It may take more than today to catch up, but at least everyone will have socks and underwear. LOL!

 

[Diegosmom]

No way would I lug all that laundry to the laundrymat...wow that is a ton of work and then you are stuck sitting there for 2 hours.

Nope I would just make sure the dryer is always going. I did 3 loads last night in no time while I was cleaning the kitchen.

I always make sure when I am going to bed that there is a load in the washer and in the dryer and then before I leave for work I throw the load in the dryer (hubby leaves after me so it is done before he leaves). Then as soon as I get home I throw a load in.

 

[prncess674]

Well it appears you have a large family, so I would get my family in on the process. I believe some of your kids are high school age so learning to sort and do laundry is a skill that they will need in college. Have a big sorting and have your kids help by loading/unloading. Even little kids can help fold small items such as hand towels and wash cloths.

As far as sheets are concerned I would wash, dry and put right back on the bed so you can skip the folding step!

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

I made my family learn how to do their own laundry so when I travel or have to be gone for more than 3 days, they can do their own. My kids were 8 years old when I taught them.

On my last trip, my husband didn't do any of his and saved it for me. I reminded him that he was supposed to do his own laundry while I was gone and I wasn't doing his until he had it caught up. He wasn't happy but did do it.

You may want to consider something like that the next time you have to be gone but in the meantime, do the biggest loads you can until it's all done.

Wouldn't it be great to have a laundry fairy?

 

[BSil]

I don't really do laundry, my wife handles it, and I always have clean clothes to wear. I understand how to put it in, take it out to put in the dryer, and then dry it though. I am certainly not as quick or good at laundry as my wife, but it isn't exactly rocket science. I can't believe that no one bothered to toss in a few loads while you were out of commission to make it easier when you got home.

I am a useless husband when it comes to chores like laundry, cooking, cleaning etc. I do the outdoor chores, and take care of the projects etc., but even being a complete moron in the kitchen and laundry room would not stop me from cooking something to eat or having clean clothes if my wife was not around to do it. You should do what my wife does when I piss her off...go on strike! By my third night of bologna sandwiches, I quickly realize what a ******* I have been.

 

[tar heel]

Call a family meeting, and divide the duties. If someone's home, the washer and/or dryer should be going. You have five children, none of whom are too young to do laundry, and a husband. They let the laundry go while you were sick. They should be ashamed of themselves. You may need to let them know that . . .

 

[undertheradar]

Are you still using the box that had spilled on the floor? I remember many posters offered you tips on that problem. Your hs kids are old enough to be doing laundry, they should be able to help with it when they aren't at marching band or football.

 

[disney*mom*82]

Gl with that, I hate having to play catch up on laundry. I had to hall loads for a few months last year to laundromat and it was horrible, but really to get it all done at once, it is the fastest.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

We just sort and cycle it through. We have an express cycle that is only 20 minutes, so that helps save on some time. (Doesn't help on the drying end, though.)

I would also employ the help of your kids. Mommy's been sick, time for everyone to pitch in and help out. Daddy as well.

Many hands make light the work.

My illnesses are never an excuse for my family to let it all pile up. So I get their help to fix it when I am well. (Pretty much when I am down, the goal is to just not make things worse.)

 

[Jey12]

If you have older kids, like over the age of 8, and a DH you didn't get behind THEY did! Now THEY can catch it back up. I'd do my own laundry and leave theirs sitting in the pile.

 

[SandrA9810]

Growing up, my aunt had a tiny stacked set that was in the kitchen. Every one did their own just cause there wasn't much room to do big loads. If you didn't do it, you didn't have clean clothes.
Never thought it to being challenging for people to do it on their own.

You could always do half dryer loads, then you'll have more time to fold and less to fold at once.

The dryer is broken, but the laundromat is like $3.75 a wash. So I wash the clothes, then take them to the laundromat to dry. It only takes like 30 minutes in one machine for two wash loads. I use two machines at once. I try to even the loads out between light cotton stuff and heavier jeans/sweats/towels. I also love that they have nice big tables for folding on. I try to fold there, because once I get home, I don't want to be bothered by it.

 

[debster812]

OP--you have teens, right? Now would be the PERFECT time to teach them how to do laundry. You have lots saved up, so lots of clothes to learn on. DS is 14, plays on multiple soccer teams (HS, club, indoor league) and DH and I were tired of doing the "Where's my uniform scramble", so DS was taught how to do his own laundry.

 

[Swan4Me]

My DH is one of those "I dont know how to do the laundry" types-but when i started working full time, he started pitching in. Your DH needs to also-

and all those big sons you have need to learn how to do it also-or they will end up helpless like your DH
3 are teenage boys all over 6ft and 2 over 230lbs(football players), also 2 growing girls ( 12 & 9).

 

[Adipoo]

I'm not even sure my husband knows where the washer and dryer are, but you can bet your bippy that he'd take it upon himself to learn if I was ill. In this house, pre-teens were taught to do their own laundry. Think of it as a valuable life skill.

 

[Marionnette]

I'm a bad mom. I didn't teach my kids how to do laundry until they were ready for college. I got a lot of texts those first few weeks. Older son actually made me email him directions on how to sort and what temps to wash things in. In hindsight, their lives and mine would have been much easier if I had made them do their own laundry while they were still at home.

OP, I hope you got your laundry done yesterday. I hang a lot of things up rather than throw them in the dryer. I usually do a load of towels first, toss them in the dryer and then follow with two loads that can be line dried. By the time the second load is hung up, the towels are done and the fourth load can be tossed in the dryer (usually blue jeans). I continue with this pattern until all the laundry is done. I only do laundry once a week now that it is just me and my husband at home. But I do 8 loads on that day and they're all dry and folded by bedtime.