Washing

I washed things more often when younger as I sweated more. As I've got older I don't sweat as much. I've also found my hair doesn't get as greasy so I no longer need to wash it as often, or have as many showers. If it is true what I read the other day about rationing water in a few years time if we don't build more reservoirs, we'll all need to cut our water use drastically! Washing clothes less frequently is good in so many ways. Less water used, especially hot water which has to be heated. Less detergent polution, less wear and tear on the clothes and less work for us! I'm not advocating going back to the middle ages when people were sewn into their clothes for months on end, but most people wash their clothes far more often than necessary and have more baths and showers than they need. Unless you have a very physical job or a very active lifestyle you don't need to shower every day.

Why the micromanagement?

Clean va dirty is a subjective concept

Absolutely agree, my youngest son moved back home for a month when his landlord sold up, that was nine years ago. However he does his own laundry, his own cooking and cooks for me too a couple of evenings a week, cleans his own room and the bathroom, besides working a 45 hour week.

Mollyb

1. Stop doing their washing
2. Charge them for all the washing powder, extra electricity etc.
Treat them like teens and they revert to teen behaviour.
3. Not having clean socks each day sounds quite revolting, am with them on that!

👏👏👏

Bet all these folk washing everything after one use wouldn’t do it they didn’t have an automatic washing machine 🤣

Mustafafag

Bet all these folk washing everything after one use wouldn’t do it they didn’t have an automatic washing machine 🤣

Quite.
Knickers and socks excepted! I remember when I was a child a very long time ago my mother being horrified because the next door neighbours only changed their underpants and socks once a week. Ours were changed daily even in the days of using a dolly tub.

Does anyone remember Lux soap flakes for woollens? They were lovely.

Does anyone remember Lux soap flakes for woollens? They were lovely.

Didn’t they also make good bubble mixture?

If you have a smart meter, use it to check how much electricity your washing machine uses and expect them to pay. Now that water is also expensive, you could work out the cost of that too.
And you could ask them to buy their own laundry detergent too.
I am not going to join the discussion about how often to change clothes.

Yes, they were very bubbly 😀
Good for blowing

Mustafafag

Bet all these folk washing everything after one use wouldn’t do it they didn’t have an automatic washing machine 🤣

Or a badly-designed machine. I've just replaced my ages-old Bosch washing machine and I KNOW a general wash takes about 55 minutes therefore. I've yet to take a good look at my new Bosch machine - but I've already seen people complaining about being expected to spend a lot longer (2-3 hours!!!!!) on doing a wash - because that's what the machine takes.!!!! When on earth would someone be prepared to focus on housework for that long at a stretch - rather than going out or going to bed?

I'd like to know when I moved a housekeeper in without knowing to spend that extra time on housework - because I certainly won't be. So thanks all for mentioning "15 minutes - eco wash". I am now thinking along lines of "If they have designed such a stupidly long cycle in the new machine - then I'll just do 2 or 3 eco washes one after the other - so as not to have an hour or two more focusing on housework rather than "My Life" each time.

It would seem that a lot of GNetters have very sweaty feet. My socks rarely go in the laundry basket until they have had at least 3 or 4 days of wear. In the distant past when I wore cotton socks, my feet did tend to sweat a bit. But since my Damascene Conversion many years ago to woollen hose, my gnarled tootsies remain dry and fragrant (honest!) throughout the day.

Romola

If you have a smart meter, use it to check how much electricity your washing machine uses and expect them to pay. Now that water is also expensive, you could work out the cost of that too.
And you could ask them to buy their own laundry detergent too.
I am not going to join the discussion about how often to change clothes.

Last Sunday, with 8 hours free electricity, I did several lots of washing, including a very hot one, used the tumble drier, batch cooked meals in the air fryer and soups in the soup maker for this week, ran the dishwasher and then with a cleaner, , showered long and luxuriously, charged all our devices including the portable chargers and hoovered the bedrooms. (Of course the fridge &freezer were still running in the background.)
According to the before/after readings of the smart meter, I’ll get a whole £2.50 refund.

2-3 days for socks???

When people share a house I don’t think it makes sense for each one to do their own washing, as by the time they’ve separated dark and light colours, quick v longer wash, the washing machine would be on several times every day with small loads.
But the OP could certainly point out the cost of electricity and water and come to a less costly and more environmentally friendly arrangement. But that depends on the household costs are allocated in the first place.

Why are you doing their washing? Are they unable to do it themselves?

Up to them how often they wear an item but they wash it and cover costs. Sounds like you are frustrated with something bigger

If they are living in your house, I hope they are paying rent, and part of the electricity bill. I take it they are living with you, as otherwise the size of the electricity bill, plus the water and sewage rates would be their headache rather than yours.

Work out how much electricity you use per machine load, tell them, and ask them if they want to wash clothes they have only worn once that they pay so much per machine load.

I would tell them to do their own washing, but you can better control the amount of washing and use the shortest programme and fill the machine up, if you do it.

At our ages we can wear underpants for more than one day, if we wash or bathe daily. As a young woman, I certainly could not, I often changed my underwear three times in the course of the day. I never had sweaty feet, so could wear stockings or socks for up to a week. So whether clothes need to be washed after one day's wear depends IMO on age and what type of work you do, whether you perspire a lot etc.

They are obviously rich so can afford to pay you double rent, possibly even triple!!
We all like to be clean and fresh but they're taking the mick. Time to work out a rota that includes you all to do the caretaking of the house and garden, or they are just going to carry on letting you do everything for them - let tem get those clothes dirty enough to use the washing machine!
Or, unplug it and let them think it is broken and they have to pay to use a laundrette!

Are they just shoving things in the wash rather than putting them away? I’d fold them and put them back in their room!
In our home I do my son’s shirts every day, trousers every other day (he’s a mechanic) undies and all our socks every day. My hubby and I are not sweaty, but we do chuck things down our fronts! mayonnaise/gravy/beetroot …well you get the picture. So they get done then, or when things have been worn a few times. I only wash twice a week though, 2 or 3 loads a time. (When DH was working he had a clean crisp shirt every day - can’t say I miss all that malarkey :-))

Is the OP real?

I do all the washing in our house. Myself 2 daughters and 2 teenage granddaughters live together. I only work part time so I do the washing as my choice as I can’t help with some other things so daughters do other jobs in the house.

Socks knickers and T shirts/shirts all worn next to the skin get washed after one wearing . Skirts/trousers/jumpers worn on top of an under layer and nightwear a couple of wearings . It’s a lot of washing with 5 people but a few loads every day keeps it manageable. Sheets/towels changed every week

I couldn't wear socks 2 days running but that’s me

charge them a fee, leave in a pile and get them to do it or if you have a tumble dryer and you don't think it needs washed, give it a spray with fabric freshener and put in the dryer for 10 mins, they probably won't know the difference.

My 3 children were all taught to use a washing machine at age 11. They were also responsible for cleaning their own room and changing and washing their bedding.
Adult family members who we have temporarily taken in in times of crisis (nieces nephews sister etc) all paid a small amount for rent. Never let anyone live off of me. I cooked all meals - they did their own washing.
I change socks, pants and tshirts daily. Trousers and jumpers every 2 days. Don't have a bath towel as I use a cotton towelling bathrobe. Washed every 3 showers/baths. I use a flannel for my face only - a clean one each day.

Four dog walks a day! Why?

Personally, I only sweat if weather is unduly hot.

Also, only wash clothes if dirty.

My Dd used to get me to do all her washing at one time.

When she got her own flat I bought her a washing machine.

ViceVersa I'm with you. Knickers daily but everything else is assessed as to needing washed or not. Sure there is some advice on jeans not needing washed after 3 or 4 wears, moore like 2 weeks unless you are doing very dirty jobs. I've more to do in life and not enough cash for washing everyday!