Laundry Basket/Hamper

[TCRAIG]

12 loads for you?!?! Jesus H Christ on a popsicle stick, how big is your wardrobe?

Well - ya got your lights, darks and in between - then 2 loads of whites - 3 loads of towels, load of sheets, 1 load of delicates, 1 of jeans and then finally cleaning cloths…it’s not so much the ‘volume’ as the separation…

 

[Kathryn Merteuil]

We use different... hamper to carry stuff down, laundry basket to carry the clean stuff back upstairs.

 

[PollyannaMom]

I had a thought...

Those of you who use multiple baskets because you don't want the "clean" clothes picking up something (dirt? germs? I'm not sure) from the "dirty" basket... what do you do for vacations?
1) Take time out of vacation to wash everything before putting it back in the suitcase (so only "clean" stuff is in the suitcase)?
2) Wipe out the suitcase after your dirty clothes come back (in which case, couldn't you wipe out the laundry basket?)?
3) Bring home dirty clothes in the suitcase, unpack, let the suitcase sit until the next trip, then put clean clothes in it?

I don't use separate baskets at home, but we do generally bring a trash bag or two with us to throw dirty clothes in at the hotel. We then usually put the whole bag into the suitcase, so the dirty stuff does stay separate from souvenirs and any clothes still clean.

 

[slo]

I had a thought...

Those of you who use multiple baskets because you don't want the "clean" clothes picking up something (dirt? germs? I'm not sure) from the "dirty" basket... what do you do for vacations?
1) Take time out of vacation to wash everything before putting it back in the suitcase (so only "clean" stuff is in the suitcase)?
2) Wipe out the suitcase after your dirty clothes come back (in which case, couldn't you wipe out the laundry basket?)?
3) Bring home dirty clothes in the suitcase, unpack, let the suitcase sit until the next trip, then put clean clothes in it?

This has been a fun and interesting thread - who would have thought it would have generated so much attention. To answer these questions…..

1 - I never do laundry when on vacation. The thought of putting my laundry into a community washing machine grosses me out.

2 - The dirty laundry or shoes don’t touch the suitcase, so no need to wipe out.

3 - I do bring it home in the suitcase, but in bags. I actually have a large cloth laundry bag that everything goes in during the trip. When time to come home, I transfer the remainder of DH’s items from his suitcase into my suitcase and the laundry bag goes into his suitcase. I also take kitchen garbage bags with me in case I need to take some out to put in my suitcase. Then when we come home I wash the laundry bag and save the garbage bag(s) to use in the kitchen garbage can. Shoes going and returning always go in a plastic store bag. Never ever will shoes go into a suitcase without being in a plastic bag.

 

[mousefan73]

This has been a fun and interesting thread - who would have thought it would have generated so much attention. To answer these questions…..

1 - I never do laundry when on vacation. The thought of putting my laundry into a community washing machine grosses me out.

2 - The dirty laundry or shoes don’t touch the suitcase, so no need to wipe out.

3 - I do bring it home in the suitcase, but in bags. I actually have a large cloth laundry bag that everything goes in during the trip. When time to come home, I transfer the remainder of DH’s items from his suitcase into my suitcase and the laundry bag goes into his suitcase. I also take kitchen garbage bags with me in case I need to take some out to put in my suitcase. Then when we come home I wash the laundry bag and save the garbage bag(s) to use in the kitchen garbage can. Shoes going and returning always go in a plastic store bag. Never ever will shoes go into a suitcase without being in a plastic bag.

This is why I find it so annoying where I live plastic store bags are on the out. I have always reused these bags for things like packing shoes etc. or other gross stuff

 

[tzolkin]

Will they do it the same way? No. Will they use the same amount of detergent or fabric softener, no. Will the different method ruin the clothes? Highly unlikely.

I agree with the rest of your points and think that spouses and older children should be capable of doing laundry and dishes themselves, but I do think there may need to be an "instruction" period. I, personally, do not want to do a learn-by-trial-and-error with my things if I could just take five minutes to give them some advice.

The bolded really depends on your clothing. Maybe a different method would not ruin your clothes, but if you wore more wool/silk/handwash/etc it may be a much bigger deal if someone else does the laundry "wrong".

The all-time question for me is...do you separate light and dark clothes? I couldn't care less about doing this.

I do separate, but not specifically just for "lights/darks". I separate by hot water and cold water. One load is always specifically for socks/underwear but I'll add in other items to make a full load that are okay with the hottest water and dryer settings.

I'm really lax about a lot of stuff. But if loading the dishwasher the wrong way means dishes come out dirty and have to be soaked and rewashed, it does matter.

Yes, in theory it should be a learning experience, but in practice (at least in my house) it's almost never the same person starting the dishwasher who also empties it. So, kids load and start it late at night, spouse empties it at 4am and puts all the crusty bowls that didn't come clean to soak in the sink, and I either need to leave them sitting there for a day or two to "show" the kids they didn't come clean or (99% of the time) I just rewash and put away myself.

... what do you do for vacations?
1) Take time out of vacation to wash everything before putting it back in the suitcase (so only "clean" stuff is in the suitcase)?
2) Wipe out the suitcase after your dirty clothes come back (in which case, couldn't you wipe out the laundry basket?)?
3) Bring home dirty clothes in the suitcase, unpack, let the suitcase sit until the next trip, then put clean clothes in it?

Typically #3, but sometimes #2 with a disinfectant wipe depending on what's in there.

We always put socks/underwear and anything really dirty in a separate plastic bag so contact is limited (and it's in the suitcase for less than 24 hours). But, I think there's also a difference because we don't use the suitcase again for quite some time so it has plenty of time to air out between uses. Versus the hamper which had dirty socks/underwear/washcloths sitting in it for two weeks so I'd rather not put my clean clothes directly back into it.

 

[PollyannaMom]

This is why I find it so annoying where I live plastic store bags are on the out. I have always reused these bags for things like packing shoes etc. or other gross stuff

I usually use plastic bags as well, but if you're out of them, I saw a tip somewhere about packing shoes in a shower cap:

 

[Moliphino]

Anything can happen no matter who is doing laundry. It’s not rocket science. I stand by my claim that any adult spouse should be able to do a load of laundry.

If they can’t, they are faking, or it’s sad.

I agree that anyone can learn, but a lot can go wrong if someone messes up.
Growing up, my mom wouldn't let any of us do laundry because she was sure we'd mess it up. That went for most cleaning, actually - nobody could ever clean to her standards. It's funny, though, because I think in the 18 years I've been doing my own laundry I've ruined less clothing than she did when I was a kid.

 

[TippyThomas]

I use laundry net type bags to take them for washing and they are given back to me in the same bags but the bags are washed with the clothes as well. Works out pretty well for me.

 

[kdonnel]

I agree that anyone can learn, but a lot can go wrong if someone messes up.
Growing up, my mom wouldn't let any of us do laundry because she was sure we'd mess it up. That went for most cleaning, actually - nobody could ever clean to her standards. It's funny, though, because I think in the 18 years I've been doing my own laundry I've ruined less clothing than she did when I was a kid.

I just don't see what can happen that is so bad and the clothes washers fault.

If the issue is hand wash only items in the machine wash items basket, that seems like a sorting mistake made by the clothing owner, not the clothing washer.

The same for the examples of new jeans being washed with whites or chapstick going through the wash. That is not the fault on the clothing washer but fault of the clothing owner, well I guess they could be the same person. But in that case it is probably time that the spouse stops saving their spouse from themselves.

Your mother sounds like one who needed to have control.

I know my mom sure did need the control.

I remember one time my wife and I were visiting my parents. For whatever reason my wife and I were cooking something for my wife, daughter, and I to eat. I think we had traveled through the evening meal and arrived late at my family home. My mom hovered over us while we cooked to ensure we used the correct pot, that we wiped out the sink the right way, that we used the can opener correctly, etc. At one point she yelled for my dad to come to the kitchen. I figured we had done something wrong but no. She had to go to the bathroom and needed him to watch us in her absence to make sure we didn't make a mistake.

 

[Moliphino]

I just don't see what can happen that is so bad and the clothes washers fault.

If the issue is hand wash only items in the machine wash items basket, that seems like a sorting mistake made by the clothing owner, not the clothing washer.

The same for the examples of new jeans being washed with whites or chapstick going through the wash. That is not the fault on the clothing washer but fault of the clothing owner, well I guess they could be the same person. But in that case it is probably time that the spouse stops saving their spouse from themselves.

Your mother sounds like one who needed to have control.

I know my mom sure did need the control.

I remember one time my wife and I were visiting my parents. For whatever reason my wife and I were cooking something for my wife, daughter, and I to eat. I think we had traveled through the evening meal and arrived late at my family home. My mom hovered over us while we cooked to ensure we used the correct pot, that we wiped out the sink the right way, that we used the can opener correctly, etc. At one point she yelled for my dad to come to the kitchen. I figured we had done something wrong but no. She had to go to the bathroom and needed him to watch us in her absence to make sure we didn't make a mistake.

We had a laundry chute from the kids bathroom down to the half bath/laundry room. There was no sorting done by the wearer, just throw it down the chute.
Even now, I do the laundry for me and my sister (she does the vacuuming, which I hate). It all goes into one hamper and I sort when I am doing the laundry.

 

[Lord Manhammer]

Who would’ve thought something so banal could inspire such intense conversation

 

[mi*vida*loca]

We use separate but not because of germs. It just works better for our process.

I have a tall decorative laundry basket in my room for myself and SO. Next to it I have two smaller cheap plastic baskets.

Whenever I feel like doing a load I separate it on the bedroom floor, pick up the load and walk the 15 steps to the “laundry room” that is super small and also has our furnace. There's no room in there to fold clothes or any of that. When the load is done I use the small plastic basket to put the clean clothes in and set it on the bench at the end our bed for SO to fold. It’s usually done the same day. Sometimes it takes him a day or two.

It wouldn’t work to have that tall basket on the bench. It would block out view of the tv and just be in the way. We would also have nowhere to put our newly dirty clothes if SO takes a day or two to fold it.

DD does the same as us. DS has two plastic baskets and he fills them with dirty clothes and clean clothes. He doesn’t differentiate the baskets.

When I’m on vacation I take a collapsable laundry basket. If I do a load of laundry while on vacation I use the same basket for clean and dirty. Last trip at Disney I didn’t do laundry but I did it on our trip before that.

 

[AppleDumpling]

I don't use separate baskets at home, but we do generally bring a trash bag or two with us to throw dirty clothes in at the hotel. We then usually put the whole bag into the suitcase, so the dirty stuff does stay separate from souvenirs and any clothes still clean.

Same. I bring plastic bags in my suitcase for this purpose, and if I forget or need another, many hotels will have a plastic bag for laundry in the closet.

At home, I use multiple plastic laundry baskets, but no special ones for clean or dirty. And I don’t always use a basket; sometimes I just carry a pile to/from the laundry room wrapped in a towel, or sometimes (when clean) folded in my arms.

 

[hertamaniac]

I'm just happy that it only took decades to finally learn that baking soda is practically a miracle worker for washing my laundry. What a difference. Sorry for the offish topic.

 

[MamaMermaid]

One basket -- and I don't separates lights, whites, and darks.

 

[mousefan73]

Just wanted to also mention that in our household, there’s always the case of the missing laundry baskets and usually it’s because clean clothes are put in them and delivered to our kids bedrooms and they’ll just let it sit there for weeks and usually with dirty clothes thrown on top of the clean clothes that were originally in them. Don’t ask, I know we have a problem.

 

[tzolkin]

I just don't see what can happen that is so bad and the clothes washers fault.

If the issue is hand wash only items in the machine wash items basket, that seems like a sorting mistake made by the clothing owner, not the clothing washer.

The same for the examples of new jeans being washed with whites or chapstick going through the wash. That is not the fault on the clothing washer but fault of the clothing owner, well I guess they could be the same person. But in that case it is probably time that the spouse stops saving their spouse from themselves.

Several people have given examples of how clothes can be ruined, so I'm not sure why you are finding it so difficult to grasp that someone could ruin other family members' clothing. Having expensive pieces of clothing completely ruined by someone else doing the laundry incorrectly is something that I think most people would be upset by.

You must have a different system. (Do most people even have a separate "machine wash items" basket?) In our house, sorting and checking pockets is part of the task of doing the laundry. So, yes, it would be the fault of the clothing washer for failing to do so.

I'm really not understanding the last sentence. What do you mean by "saving them from themselves"? Do you mean that I should purposely leave items in my spouse's pocket, run it through the washer and dryer (ruining everyone's clothing that was in that load of wash and making a huge mess) just to teach him a lesson?

 

[NAB]

Just wanted to also mention that in our household, there’s always the case of the missing laundry baskets and usually it’s because clean clothes are put in them and delivered to our kids bedrooms and they’ll just let it sit there for weeks and usually with dirty clothes thrown on top of the clean clothes that were originally in them. Don’t ask, I know we have a problem.

Oh I remember those days with my son ,finally said I wasn’t taking his wash anymore . My daughter will just use hers a a drawer too and take out of the basket instead of putting them in her big dresser. Put dirty clothes on the floor.

 

[kdonnel]

Several people have given examples of how clothes can be ruined, so I'm not sure why you are finding it so difficult to grasp that someone could ruin other family members' clothing. Having expensive pieces of clothing completely ruined by someone else doing the laundry incorrectly is something that I think most people would be upset by.

You must have a different system. (Do most people even have a separate "machine wash items" basket?) In our house, sorting and checking pockets is part of the task of doing the laundry. So, yes, it would be the fault of the clothing washer for failing to do so.

I'm really not understanding the last sentence. What do you mean by "saving them from themselves"? Do you mean that I should purposely leave items in my spouse's pocket, run it through the washer and dryer (ruining everyone's clothing that was in that load of wash and making a huge mess) just to teach him a lesson?

I feel like if you have something that can't be machine washed, don't put it with clothes items that are going to be machine washed. If something must be hand washed, don't put it with machine washed items.

I feel like it is up to the person who put the clothes in a basket to be washed to ensure it is ready to be washed. But if the household rules are that the washer ensures, there is no reason anyone's spouse can't be trusted to do the job.

As for save them from themselves. I think too many spouses just won't let their spouse do a task because they need to control the task.

I have mentioned having the chores conversation so maybe everyone with the don't touch the laundry rules have had the conversation.

As for the saving them from themselves. I think too many spouses do too much because they feel like or have been led to believe their spouse can't do something. In this case we are talking about laundry. Every adult should know how to wash, dry, fold, and even iron clothes. It is a basic life skill.

One day, one in the marriage will die first. Will the survivor be able to cope?

My wife's uncle struggled for years after his wife died because she did everything for him. He had no idea how to wash dishes, wash clothes, cook, virtually any daily life task.

My grandmother struggled for years after her husband died because he did everything for her. She had no idea how to wash dishes, wash clothes, cook, virtually any daily life task.

While their spouses were alive, he felt like a King and she like a Princess. It turned out that their spouses did them no favor by not allowing them to do and learn.