How do you deal with laundry?

I am the laundry person in our household and have been since I retired 15 years ago. I was smart enough to realize that I needed to pick up more chores, so I just started doing it without any discussion. Frankly as a chore, it is not a bad one to have. My wife does the delicate wash, since "trust can only go so far."

Sheets, white clothes and towels get washed on Thursdays. We seem to have more dark clothes so I watch that laundry basket and whenever it gets close to being full I spring into action. I hang everything up as it comes out of the dryer, fold and put the rest away. I do not iron my wife's clothes since "trust can only go so far." Neither of us wear many clothes that require ironing anyway.

Oh, we do have a separate basket in the garage for yard clothes and doggie towels. We both seem to like wearing dirt when we work outside, and that basket stays in quarantine.
 

I'm still venturing out to the laundrette.

I've been researching local laundry services in case the day comes when I'm unable to do it or am no longer able to drive.

It seems that the going rate in my area for laundry pickup and delivery runs from approx. $1.75/pound to $2.00/pound with various options.

This is a sample package deal from one shop.

MEDIUM PACKAGE
This package holds up to 15 lbs of laundry.
An idea of 15 lbs of Laundry is
  • 4 pair of pants
  • 1 pair of shorts
  • 8 shirts
  • 8 pair of underwear
  • 7 pair of socks
  • 2 bath towels
  • 1 hand towel
  • 1 set of queen sheets.
PRICE: $359 for 12 weeks (one pickup/delivery per week). If your laundry bag exceeds 15 lbs, you will be charged an additional $.99 per pound.

From what I've seen it looks like it would cost me approx. $30.00/week plus tips.

I'm curious to know if any of you use or have used a laundry service and how it worked for you.

Thanks, B
 
Our son had laundry service at college - I am kind of thinking that is a great idea for us now too!

When DH and I were both working full time, with 3 sons, I kept getting seriously behind with laundry. So, DH decided that he could do it on weekends and I would help. That lasted about 2 weeks when I just had to step back and let him deal with it. That was in the mid- 1990's. NOW, he has yet another new washer and dryer set since we moved, 2 years ago. I told him that when he dies, I will have to host a luncheon and invite all my friends over to ask them how to work the machines since I have NO IDEA how to turn them on!! He thought that was amusing but, I was serious! High - tech - pshaw! I miss hanging laundry out to dry in the yard. Oh, those sheets smelled SO GOOD!
 

Camper6 said:
I presume those are the front loaders.
They installed them in my apartment.
I prefer the top loaders. You can let the clothes soak and you can put things in after the washer starts. I don't think the new washers rinse the clothes as well because they don't use enough water.
I cut down on the amount of soap because in reality the clothes don't get that dirty. They wear out from washing.
Once the front loader starts you can't open the door to add anything.
The dryers are fine though. Big loads fit and they dry quite well.
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My modern front-loading washing machine can be stopped or paused at any time to add/remove.

While my love of old-fashioned top-loading washing machines will never wane, my new modern front-loading washing machine can do more than my old top-loading washing machine could, and as far as the amount of detergent and bleach required to do a load of washing, I use a fraction of what I used to use with my old top-loading washing machine.
 
When on a trip to Israel many years ago, my luggage was delayed. I was given a voucher to get some underwear and toiletries until the luggage arrived. I went to the local department store in Jerusalem and all they had were the ugliest boxer shorts with prints of Israeli soft drink cans on them.. They are at the bottom of the pile of my boxers now, and when I get down to them, I tell Kayelle,"Honey, it is Hava Nagila time".
That means it is time for Kayelle to sort the laundry and for me to load the washer.
I fluff and fold all the loads of laundry and no, I do not have a brother.;)
 
Aunt Marg said:
My modern front-loading washing machine can be stopped or paused at any time to add/remove.

While my love of old-fashioned top-loading washing machines will never wane, my new modern front-loading washing machine can do more than my old top-loading washing machine could, and as far as the amount of detergent and bleach required to do a load of washing, I use a fraction of what I used to use with my old top-loading washing machine.
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Yes. You can use a fraction of what you used to use with any washing machine. You don't have to use the manufacturer's recommended amount. As I said before. Unless you are a mechanic or other laborer your clothes don't get that dirty in the first place. My front loader is a commercial model in my apartment laundry. They are different than what a consumer uses. Once the door is closed and the front loader starts you can't open it until the load is done. You can't use more than the recommended amount in a front loader because it would foam up the whole works and wouldn't rinse properly. My experience with front loaders compared to the top loaders is that they don't rinse the clothes as thoroughly because they are programmed not to use more water than absolutely necessary. Top loaders use a lot of water.
 
I go to a laundromat to get it All done at Once. I do nobodies laundry but my own. My kids have been doing their own laundry since they were 8 years old. Especially that their Girls who accused each other of taking each other’s clothes. This way they can’t say someone took any of their clothes.
 
I've been saving money on laundry by swimming in my clothes. Also too lazy to get on a bathing suit. It's so hot, close to 90 degrees so we leave about 4:30pm and go swimming for 30-45 minutes in the river. Get home, take clothes off and hang them outside to re-wear.

It's so easy I love it!!! I wash my hair about once a week now. The only downfall is it feels like straw. I need to start deep conditioning it.
 
Luv2Cycle said:
I've been saving money on laundry by swimming in my clothes. Also too lazy to get on a bathing suit. It's so hot, close to 90 degrees so we leave about 4:30pm and go swimming for 30-45 minutes in the river. Get home, take clothes off and hang them outside to re-wear.

It's so easy I love it!!! I wash my hair about once a week now. The only downfall is it feels like straw. I need to start deep conditioning it.
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I enjoyed your post, and I believe you.
Does Tarzan happen to be there with you?
Just joking.
 
too funny. You look like a very outdoorsy person Pecos :)
We actually live in a sub division in a tourist town with only about 100 full timers. Due to the snow run-off, the water is very clean yet can be very cold. I'd love to live more private like Tarzan though. No trees around us, feels like a fishbowl with people driving by and such. The homes here don't have A/C since it stays fairly cool all yr. July is the worst month.
 
Well our washer crapped out mid week. Half filled with water and half washed clothes, stopped spinning and the locked door just stayed permanently locked!

The repair guy came yesterday morning and had to take half the washer apart to open the locked door, which of course meant dirty water gushed out which we tried to prepare for with buckets and our crap towels (everyone has a few of those right?) but it still got everywhere. Ugh. The replacement part won’t be in till Tuesday.

Which meant a trip to this place which neither of us had been to in years!
49995B89-7BE6-42B6-B008-38B596C9BE1B.jpeg
I told Ron if there were a bunch of people we weren’t going in, but there was only one other who left shortly after we arrived. Even so we wore our masks as we loaded the machines (we’d done all the sorting at he before) and waited in the car between cycles.

We tumbled all the loads till they were mostly dry and then packed up and went home, finishing the drying and folding there So as to minimize our exposure, and because there’s nothing wrong with the dryer.

We COULD have waited till Tuesday when it’s repaired, because between hand washing underwear and tumbling the used towels in the hot dryer to sanitize them we’d have enough clothes to get through, but I just couldn’t stand the idea of all those dirty, wet towels that we used to soak up the mess not getting washed til then. 😖
 
Ronni said:
Well our washer crapped out mid week. Half filled with water and half washed clothes, stopped spinning and the locked door just stayed permanently locked!

The repair guy came yesterday morning and had to take half the washer apart to open the locked door, which of course meant dirty water gushed out which we tried to prepare for with buckets and our crap towels (everyone has a few of those right?) but it still got everywhere. Ugh. The replacement part won’t be in till Tuesday.

Which meant a trip to this place which neither of us had been to in years!
View attachment 116023
I told Ron if there were a bunch of people we weren’t going in, but there was only one other who left shortly after we arrived. Even so we wore our masks as we loaded the machines (we’d done all the sorting at he before) and waited in the car between cycles.

We tumbled all the loads till they were mostly dry and then packed up and went home, finishing the drying and folding there So as to minimize our exposure, and because there’s nothing wrong with the dryer.

We COULD have waited till Tuesday when it’s repaired, because between hand washing underwear and tumbling the used towels in the hot dryer to sanitize them we’d have enough clothes to get through, but I just couldn’t stand the idea of all those dirty, wet towels that we used to soak up the mess not getting washed til then. 😖
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This is like a scene straight out of a haunted movie for me.

I know we do what we have to do, and thank heavens for Laundromats, however, I hope to never step-foot in another Laundromat for as long as I live, and the Laundromat in the picture looks like a dream compared to the ones I've had to rely on the few times over the course of my lifetime.
 
@Ronni - bummer about your washer. No way I could have left those towels in a heap for a week either. Besides driving me crazy just to know they were there, they'd stink to high heaven of mildew in a day or two. I wouldn't have bothered with the laundromat though - easier to toss them over the pool fence and they'd be dry in a wink. (We're having a heat wave - it was 103 yesterday but only 45% humidity.) Then wash them when the machine is fixed.

I'm a top loading washing machine fan, as I mentioned in post #24 of this thread. And I like doing laundry. Always have.
 
Aunt Marg said:
This is like a scene straight out of a haunted movie for me.

I know we do what we have to do, and thank heavens for Laundromats, however, I hope to never step-foot in another Laundromat for as long as I live, and the Laundromat in the picture looks like a dream compared to the ones I've had to rely on the few times over the course of my lifetime.
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I use laundromats when we're RVing for more than 10 days. Most RV parks have them. No big deal. I also use them when it's time to do quilts that are too large/heavy for my home machine, but haven't gone in 2020.

If my washer died I'd probably pull a reverse on the standard adult-child dynamic and go to one of my kids' houses to use their machines until mine were fixed or replaced.
 
I would need to go down a flight of stairs to do my laundry, and I can't manage to do that carrying laundry. My husband always did it.

So I found a local laundromat that's willing to pick up and deliver. It's great! They pick up my laundry, sort it, wash and dry, fold it much better than I ever did and return it neatly packaged. I thought it might be expensive, but it"s $1.49 a pound for all that. That isn't much more than I'd spend to use the machines in our complex, buy detergent and dryer sheets and such. And for an extra fee, they did my big comforter.

I always feel good when I find a solution to something I can't manage to do myself!
 
Aunt Marg said:
This is like a scene straight out of a haunted movie for me.

I know we do what we have to do, and thank heavens for Laundromats, however, I hope to never step-foot in another Laundromat for as long as I live, and the Laundromat in the picture looks like a dream compared to the ones I've had to rely on the few times over the course of my lifetime.
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I get that. I never expected to either. 😖 But yeah this one is very upscale, clean, all the machines work, everything is obviously kept up and looked after.
 
I do most of the laundry for my wife and I but only just by a little bit. I put my clothing in a two bin hamper in our laundry room. My wife generally throws her dirty clothing straight into the washing machine. I'm much more picky about what I wash together. I like to separate heavy (jeans) and light (shirts) clothing and also separate out whites and towels to do in warm water. She washes when the washing machine is full. I wash when I need some of my clothing done. I have enough clothing to do the wash about every other week. When I dry my shirts I pull them out of the dryer and hang them one by one when the dryer is still running.

My laundry process has changed a little since Covid since I'm basically only wearing shorts and short sleeve shirts now. I usually wear jeans and a dress shirt when I go into the office, but without that I'm happy with my shorts. My wife made most of the short sleeve shirts I wear and I like to air dry them to avoid them getting faded.

When our sons were at home they had to start doing their own laundry when they turned 12.
 

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