The laundry


 
It is in winter that I really can't imagine what it would be like to be without a washing machine. At this time of the year I wash every second day and and imagine if I had to do it all by hand in a cooper!!

Washing every second day is to avoid that huge pile of washing growing bigger and bigger by the end of the week. In summer this isn’t a problem as I can put all the washing on the clothes line (we have the traditional Hills Hoist below) and the clothes dry very quickly.  In winter I dry my clothes in the house on a “clothes horse” (airier) and with the central heating it dries overnight.  We do have a clothes drier in the laundry but I only use it occasionally — I don’t like the idea of running it every second night for 90mins. I also like the smell of freshly washed clothes that have dried in the sun/wind.
 
Finding all the clothes that I need to wash can be difficult.  My husband is fine, he creates a pile on the bedroom floor every night and I move it to the laundry basket in the bathroom (it is too difficult to teach him the last step and it is quicker if I just do it myself!).  Young males are not familiar with laundry baskets and it can take some time before clothes reach it (if at all). Tristan likes to use his car as a laundry basket and then does a “big” clean-out and I find I have a huge pile to wash.  My 17 year old just keeps on wearing the same clothes until they “really need to be washed”.

I do the hanging out of the clothes as my husband isn’t quite as skilled (trying to be tactful here) as I am.  I use the same method taught to me by my mum — all the smalls (socks, undies etc...) go together, then the t-skirts, jeans and my clothes — but I am not fanatical about this method.  I do hand wash some of my own clothes — things that I want to drip dry to reduce ironing — I usually save my hand washing until the weekend when it is easier to do all at once.

I don't mind doing the washing partly as the machine does all the hard work and hanging it on the line, particularly in summer, can be quite enjoyable (standing in the sun) but its the ironing that I do not enjoy and avoid if possible. . . .


PS I have a tiny laundry that one person at a time can fit into — a bit of a pain, but it is manageable.  It always looks messy as it tends to be use as a dumping ground for "stuff" that I then trip over. I really mustn't complain, the lady below had it much tougher than me (this was taken during the Great Depression).
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Comments

  1. Today is a good day. We will arrive home after work this evening, and there on the clothes rack, and stacked on the bench will be all the clothes, neatly ironed, folded and ready to go away!!! Some of us are spoilt.
    LL S

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  2. I enjoy hanging out the washing & the look of it on the long lines blowing in the breeze. It always says *contentment* to me; someone's home & managing affairs. ☺ I don't like Hill's Hoists & asked Dearest to do me the traditional bushie's line between steel posts.

    When there were 7 of us at home I had to do several loads every day. Now it is a worker's load at the end of the week; towels one day, sheets another & clothes another.

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  3. You are far more disciplined than me with washing... but I do a LOT of washing - some weeks even 7 or more loads go through! In winter there tends to be less washing to do, which is a blessing in the wet weeks! I'm not a real fan of ironing - that is my downfall, and something I really should work on!
    I like the hills hoist lines, but wouldn't mind a traditional line if that was what was available :)

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  4. Love all the laundry photos and stories - there really is nothing better than fresh laundry dried in the sun and the wind. If I were home every day - I would never use a dryer!

    vicki

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  5. You described my children and husband lol, in every way concerning piles of clothes etc!

    Every now and then my husband will wash his own uniforms because sometimes I am just over it lol. I always have so much washing to do, it is neverending!

    My daughter is good, she will do all her own things most times.

    I don't handwash and I rarely iron as I once described on Jillian's blog. Occassionally I need to do my work shirts.

    I love the hills hoist but don't have one at the moment... just a thing attached to the house, with however many rows. It does the job ;)

    In this house, you have to walk through the laundry to get upstairs... I don't like it much as everyone who may be visiting, sees our pile, which usually overflows from the hamper thing onto the floor. Thankfully, these visitors know us well so I don't get embarrassed. If I am expecting guests, I shove it into the granny flat right next to the laundry. (the granny flat is vacant).

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  6. Amanda - if my husband does do a load of washing he usually only does a few things but fills the machine full of water, which to me is a waste of water. He doesn't understand the need to do a full load if the clothes are there waiting to be washed!!

    So many houses are badly designed when it comes to laundrys as they are often the only way out of the house to the back. I do wish mine was larger, but that won't happen as there isn't any room to make it bigger so I do with the best I have.
    I try and keep it as tidy as possible but with 3 males it is a loosing battle and I have better things to do!

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  7. The house we live in has no front door! lol. To get to us, you have to go through the garage, turn right into the laundry, and at the end of that, turn left to get to the stairs that lead to our back deck.

    Underneath is a huge granny flat. It has a front door, and I love it when people selling things come by... they knock madly on THAT door and we ignore them (as we can hardly hear them hehe).

    Ps. I am not game to look at which water level David selects when he washes his 2 shirts and pair of socks :P Some things you are better off not knowing LOL

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  8. Oh Jo, you photographed my ironing pile?!

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  9. It sounds like your 17 yr old is kind of old fashioned.This reminded me of my post I made several weeks ago. http://womenofgod-rosemi.blogspot.com/2010/05/overwhelmed-with-laundry.html

    Thank you for visiting my blog.

    God bless you!

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  10. This is great, Jo. I love posts about laundry, and like you, I'm so thankful I'm not the woman in the last picture. I can't imagine washing for so many in that manner. The pictures are pretty, too, and your comment about your 17 year old wearing his clothes over and over and Tristan piling clothes in his car brought big grins. :)

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