Does size matter?

[OceanPrincess]

Size of your washing machine I mean!

I've got a 5.5kg machine and it seems like it gets full really quickly. I tend to do most of my washing Fri/Sat/Sun and by the time it gets to Friday and I put the kids' clothes on, I generally have to do three loads of kids' clothes just to get through it all

Is that normal? Would a bigger machine help?

It's so annoying - I generally do a load, put it in the basket, do the next load, put it in the basket, put the third load on, start hanging out and then go back for the last load when it is finished. It'd just be so much more efficient if I could wash it all at once.

I know I could wash more frequently but I really struggle to find the time during the week, working three days, Tuesdays are my grocery shopping day and then before I know it, it's Friday again and Mount Washmore is staring me in the face...

What sort of washing machine do you have? What size?

[Cass72]

I couldn't live withouth my 7.5kg top loader! It's a samsung. We got it through the good guys and ended up with a couple hundred dollars of the rrp.

[MrsFabuloso]

LOL, you will still have the same amount of clothes to wash no matter the size of your machine! But I would have to say yes, it would probably be easier since you would be doing less loads. I have an 8kg washer and with 3 kids and 2 adults in the house, if I wash one load a day I can keep on top of it all. Some days it's two if I change sheets.

[Beach Mama]

I have a Simpson 7.5kgs and love it. Would definitely make a difference hun, I can do a weeks worth of kids clothes in 1-2 loads depending how dirty they have been! Average 3-4 loads for the 4 of us a week plus sheets and towels. HTh!

ETA: Dh is a tradie so changes quite a bit, and Iz is obsessed with getting changed a million times a day

[Blixie]

we have an 8kg washing machine so i can wash our big doonas etc. I love it cos even if i don't wash all week i can wash all the clothes in 1-2 loads. I think bigger is definitely better

[Charlotte91]

I'v got a 5.5kg, and I swear sometimes we need a bigger one. Part of DH's work is working with chemicals, so his uniform needs to be washed often (by themselves).
DD is in cloth nappies.

But, it does the job.

[~Gee_Whizzy~]

I have a Simpson 7.5kgs and love it. Would definitely make a difference hun, I can do a weeks worth of kids clothes in 1-2 loads depending how dirty they have been! Average 3-4 loads for the 4 of us a week plus sheets and towels. HTh!

yep ours is the same! love my Simpson





Sent using my SamGal

[OceanPrincess]

Yes charlotte my DH is similar - his work clothes get so filthy and often have horrible things on them that they always have to go separate!

So bigger might be better...

And LOL 3LM yes I'll still have the same amount of clothes but it is about efficiencies!

They go up to 9kg That is huge!

[FabFiona]

I have a 5.5 kg and I want bigger one. But I'd need more washing line space so no point getting a bigger machine until I have the washing line to match.

[MrsFabuloso]

Actually I lied...mine is 7kg!

[~Kim~]

I have a 9kg...but I can do smaller loads as it's an auto detected water level. This is my second FP and the next one will be the same. I can put my king and DDs queen sheets and under blankets in and it's all good.

[Amy_jellybean]

Just curious, do you guys seperate your loads or wash everything together???

I do my whites, darks and colours all seperate and then towels and a sheets are seperate as well.

[Sopdet]

I separate all my colours including weights of clothing.

When I was with my x, we had 5 of us and even though the machine was big, there were still a lot of loads done because of separating.

Growing up there were 7 of us (5 kids, 2 adults) and I know that the poor machine was used daily and was the largest on the market at the time.

[Beach Mama]

I separate whites and colours/darks in together - pretty lazy washereerer Ours is 14 years old and still going strong - old Simpsons were made in Australia apparently but aren't anymore. I thought it had died recently and was looking at new ones and would have bought an 8 - 8.5 kg if I was getting one and it fit in my gap in the laundry! Get the biggest you can I say, can only imagine kids need more and more washing done as they get older with uniforms, sport etc.

[Charlotte91]

I wash everything together (minus DH's uniform). Hence all my weird coloured clothing... Can't believe how much baby clothes leak colour!!

I chucked a new bright red bathmat in with my cloth nappies in a moment of stupidity.
I now have 8 bright pink nappies.

Which match the purple ones I accidently dyed a few months before that.

[Cass72]

If I have lots of whites I will wash them separately (I have white bath towels so I'll just chuck them in with them). Other then that, I just do dark/ light loads. I generally wash DS1 and DSS clothes together - they are smelly teenage boys (haha) and they seem to generate enough between them for one load, sometimes two! I also like to wash DS2s clothes separately or with my smalls or with lighter stuff (not heavy things such as jeans, overalls etc).

If I split everything into smaller groups I would be defeating the purpose of getting a bigger machine and doing 4 or 5 loads instead of 1 or two. Besides which, I'm also a lazy-washerer. My mother was aghast when I chucked everything in together - for years I followed her old rules and would never have washed towels with clothes.We have enough clothesline space (two small pull-out ones) but are peg-poor! I need to buy more pegs.... where do they go? I'm sure someone has a stash of pegs hidden somewhere.....

FWIW our machine also has a sensor so it doesn't matter how little or much you put in, it only fills with enough water to do the load. Oh and the turbo spin also cuts down on drying time on the line.

Does anyone hang out there clothes in a particular order?

I've only recently stopped hanging things on the line according to colour, size and use....... this was a very big step for me. I would sit inside and try to block out my anxieity at the thought of mis-matched socks hanging side by side on the line next to a towel that clearly needed to be hung towards the back of the line. Eventually it worked and I can haphazardly pick out a peg and not care one whit what colour or type it is!

[OceanPrincess]

Oh charlotte - - pink nappies!!!!

I do separate everything, an average week will look like: all kids clothes together (except I pull out light stuff), which is normally three loads, DS's sheets plus whatever towels I can fit (cot sheets are small), DD's sheets, DD's mattress protector, kids towels, our towels, another load of our towels + tea towels/kitchen Enjos + table cloth, then our clothes: DH's work stuff, two loads of "every day" clothes and then my good clothes (work shirts/tops).

Every second week I do our sheets (I'm lazy) and then when I have a few of my good white tops I do a white wash.

I've never listed it all out like that. So much washing.

I wish I could fit DS's sheets, DD's sheets and mattress protector all in one. I think I am decided - I need a bigger machine. I should not have to wash one mattress protector on it's own. But if I don't, the machine chucks a wobbly.

OMG I forgot nappies.

Nappies - every second day, two loads of nappies. Less now that DS is in child care and uses sposies while he is there.

[OceanPrincess]

Here's another question: do you schedule washing?

Like is Tuesday towels day, Wednesday sheets day, Thursday kids' clothes... etc?

Or is it a whenever/whatever needs doing the most thing for you?