Growing up, while we were at school there were two washing days. Our shirts had to be changed on a Tuesday. Then on a Friday, all our uniform would go in the wash. I think Mum would possibly to an extra load if it was needed. But as we got older if we needed specific things, we either had to ask or do it ourselves. My Mum went on a trip a few years ago and knowing the boys might not know what to do. She left a sticky label on the washing machine with instructions.
What’s the System in Our House?
Prior to Jaxon being at preschool, I would do the washing as it was needed. This could often mean that I’d end up with multiple loads needing to be done in one go. Now that Jaxon is at preschool more of the week, I try to keep on top of the washing. This often means I do extra loads in the week to make sure he has his preschool uniform ready. We have 4 or 5 preschool shirts because he inherited a couple. But do you think I can find them all now? I think they must be hidden somewhere! I try to dress him in his uniform on preschool days. That way there’s a clear distinction between preschool days and normal days. Currently Jaxon is being potty trained, so we need a detergent which is gentle on his skin but deals with the accidents!
I then fit in the family washing around that. With it just being Chris and my washing, I can generally get it down to 2 or 3 washes. While Our Sidekick was still at school I would do his washing for him. However since he turned about 17/18 he has been encouraged to do his own washing. Admittedly when the boys were away in the summer I did do about 5 loads of his washing. Well it had been abandoned round his bedroom floor and I decided his room needed a deep clean. When I was trying to wash uniform that couldn’t be tumble dried or wouldn’t appear until Sunday Lunchtime, I absolutely hated washing clothes!
Using a Tiny House Mentality on the Washing Front
With our current attempts to apply the tiny house mentality in a big house, I’ve been trying to get the washing done and away quicker than it possibly had been in the past. In my Morning Routine, I open the curtains, make the beds then scoop up any washing I can spot. If there’s time while Jaxon eats his breakfast, I’ll put on a load. With this new method I don’t mind washing the clothes, where possible I will run the tumble dryer overnight or while we’re out. With the weather being so changeable, I’ve been having to dry the non-tumble dry items inside which isn’t always good because the drying rack can get in the way.
It’s a Family Affair (or Toddler Affair!)
Jaxon loves assisting me with putting the washing on. He’s watched Chris and I throw the washing downstairs. So I can put the washing at the top of the stairs and he’ll throw it down for me. Also if I sort it into piles, I can move one pile close to the washing machine and he’ll put it all in for me. I then have to make sure I walk him through which dials to turn and which buttons to press so that he can help me set the washing machine running. (He loves buttons and I get in trouble if he thinks I did it without him!)
At my parents house, my Mum always went for the same detergent every time. When I was doing most of the shopping, I would pick whichever was on offer to looked or smelt appealing – this meant that every time we got a new bottle or box it could be a different smell or colour.
Since Jaxon was born, I took to washing all the clothes in non-bio powder or liquid. I had tried to alternate between non-bio and bio but I’d often get muddled. Also we ended up having to buy two lots of detergent. Generally we go with the supermarket own brand non-bio because it’s what’s there, however, I am loving the smell of the lavender and sandalwood Ecover non-bio and because it’s a concentrated formula, there are more washes per bottle and things like that. The Ecover detergent is safe for sensitive skin and is also approved by Cruelty-Free International which makes it even better too!
We’ve now been using the Ecover detergnt for about two weeks. The smell is definitely more noticeable when compared with our supermarket own brand that we normally use. Price wise it’s considerably more than our normal detergent but as it is environmentally friendlier it might be good to move over if we can spare the pennies. It’s definitely working just as well – especially on mucky toddler caused stains! The first time I didn’t use the cap but then realised that I could use that to make sure I wasn’t over-detergent-ing the washing.
And of course, it does get recorded in my planner or on a to do list to make sure I keep up with the laundry. These are my current favourite stickers for recording it in my planner – they are from Chocho and Mimi.
This post is an entry for BritMums #EcoverLaundry Challenge, sponsored by Ecover.
Image of the Chocho and Mimi stickers is from the Chocho and Mimi shop and belongs to the lovely Dani who runs the shop.
