How many loads of laundry do you do per week?

[gorenje]

... or how frequently you change clothes and home linens?

I read in an article that the average American family washes almost 400 loads of laundry each year.
Considering that washers has big capacity (well ok not always is a full load, but still...) that's an enormous amount of laundy.

Do we Europeans tend to wash less frequently or Americans tent to wash too much frequently?

I'm just curious to hear what you think about it.

I live alone, so I don't have that much laundry to do, so I'm not an average family and cannot be considered part of the statistic.

I change my hand towels every 4 days, not every day because I think it makes no sense to do it, because after one day they are still clean if I use them just to dry my already washed hands.

I change my sheets every week in the summer and every 2 weeks in the winter.

The clothes that come into contact with the skin are changed more often obviously.
Some daily or every two days.

....

 

[gorenje]

... oops, sorry guys for the double post.

I messed up something.

 

[aquacycle]

I have a bit of an odd laundry system. I do it in 2 week cycles. I don't like to wash unless I have a full load. I try to make effort at home to reduce waste - we're big on recycling and eco/green cleaning products and cosmetics too.

Anyway, there's 2 of us at home and both of us work full time in office-based environments, so plenty of shirts and V-neck jumpers to wash.

Week 1:

1 x dark wash (t-shirts, underwear, sicks, trousers etc)
1 x whites wash (bath towels, hand towels, cleaning cloths, bath mat)
1 x bedding wash

Week 2:

1 x dark wash
1 x light coloureds
1 x delicate jumpers
1 x whites wash
1 x bedding wash

Once every 3 weeks or so, I also do a jeans wash. Jeans and delicate jumpers are the only items I will use a liquid detergent on, the rest gets washed with bio powder.

So...I do 8 washes over a 2 week period, plus an extra wash every 3 weeks or so.

8 x 26 weeks = 208 washes
3/52 = 17.3 washes

Roughly 225 washes per year

 

[liamy1]

Average out...

About 14 loads a week.

If washing things like sofa throws, cushions, shower curtains etc and had an extra busy week, can get that closer to 25 washes a week.

 

[mayken4now]

6-8 loads per week. Single family household

 

[iheartmaytag]

Family of Three

Large washer 4.4 Cu Ft. 

We average a load a day, or seven a week. This varies for comforter washing, couch throws, curtains etc.

Roughly 360 loads a year, with the extras we could push the 400 loads per year mark.

 

[gorenje]

You really do a lot of loads. 14 loads a week or 8 loads per week... that's a lot. 14 loads a week for me would be 70 KG of laundy every week.

I wish I could have that much to wash because I love doing laundry

I also tend to wash only full loads, so until a certain load isn't full I don't wash it. (4 or 5 kg)

I do on average 1 load of darks (40*C) and 1 load of light colors (60*C) in one week. (every week)

In the second week I will do the standard 2 loads as above + 1 load of sheets (60*C) + 1 load of light colored towels (60*C).

The third week I will have again the 2 standard loads as every week + 1 load of whites (90*C)

+ 1 extra wash every month for random stuff (rugs or jackets or curtains or whatever need to be washed)

+ 1 extra wash every month for delicate jumpers

+ 1 extra wash every month for duvet cover

So the total for one month will be on avarage 14 loads or approximately 70 KG of laundry. Or 1 load (5 kg) every 2 days cca.

That's approximately 170 loads per year for a single person.

 

[aquacycle]

About 14 loads a week.

Fourteen loads!? Gosh, Liam, how many people are you washing for?

 

[liamy1]

Just...

4 people.

I honestly don't know where it comes from. I did count a full 7 days just once and it came to 24 loads :/

A big thing is towels, none of us can use a towel more than once, we just can't - have really tried.

Also kitchen cloths/tea (pot) towels - I won't wash these with anything else, so they get saved up and run on 95 wash around once a week.

To be honest, some weeks may well be lower (but would say it would never go below 7 loads).

There are a few days in the week, the washer doesn't go on, as out of the house practically from morning until night (after 10pm), but then will have to run at least 2 loads the following day.

In my previous job (contact centre), the shifts were all over the place, so I couldn't usually wash until Friday night - but it used to take up my whole weekend; as I won't leave any appliance on when out of the house.

From Sunday to now (including Sunday), I probably am on load number 10, and have easily another 6 loads to go.

Good job I like washing

 

[mattl]

Wow, 14 a week???  I live alone and might do 5-7 a MONTH!  Usually all at once.

 

[mark_wpduet]

hmm

4 to 6 loads per week.Some weeks more, some less. Sometimes I wash the bedspread and blankets, mattress pad, pillows, while other weeks it's just the sheets themselves.

If I had my old Whirlpool TL washer it would probably be 1.5 x that.

 

[vintage1963]

I love doing laundry so if there aren't many articles of clothing to wash I will look for things that need to be washed. We usually have a full hamper by the end of the week so that's not usually a problem for me to find something to launder.

 

[maytagmike]

I live alone and I do 2 to 3 loads per week. If washing rugs and mattress covers it tends to be a couple of loads more.

 

[gorenje]

Right now I have 5 piles of different loads (reds, towels, blacks, whites and colorfast colors) but none of them are large enough to be washed. They are just half full.

I don't use big bath towels, I find them inconvenient because they are so big. I rather use a regular towel to dry myself after a shower.

Everything you see is dirty but I try to "fold" my dirty laundry to keep it wrinkle free. I don't just toss in the hamper. That's just my habit, it wouldn't need to do so.

 

[yogitunes]

when we fostered 10 kids.....I had laundry galore, at least 4 loads a day.....if I had only one set, they would have been running all day.....

yet, with only three teen kids, I think I have just as much, or at least it seems like it.....plus they have football, track, soccer, and culinary classes, so there are uniforms to wash everyday....

if I had to separate, it would be mostly 2 loads a day.....a lot of times with schedules and other activities, it may be every other day......but it would fall around 14 loads a week, regular laundry...give or take.....

yeah, good thing I like to do laundry......but there are times it can try your patience....

 

[revvinkevin]

 

 

I live alone (this will be changing in the next month or so) with my 5 yr old black lab.   I used to do laundry weekly (and whites every other week), but came to the realization I can do the bulk of my laundry (in larger loads) every 2 weeks, so that's what I do.

 

Every week:

~ 2 loads of sheets, normal cycle, hot + extra rinse - Load #1: king set w/5 king pillow cases,   Load #2: 3 or 4 "doggy bedding" king/queen flat sheets, used to cover the bed, sofa, inside dog bed, etc.

 

Every other week:

~ 2 loads of sheets (same as above)

~ 1 load of colors - normal cycle, warm + extra rinse (usually 14 pairs of shorts, etc) - I always wear shorts.

~ 1 load of darks/bright colors - normal cycle cold or cool + extra rinse (14-16 short sleeve cotton shirts = work, Hawaiian, black t-shirts, etc)

~ 1 load of whites - whitest whites cycle, hot w/LCB (personal whites, wash clothes, etc).   When my dad was still alive, I would save the grimy kitchen towels he generated until I had enough for a load (a number of months) then give them the works = whitest whites cycle, steam sanitize with liquid bleach.   They always came out perfect!

 

 

Other bedding?   No other bedding to speak of.   I use only a couple blankets or maybe a down comforter during the coldest winter months.  The last 5-6 months it's been so warm I've only used a sheet.

 

Every 4 -5 weeks I will also do a load of bath towels.  I use 1 bath towel per week, so I wait until I have enough for a load.***    

 

*** I am not a germaphobe and being in Southern California, our humidity is low enough that we do NOT have problems with towels not drying on the towel bar/rack or becoming musty / mildew-y, as with high humidity areas.

 

When I give Westy a bath, that will generate 2 loads right there, towels plus his outside dog bedding/blanket.

 

The best part is I can do 5 loads at the same time and two of them have built in heaters.

 

Kevin

 

P.S... There was another thread about this back in June, here is the link for it:

[this post was last edited: 10/6/2016-11:32]

http://www.automaticwasher.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?65746

 

[gorenje]

Wow Yogitunes you house is like a Laundromat. I would be pleased to help your family to do the laundry. You got a nice set-up of Maytag machines.

Thanks Kevin for the response and for the other thread I haven't seen ;-)

 

[brucelucenta]

WASHER PEOPLE ARE NUTS!!!

 

[grwasher_expert]

Wow,never seen so many Neptunes in one room

 

[yogitunes]

that ain't the half of them......lol

I thought everyone has seen my setup/collection.....at least of the Neptunes...catch the wave!

actually their called 'The Fleet'

I have a few spares sets/parts as well...

 

[lenny523]

About 12 loads a week.I kind of enjoy washing and the whole process has been all the more merrier ever since I bought a new front loading washer from best brand appliance(http://www.bestbrandappliance.ca/en/catalog/2529-Laundry/42-Washers).
According to an article from lifehacker it is better that you wash you clothes based on how close it is to your body.T-shirts,socks and underwear should be washed often and you don’t have to wash jeans at all unless it is really dirty.

 

[grwasher_expert]

I thought everyone has seen my setup/collection.....at least

I'm new to the AW forum and a had never seen your Neptune collection.
On sublect:
I usually do 4-6 loads/week.The standard loads I do every week are:
2-3 loads of darks at 30 ºC
1 load of sheets/bedding+towels at 40 ºC
1 load of whites(mainly underwear) and light coloreds at 50 ºC(I prefer that programme for my whites because the 60 ºC cotton programme lasts almost 4 hours(!) while the 50 º mixed cycle lasts 2 hours)

In the winter I also do an extra load of jeans on the special jeans programme(40 ºC) every 10 days and a load of woolens (jumpers and scarves) on the special woolens/hand washing programme(30 ºC) every 2 weeks.

 

[liamy1]

Found...

The below interesting, it's relating to washer capacities and how many loads of laundry on average a person would be expected to produce.

In relation to washer capacities - I believe this will have the biggest impact on how many loads a week are needed.

Then there are obvious things like how many clothes are worn, how often washed and separating habits - as they're individual, example; although most sources tell you not to run a load of just towels, I won't wash towels with anything else, as it accelerates wear on other fabrics.

Going back to capacities, as I have mentioned on AW a few times. The capacity/volume of washing machines has always struck me as a bit of a farce - it really does vary from manufacturer to manufacturer; example; the 8KG Hoover and 8KG Bosch washing machines that I had - the drums were nothing alike (Hoovers tall and shallow, Bosch stubby and deep).

Also, a standard UK double hollow fibre duvet (comforter) would fill the Bosch drum, but in weight, that doesn't come anywhere near 8KG. It wouldn't have even fit in the Hoover.

The bedding I have now (microfibre cluster) wouldn't have even fit in my 12kg LG, but again does not weigh 12kg.

And as I'm sure most know, the way the weight/capacity ratings are graded are the biggest farce of all.

 

[liamy1]

Sorry

Forgot the link

http://https//unclutterer.com/2009/...-a-family-of-four-spend-on-laundry-each-week/

 

[mjg0619]

WOW that lineup of Neptunes looks great, Martin!

I absolutely love my Neptune dryer. One of these days I really should look around to find a washer to go with it. Your laundry room looks like the appliance department at Sears the day the Neptune was launched!

 

[mattywashboy]

For me and my other half I do between 3 and 5 loads a week depending on what my work roster is like. I sometimes save up all the washing except bedding and towels and wash it over a couple of days every month.
We have enough clothes to last a month or so. It just depends how busy we are because I like to take my time getting laundry washed, ironed and sorted away . I section out my Laundry into the following loads:

Underwear, socks, pajamas, tracksuit pants - Hot 60* wash
T-Shirts (dark) - 30* cool
T-Shirts (white) and partners business shirts (light coloured) - 40* warm
Bedding - 60* Hot
Towels- 60 or 95*
In winter months I have an extra load of jumpers which are washed on 40*

There are also times where I use the twin tub to do my laundry which makes things a lot quicker and hands on. Mostly though I use the trusty automatic

Matt

 

[gorenje]

liamy1

You said just fine! You're right, the number of loads depends on many factors and habits.

And then for example someone may have a very large washing machine but doesn't fill it to the capacity so that one load will become three loads.

What you said about the volume of washers is true.

My father's gorenje washing machine for example has a capacity of 8 KG and the drum volume is 64 L. The same 8 KG rating of a Candy washing machine has only 48 L drum volume.

 

[liamy1]

Oh....

And another thing that has never made sense to me; detergent dosing.

We all know, detergent dosing is given on weight of laundry to be washed, but surely what determines the strength of a detergent solution is the amount of water the detergent is being mixed into?

Especially when you consider that most peoples' wash loads would not reach actual weight given on the detergent pack.

Funnily enough, handwashing instructions do this - it is given as detergent measure in ml/amount of water in litres (also every other cleaner I know does - e.g bleach again the advice is put so many mls into so many litres of water).

So why is detergent guided on the weight of fabric? Sure soil level/fabric type all play a role, but would imagine the biggest reason is, not many know (or care) how much water is used in the wash cycle.

I do know (well I would ) - a cotton cycle on my washer uses 49-54L a cycle, the wash portion of that cycle can use as little as 14L of water.

It's not, and never will be, and exact science (there are way, way too many variables).

 

[grwasher_expert]

Detergent dosing

Considering that detergent strength depends on the amount of water it is mixed with(% detergent concentration of the solution),I was wondering if I should use more detergent when using delicates or woolens cycles,where much more water is used during main wash than on the standard cotton cycles.Wouldn't the detergent be much more diluted that way?

 

[liamy1]

Wouldn't the detergent be much more diluted that way?

I'd day this would depend on the detergent. I find silk and wool detergents (persil/woolite/stergene etc) produce WAY too many suds anyway, so unless you were using a standard detergent (which depending on the fabric you're washing, could be wrecked by enzymes/bleaches), I wouldn't use anymore.

But if you were washing a non wool/silk item, but were using the delicate/wool program, I wouldn't expect more suds with a standard detergent, as you say, there is more water in the tub and these cycles usually have slow agitation patterns.