Never putting laundry away

I can't agree that it is a generational thing. My DS and DD are both as tidy as anything, however my husband leaves stuff all over the place - he suffers from what I call the servant syndrome and I'm not his servant.

Having just spent a couple of months in Australia with my DD and family I wondered if this was more an Aussie thing?! When I visit I spend hours sorting their clothes into piles and either delivering them to bedroom doors or putting on their beds, at 5 and 8 the children should be able to sort it from there - and DD 39 and DSiL 41 should be able to manage it too! However there was a pile of DSiL's clothes which I sorted and folded in the laundry room and when I left 4 weeks later they were still there......!

I rarely iron especially in winter months I do think washing piled up for days is a generational thing as both my youngest dd and dil do this however my eldest dd is the opposite washed dried and ironed in a day I've newer seen a pile of washing in her house she's so neat n tidy sharing a bedroom with her messy younger sister was a massive problem so much so we built a partion wall to separate them

Thank goodness for a utility room and an airing cupboard!

Germanshepherdsmum

Anything awaiting ironing is in the laundry basket. Anything not needing ironing is folded and put away. Anything waiting to be washed is in the linen bin. I can’t imagine living with heaps of laundry, clean or dirty, around the place.

Same here at our house, even when the children were small.

My DS and DIL are similar to the OP's. They seem to have piles of clothes on cupboards, chairs etc. They both work full time and neither of them are tidy people. I would drive me nuts. Surely it is quicker and easier to put everything in one place (the ironing basket) or put it away straight away.

I am babysitting soon and will be itching to tidy up whilst they are out. I won't though as they may be offended

Another tidy one here.

Can’t bear piles of clothing left around.

My Dd on the other hand is generally a very messy moo.

She tries to be tidy, but it’s not my idea of tidy or clean.

I’ve now developed a phobia of going to her house because of all the mess and clutter. It depresses me dreadfully. I can’t bear to touch things as everything is grubby.
And of course, clothes everywhere.

It’s sad really. But nothing I can do about it.

I don't think I've ever been in a house with clothes strewn around - apart from the house Mr A used to share with 3 friends when we first met.

I see no point in washing clothes so they are nice and fresh and then leaving them around to get crumpled and dusty. My ironing basket is often full but is stored out of the way not sitting on the sofa. Anything not being ironed is put away as soon as possible (but not always immediately, might be left hanging in the airing cupboard).

My daily helps with my washing now. It has to be put on a rack in the now disused dining room, dried overnight and she puts it away next day. The only things needing ironing are duvet cover and pillowcase because they are cotton.
I discovered the help who deputises for my usual lady ironing my knickers and tea towels!! Soon enlighten her. Especially with the cost of electricity now.
I do remember the days before manmade fibres, and steam irons when everything even my babies dresses and rompers had to be damped before ironing.

I think its a generational thing. My daughter is the same, piles of clothes everywhere and as for ironing that's a dirty word!! she compensates for this by putting everything into the dryer straight from the washing machine so it doesn't need ironing!! I told her i'd hate to have your electric bill but she says she hasn't time to hang it outside or put it on maidens (clothes dryers ) I'm Glad she doesn't live at home anymore!!

My dry washing goes in stages, kitchen table or chair (useful as you can hide it under the table!), makes its way to the bottom of the stairs and eventually moves to our bedroom. It’s at some point put away, or worn. The only ironing done in this house is MrJ’s shirts, which he does himself.

I love ironing so never have a build up. Much easier when you're retired though and have plenty of time. Neither of my adult kids irons much at all but one thing that drives me mad is crumpled duvet covers and pillowcases but it doesn't bother them at all.

kittylester

I'm not sure that clothes are ironed nowadays!

I haven't ironed anything for years (well maybe something for a special occasion and it's been in the wardrobe for years)! I always hang washing carefully and fold or hang on hangers and dry carefully so ironing is not needed. As for OP - well, my daughter and S-in-law and 3 grandsons live just like that...I have often folded and put away washing, no complaints...they probably wish I did it every time I visit! Just really busy lives and I think a bit of slap dash, can't be bothered attitude.....she certainly didn't get it from me.

I love it when the laundry gets washed, dried, ironed and put away all on the same day. Can't beat that feeling. However we none of us have control of how others do their chores. If you are welcomed into someones home and leave happy to have shared your time with them the surroundings are neither here or there.
I remember as a child one of my Mum's friends being very untidy indeed not at all like our household. But was so lovely, kind and caring with the snuggliest of cuddles. Yes the house was always untidy but she always had time for her friend.

I do one wash a week usually, dry outside or on radiators and never iron. Years of living with an Aga taught me that perfect folding is the answer! My mother died aged 93 and it was only in the last three years of her life that I persuaded her that she didn’t actually have to iron bedding, towels and underwear.

I drop laundry into laundrette once a fortnight. Pick it up after shopping 4 hours later, clean, dry and folded (cost around £8). Worth every penny.

I cannot abide piles of clothes lying around . I do not wash every day as that is totally alien to todays culture …we only wash when we have a full load ….thus saving energy and water. So irresponsible! I no longer iron as it’s totally unnecessary with todays fabrics ….fold and put into airing cupboard then hung in wardrobe or layer in drawers.
My daughters the same …I don’t want to see people’s’ next days washing’ as my mum used to call it!

I'm a wash, iron and put away person too. When I visit (having to stay due to distance) my DS and family both he and DiL love it as I iron all that's necessary (according to me), fold or place on hangers ready for them to put away. Also, weather permitting, I hang all the washing outside rather than use the two heated airers. They love this too, they say everything feels different. They had no outside facility for washing so my DS installed a couple of retractable lines, bought clothes pegs just for me to use when I visit! That was 12 years ago, still going strong and they have been known to use them very occasionally.

My daughter is fairly tidy as far as putting away clothing after it's been washed and dried (son-in-law most often irons his own shirts - nothing else is ironed!), but what amazes me is the sheer amount of washing that goes on! They are 2 adults and 2 children, but you would think from the amount of laundry that 6 people live there. I tend to wear shirts more than once, jeans for at least a week, and dresses only for a few hours at a time, so no need to wash very often. I realise that they, and the children are much more physically active, but does every single item need to be thrown into the basket after being worn one time??

My clean laundry doesn’t hang around on couches but it does tend to live in a laundry basket. Mine lives in a white one and my husbands lives in a grey one. We both do our own washing so we are both as bad as each other.
Periodically they may get put away if the mood strikes.
And ironing, hmmmm, I do believe I have an iron somewhere but I’m really not sure where

Have to agree with you. I have noticed within my family the younger generation do run there homes differently, far more care free than I like to.

I’m a little bit messy but have to say if someone came over and laundered and ironed and put things away for me I’d be over the moon Each to his, hers or their own eh !

Each to their own, I guess. Some people enjoy being tidy and others like to be more 'laissez faire'. I'm quite untidy sometimes and as I have no 'system' I often drive myself mad trying to find things. Can I change this behaviour pattern? No! I have tried many, many times but always revert back to my old ways.

People enjoy coming to my home as there are things to look at that are interesting but I have one friend who commented that to her my house looks like a series of things unfinished. .Her house is never a hair out of place which I find rather clinical. I like seeing some of my things around me. For me mostly I enjoy at least one room ( sitting room) being reasonably tidy and the rest I'm not too worried about.
If I go into a house that is too tidy I don't feel at all comfortable. A bit of washing lying around suggests a relaxed approach generally.

I guess, like most things it's about balance.

A friend did her daughter in laws ironing whilst babysitting. She was told not to touch their stuff again!

AussieGran59

Ah, thanks. We don’t have them here, or at least I don’t think so. Hot water tanks tend to be outside, at the side of our houses not in cupboards. Much too big.

* * *

Here in Germany they don't have airing cupboards either. I hang my ironed or dried washing in the boiler room in the basement overnight where it is nice and warm and dry.

Each to their own of course, but seems a shame to have a nice lounge that’s like a tip with piles of washing all over it.
Having led a very busy life myself, and still at 57 being busy with childcare, a part time job and the house and garden to see to, I can say, hand on heart that I’ve always folded laundry and put it away and so has every household I’ve ever visited.
What a sheltered life hey?🤣