How do you do your laundry?

United States
February 8, 2007 2:02am CST
Do you go to a laundry mat? Do you have a washer and dryer at home? or do you do it the old fashioned way and wash them in a sink or tub at home? the laundry mat is getting pretty expensive for me. I live in a small apartment complex and we dont have a washer or dryer. I washed my laundry today in the sink and hung them to dry. it was much cheaper since the landlord pays the water bill. lol. what do you do??
31 people like this
128 responses
@judyt00 (3497)
• Canada
8 Feb 07
I have a wsher anddryer now, but when my kids were little, I used to do laundry in five gallon buckets with a plunger. It takes less time than the automatic machines, but its harder on the skin.
4 people like this
• United States
8 Feb 07
a washer and dryer would be nice if i lived in a bigger complex. that's ok. i'm saving about $12 a week doing it myself. thanks for responding.
3 people like this
• United States
9 Feb 07
saralee, i know how you feel. i walk down 2 flights of stairs once a week twice and then do it all over again after the laundry is done. it's a pretty simple way to do laundry by hand. i like it. thanks for responding. hope you like washing by hand with your delicates. good luck
2 people like this
@saralee1 (1983)
• United States
9 Feb 07
You know, I thought this was a totally cool question because I have to lug my laundry down three flights of stairs to the laundromat, and then back up. We have quite a few clothes, so I only do it once a month. but I thought the plunger technique with a bucket sounds like a great idea! (an good exercise too) I might try this with some delicates and see how it works. Thanks!
• India
8 Feb 07
I do my laundry every weekends. I have a washer and drier at home. I usually dont use the drier because in India the weather is mostly hot and i allow my clothes to dry out in the sun as it is good for the clothes. The uv rays kills all the residual bacteria in the clothes.
2 people like this
• United States
8 Feb 07
it's good to get the clothes in the sun to dry them. if it was warm here that's what i would be doing. i have to put the clothes over the heat registers to get my clothes dry. thanks for responding.
1 person likes this
3 Mar 07
It's against the law in Canada to hang laundry in the open. You don't see clothes hanging outside or on balconies.People could be saving energy and money, but it looks unapealing.That's the law.
1 person likes this
@judyt00 (3497)
• Canada
5 Mar 07
Actually, its NOT against the law in Canada to hang your laundry out. its just that certain cities have bilaws that prohibit it. you could fight that if you really wanted to, since it is more environmentally friendly to hang them than use an electric dryer
@14missy (3183)
• Australia
9 Feb 07
I have a top loader washer and with a family of three children and husband usually have to wash every second day at least. I sometimes take large items like blankets to the laundromat but everything else is done at home.
• United States
9 Feb 07
with a family it's hard to keep up with the laundry. it's easier for me now because i'm not working. i can get all the house work done and enjoy my day. thanks for responding.
• Philippines
9 Feb 07
i did my laundry at home using the old fashioned ways...but i think it is muuch easier if you have your own washing machine..makes your laundry easy and fast to do...but at this time..cant afford to have one yet..
2 people like this
• United States
9 Feb 07
yeah it's much easier but for me too expensive. i have no space for it anyways. thanks for responding.
• United States
9 Feb 07
i put them all in one load cuz ionly got dark clothes and then i dry them all in one load i never put them outside to hang its stupid but yeah i do my own laudry and i am a guy so u probably no why then
• United States
9 Feb 07
that's simple and easy. don't have to worry about anything fading onto something else. you're one of the few guys i've met that actually does laundry. lol. thanks for responding.
@leahmae (105)
• Australia
9 Feb 07
we have a washing machine and dryer. since it's summer here, i just hang the clothes outside to dry. washing by hand can be tough and time consuming so it helps to have a machine. :)
2 people like this
• United States
9 Feb 07
i wish it were summer where i am but it's not. i just got done with washing some laundry by hand and it's almost 2am. lol. i was bored and i'm a night owl. plus i'm watching passport to europe and that's really interesting. thanks for responding.
@sharon613 (2321)
• United States
8 Feb 07
I have to go to the laundry mat on the premises and I wash the clothes together instead of separating the colors from whites.
2 people like this
• United States
9 Feb 07
well that's pretty simple. thanks for responding.
@greengal (4286)
• United States
8 Feb 07
LOL..well I guess that worked out for you. We live in an apartment too and it has a common laundry mat. It is a big pain sometimes to carry everything and walk all the way till there! Sigh..but we have no choice.
2 people like this
• United States
9 Feb 07
yeah it's working out for me. we don't have a common laundry mat in my apartment building. i have to walk down 2 flights of stairs twice, drive to the laundry mat and then take it out of the car do the laundry and put it all back in and carry it back up the stairs. thanks for responding.
@cheenlly (3476)
• Philippines
8 Feb 07
in our country we are trained and get used to doing laundry in an old fashion way, washing them in a sink at home. although we had the washing machine but i rarely used it because i dont like using it. im not satisfy with the work of the washing machine, i feel it doesnt clean very well the cloth. so thats why i like using the old fashion way.
2 people like this
• United States
9 Feb 07
that's a good thing that you were trained that way. you never know what life may throw at you and you may not be able to do the wash in the machine. thanks for responding.
@babystar1 (4233)
• United States
8 Feb 07
I do all my laundry at home.I have a washer and a dryer,I am glad I have a washer and dryer because I do not like to drag all my clothes to the laundry mat.In the summer time I like to hang my clothes outside because it smells fresh, and it drys faster outside in the summer time.
2 people like this
• United States
9 Feb 07
i hate taking the clothes to the laundry. it is the most dreaded day of the week. thanks for responding.
@Katlady2 (9904)
• United States
8 Feb 07
I have a washer and dryer, so that's the usual way that I do my laundry. But if I have to wash the curtains, or several of our big comforters, I will go to the laundromat and use their extra large capacity washers and dryers.
• United States
9 Feb 07
big things might not fit or even break your washer if you use it that way. thanks for responding.
@mommyaiai (295)
• United States
8 Feb 07
i wash my clothes in a washer and dry it in a dryer but sometimes i will wash like 1 or 2 clothes in the sink or tub and hang it to dry.I will wash my blouse who shrink.Sometimes my white clothes.
2 people like this
• United States
9 Feb 07
you have to wash clothes that are delicate or will shrink in the sink. lol that rhymed. anyways thanks for responding.
@tabyorky (281)
8 Feb 07
I have a washer and dryer to do my laundry. Though when it is better weather here in the Uk I hang my washing out to dry on the washing line.
• United States
9 Feb 07
i want to hang my clothes outside. it will come soon. winter will be over in like 6 weeks. thanks for responding.
@kgs_mommy (260)
• United States
8 Feb 07
We were lucky enough to get a washer and dryer with our apartment. Lately I've been doing the laundry once a week (on Friday) but I used to do one load a day. It helped me to be less cluttered and more organized. Our apartment also pays for our water, so we have that luxury.
2 people like this
• United States
9 Feb 07
my next apartment will have a washer and dryer so i won't have to worry about that anymore. that's awesome that the apartment pays for your water too. i'm moving into your apartment complex.. lol.. where is it??lol..
@missyd79 (3438)
• United States
12 Feb 07
i have a washer and dryer in my house. i live in a trailer park so i do not pay the water bill either, so i just have to pay the eltric bill and i can handle that.
1 person likes this
@missyd79 (3438)
• United States
21 Feb 07
yeah it is nice, but we are all hooked up to a huge well, so the landlord really doesn't pay, but there is talk about a sewar coming thorugh so i am holding my breath about how that is going to go down.
1 person likes this
• United States
22 Feb 07
yeah my great grandma had a well, but they got sewer put in. hopefully you get a sewer system put in. it'll be much better.
• United States
12 Feb 07
that's cool that they pay the water bill. so you don't end up with paying for both electricity and water. thanks for responding
1 person likes this
@00fear (3216)
• United States
8 Feb 07
my does my laundry almost every 2/3 days when im at work. she puts them in the washer than the in the dryer.
• United States
9 Feb 07
i do my laundry when my boyfriend's at work too. so i can spend much time with him when he gets home. thanks for responding.
• United States
9 Feb 07
i do my laundry when my boyfriend's at work too. so i can spend much time with him when he gets home. thanks for responding.
@lauriefnp (5109)
• United States
8 Feb 07
I have a washer and dryer in my basement, along with a huge clothes folding table which my father built for me when I bought the house. I love being able to do it here, because I spent years taking it to my parents' house when I lived in an apartment. I would pack it all up and drag it over there once a week. The only good thing about that is that my mother always helped to fold the clothes! I agree that laundry mats and apartment washers and dryers eat up your money. On top of paying for the detergent and fabric softener, you need a ton of quarters for a weeks' worth of laundry, and it's always inconvenient to keep going back and forth to the basement or wherever the machines are located in the apartment building. Hand washing would definitely be cheaper, but there are some things that you will find are much too large and bulky to wash and rinse well by hand, and then you miss out on the fabric softener smell from the dryer, too!
1 person likes this
• United States
9 Feb 07
a folding table would be nice too. that was nice of your father to build you one. i hate packing my clothes up and dragging it to the laundry mat. yep tons and tons of quarters. a big inconvience. we don't have any machines in my apartment building. it's the size of a 2 story house with a loft. there are 5 apartments. i do our underclothes and tshirts by hand and some small towels. it's hard to do jeans and large towels. they should make a spray fabric softner so the people that don't have dryers could smell the good smell. thanks for responding.
@HCCC45 (16)
• United States
8 Feb 07
I wash everything in cold water. No chance of colors fading or running.
@emquinsat (1058)
• Philippines
8 Feb 07
I've never do my laundry anymore. I used to and I just use the washing mashine and dryer for that. I do it on the weekends only to save time and energy.
2 people like this
• United States
9 Feb 07
it would save much time and energy too doing it all at once. thanks for responding.
• United States
8 Feb 07
I have a washer and dryer at home. I do my laundry approximately once every four days. I hand wash lace things and my underwear since it gets wrecked if it goes through the washing machine.
1 person likes this
• United States
9 Feb 07
yea you put the undies in and they dont come out.. lol. thanks for responding.
• United States
8 Feb 07
I do my laundry about every four days too! I am doing laundry for a family of three. If it was just me in the house I would only do it once a week. I have entirely too many clothes bo I could go as long as three weeks without washing clothes, but a week worth of clothes are for yard work, which I know is over abundant, but I just hate not haing it when I go to look for it.
1 person likes this
• United States
4 Mar 07
I visit my mom on the weekends and she lets me do my laundry there.
1 person likes this
• United States
4 Mar 07
That's nice of her. My grandma lets me do mine at her house but it's 45 miles away. So, I rarely get a chance to do that. Thanks for responding.