2 ms·

Almost every single step of those are optional depending on the people in the household. For us everyone is responsible to bring their clothes to the wash bask

by belorn 8y ago

Almost every single step of those are optional depending on the people in the household. For us everyone is responsible to bring their clothes to the wash baskets and sort based on temperature. Very few modern clothing require cool wash, and in my household we don't own any. Very few white clothes and discoloration from washing whites with colors is so minimal with modern clothing/washing machines so we don't bother. The only exception is when cleaning white table cloths in order to remove stains. Non-dryer clothes are avoided if possible. We don't work at places which require ironed clothes. Washing is thus for us: loading the machine (located in the apartment) with clothing from one of the two baskets when they are full, filling the detergent ball, selecting 40 or 60 depending on which basket is used, putting it in the dryer when the washer alarm goes off, taking it from the dryer when the dryer alarm goes off, and finally everyone collects their clean clothes. We could argue how common this is, and if there is a cultural difference here between US and Sweden, but I don't have any data beyond my own experience.

Frondo 8y ago
This is really getting into the weeds here, but my partner and I (hetero couple in our 30s) do laundry maybe once a week, but it is a pretty time-intensive process because half of all of our clothes are cold-wash, half of those are line-dry, and following the directions like that significantly extends how long they last and stay brightly colored. It takes a couple of hours a week, and usually falls to me since I work from home. Saying some steps are "optional" requires compromises that probably a lot of people are unwilling to make; so not necessarily a meaningful way to call things optional.
notacoward 8y ago
You seem to have missed folding, which is both the most labor-intensive part and the one OP was about. Also, who nags the kids (or other adults) to do their part? That's work too.
- belorn 8y ago
  If someone want their clothes folded they fold them when picking them up from the clean pile. Not going to comment what parents with children should do, at what ages and so on. That is just begging to get into a discussion where everyone just disagree with each other.
  - notacoward 8y ago
    > If someone want their clothes folded they fold them when picking them up from the clean pile It's still work, isn't it? When it gets done is irrelevant. My larger point is that your "it's not that hard" is only true in a very narrow set of circumstances that I'm skeptical exist even for you. Many problems seem simple if you constrain the variables tightly enough. But in the real world, not everyone dresses exclusively in clothes that don't wrinkle if left alone after drying, or work in jobs where looking like a hobo is acceptable. And anyone who claims that every family member including children automatically does their part in a complex series of steps without any goading at all is either deceiving themselves or trying to deceive others. The discipline is being enforced, and we don't all have the privilege of turning a blind eye while partners do it.
    - return1 8y ago
      > I'm skeptical exist even for you. > work in jobs where looking like a hobo is acceptable. > or trying to deceive others. looks like someone needs to work on their argumentation
    - belorn 8y ago
      Similar to people in other comments, I do not normally fold my clothes. It is my choice and thus optional, which was my point. How much work a person spend washing depending on optional choices. > work in jobs where looking like a hobo is acceptable That is a bit offensive. Not everyone is a model and earn money depending on their appearance. There exist a quite large middle ground between hobo and model.
      - notacoward 8y ago
        > There exist a quite large middle ground between hobo and model You're the only one who brought up models, so the dichotomy is yours.
JohnFen 8y ago
> Almost every single step of those are optional depending on the people in the household. Indeed. I'm lazy, and as a result I select my clothing almost entirely with minimizing washing effort in mind. I tend to buy clothes that I don't need to sort out before washing, I buy most of my socks to be identical so I don't have to match them, I avoid clothes that require ironing to look even halfway presentable, and so forth. Properly done, laziness can be an art form. All that said, I do fold my clothes. For me, it's not that time-consuming or difficult.

by belorn 8y ago

Frondo 8y ago

This is really getting into the weeds here, but my partner and I (hetero couple in our 30s) do laundry maybe once a week, but it is a pretty time-intensive process because half of all of our clothes are cold-wash, half of those are line-dry, and following the directions like that significantly extends how long they last and stay brightly colored. It takes a couple of hours a week, and usually falls to me since I work from home. Saying some steps are "optional" requires compromises that probably a lot of people are unwilling to make; so not necessarily a meaningful way to call things optional.

notacoward 8y ago

You seem to have missed folding, which is both the most labor-intensive part and the one OP was about. Also, who nags the kids (or other adults) to do their part? That's work too.

belorn 8y ago
If someone want their clothes folded they fold them when picking them up from the clean pile. Not going to comment what parents with children should do, at what ages and so on. That is just begging to get into a discussion where everyone just disagree with each other.
- notacoward 8y ago
  > If someone want their clothes folded they fold them when picking them up from the clean pile It's still work, isn't it? When it gets done is irrelevant. My larger point is that your "it's not that hard" is only true in a very narrow set of circumstances that I'm skeptical exist even for you. Many problems seem simple if you constrain the variables tightly enough. But in the real world, not everyone dresses exclusively in clothes that don't wrinkle if left alone after drying, or work in jobs where looking like a hobo is acceptable. And anyone who claims that every family member including children automatically does their part in a complex series of steps without any goading at all is either deceiving themselves or trying to deceive others. The discipline is being enforced, and we don't all have the privilege of turning a blind eye while partners do it.
  - return1 8y ago
    > I'm skeptical exist even for you. > work in jobs where looking like a hobo is acceptable. > or trying to deceive others. looks like someone needs to work on their argumentation
  - belorn 8y ago
    Similar to people in other comments, I do not normally fold my clothes. It is my choice and thus optional, which was my point. How much work a person spend washing depending on optional choices. > work in jobs where looking like a hobo is acceptable That is a bit offensive. Not everyone is a model and earn money depending on their appearance. There exist a quite large middle ground between hobo and model.
    - notacoward 8y ago
      > There exist a quite large middle ground between hobo and model You're the only one who brought up models, so the dichotomy is yours.

JohnFen 8y ago

> Almost every single step of those are optional depending on the people in the household. Indeed. I'm lazy, and as a result I select my clothing almost entirely with minimizing washing effort in mind. I tend to buy clothes that I don't need to sort out before washing, I buy most of my socks to be identical so I don't have to match them, I avoid clothes that require ironing to look even halfway presentable, and so forth. Properly done, laziness can be an art form. All that said, I do fold my clothes. For me, it's not that time-consuming or difficult.