Washing Clothes - Advice

I wish I could just toss stuff in the dryer to "knock the wrinkles out", but that's just not an option with any British dryer I've used.  I tried it a couple of times in our old flat, and the clothes always came out more wrinkled than when I put them in!

I do a lot more ironing here than I ever did in the US.  DH needs shirts and trousers ironed for work (geez...I have a HUGE backload of ironing I need to do...thanks for reminding me!  ).  I do iron his jeans, and mine occasionally.  But I also iron his t-shirts...not undershirts, but you know, shirts w/ logos and stuff.  I never did that in the States...t-shirts weren't wrinkled when they came out of the dryer!

I must be one of the few truly ironing-impaired people here. I've never been able to do it; I just end up ironing in loads of creases and making a big mess. DH irons all his own stuff, and I make sure to buy clothing that doesn't require ironing for myself. But at home I used to have a spray bottle and that made a fine mist, and I would mist clothing and pop them in the dryer for five minutes, just like lolabola! Ah, I do miss that!

I have to say that we are actually buying a dryer before the washer.  First off we don't have the plumbing in the utility room yet for the washer and secondly because the laundry mat dryers make your clothes smell burnt and cost a ton.  So that's what we are doing.  I too do not like those mad combo things. 

I do have to say that many washers here have a "speed" cycle which will get your clothes clean a lot faster particularly if you are just doing a cold wash cycle.  I tend to do the fast one for colors and the longer one with hot water for whites.

Bosch makes good machines but they can be pricey. 

Overall though don't worry to much about laundry.  You will find what works for you.

Be careful using the quick wash. I was using it way too much in the tiny flat we used to live in because a washer on for 2 hours on a normal wash (x however many loads I had to do) drove me batty. Too much noise for PhD writing. And our clothes have suffered for it - they are all duller. And if you have a husband or someone who uses handkerchiefs, quick wash will not get them clean. Ditto the same for baby bibs, tea towels and other messy laundry.

Now that we're in a much bigger place, we can do the long proper loads without going insane.

As for wrinkles, we don't have too much trouble. I shake everything really well before either line drying or dryer drying. Jeans in the dryer are the worst but I find if I take them out as soon as they are done and immediately smooth and fold, they aren't too bad. But if the DF wants ironing done, HE does it!! 

hee hee hee...cute hair Wild Child!

hee hee hee...cute hair Wild Child!

Isn't she though! A little Macy Gray. She's my uncle's granddaughter from his second marriage. And she's precocious as heck!

I must be one of the few truly ironing-impaired people here. I've never been able to do it;

You're NOT alone, Carla. I'm right there with ya. Things I iron end up looking worse than when I'd started. Jamie does his own and I just look a bit wrinkled. 

I must be one of the few truly ironing-impaired people here. I've never been able to do it; I just end up ironing in loads of creases and making a big mess.

You're NOT alone, Carla. I'm right there with ya. Things I iron end up looking worse than when I'd started.

I'm one of those people too. I just can't do it no matter how hard I try....so I just don't try. But I LOVE that stuff in the spray bottle that gets the wrinkles out...it's my friend.