Modern Day Laundry Matters

1. 77

   Kathryn L Hillposted 2 years ago

   My question is, who is doing the laundry these days and for whom?
   
   Or are we evolving into a nation of people, young and old, who claim "I do my own laundry, period."
   
   
   wondering

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   1. 87

      MizBejabbersposted 2 years agoin reply to this

      My husband does his own laundry, and he would do mine if I let him, at least he would have when I was working. Since most men have no sense of sorting laundry or even why it should be sorted, I had to tell him early in our marriage that I prefer to do my own, otherwise my washable work outfits wouldn't have lasted very long. My husband also does, or perhaps I should say "did" the towels before I retired. Now that job seems to have fallen to me. I would say that he washes the sheets and bedding, but I've had to take over that job, too. He doesn't seem to know when they need to be laundered, and when he does strip the bed, he makes a day of it: sheets, blankets, quilts, mattress pad. I try to explain that the sheets need laundering more often than the other bedding, but he hasn't mastered that yet. Since we sleep in a waterbed because of painful back injuries, I draw the line at putting the clean sheets back on. I can't lift the heavy corners, so our agreement is that as long as he insists in continuing to keep this bed, he installs the clean sheets.
      
      Likewise, when I was a single mother, one day I came home and discovered that my boys, then 11 and 8 had done the laundry. So proud of themselves! Not wanting to discourage them, I immediately went out and bought 3 large baskets and labeled them 1. towels and bedding, 1. colored clothes, and 3. white and pale colors. I also bought myself a tiny plastic hamper in which to put my delicates. I kept this in my room so there wouldn't be any stray delicates mixed in with the whites. Sometimes it just takes a little training to successfully motivate the males to do their own laundry.

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      1. 77

         Kathryn L Hillposted 2 years agoin reply to this

         It would be interesting to know how the Millennials are dealing with laundry matters. But, who ends up washing and drying clothes is probably just a matter of situational circumstances.
              I think it's relaxing to sort clothes. Allowing and encouraging children, (as you did by providing sorting baskets) to help with laundry and/or attend to their own clothes allows them to enjoy the calming effect of being engaged in a goal-oriented process. Additionally, gardening, doing dishes, organizing and cleaning contributes to becoming more mindful and centered.
               Strange to even be writing like this, but in this day and age, the concrete world of work and play is disappearing.  The calmness which results from being engaged in and focused on worthwhile activities is being replaced with restlessness due to the expectation of immediate gratification and a mind-set of self-orientation. What results is a lack of patience, and ultimately, anxiety! And I hear the youth have troubles with anxiety, and this is very sad, because youth should be a time of joy, relaxation, adventure, exploration of the world and fun.
         Is it still? I hope so.

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   2. 0

      Athena Barroga Perezposted 2 years agoin reply to this

      I don't live with my partner yet, but we had discussions like these before. When it comes to laundry, we agree to help equally. I personally LOVE washing clothes and I kinda demand my boyfriend to let me do it for the both of us. He's alright with it, as long as he does other jobs as well. We might end up having a routine where I wash and he hangs.

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      1. 77

         Kathryn L Hillposted 2 years agoin reply to this

         what are his jobs? the ones you don't like?
         You do not have a dryer?
         Why would he agree to hang clothes?
         I can't see a man hanging clothes with clothes pins and all ...
         out on a breezy day.
         
         Hilarious!
         
         No?

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            Athena Barroga Perezposted 2 years agoin reply to this

            Uhm... As I said: Not yet living with him. But we still talk about it so we don't argue over something as simple as chores. And I don't really have jobs I dislike. We just agree on what jobs we prefer and we do it. He likes to wash dishes more than I do, so he does them. I like washing clothes more than he does, so I do them.
            
            And what's wrong with my partner hanging clothes? Like... Okay, we get it. We are not privilege to have a washing machine with a dryer that heat ups clothes.

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            1. 77

               Kathryn L Hillposted 2 years agoin reply to this

               Deleted
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                  Athena Barroga Perezposted 2 years agoin reply to this

                  That's none of your business anymore.

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2. 77

   Kathryn L Hillposted 2 years ago

   Q. How can this discussion ensue if it is politicly incorrect to use gender pronouns?

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3. 77

   Kathryn L Hillposted 2 years ago

   Okay fine, I'll reveal my real concern:
   
   I suspect women are doing men's laundry.
   
   This seems wrong to me. Men need to do their own laundry for their sense of positive self-worth.
   
   Furthermore, women need to be free of doing laundry for others, for the same reason: their sense of positive self-worth.
   
   Children should do their own laundry as soon as they're 15 yrs.old, for the same reason: their sense of positive self-worth.
   
   I feel sorry for women who still have to do other's laundry when it is so easy and fun for them, (others,) to do, thanks to washing-machines and dryers.

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   1. 81

      dashingscorpioposted 2 years agoin reply to this

      My wife does the laundry in our home. SHE insisted on doing it.
      I've been in other relationships and of course when I lived alone I did my laundry. I would do my wife's laundry if she "trusted me".
      It's not as if we're back in the days of beating clothes on rocks anymore.
      
      It's just the two of us and she does the laundry once a week. No ironing.
      I get the gas for our cars make sure they're maintained by the mechanic, handle the yardwork, take out the trash, and shovel the snow.
      
      Generally speaking the person who is the most "picky" or has their own way of doing things tends to (want to) take ownership of certain things.
      
      Since we usually don't eat the same things we tend to cook our own meals with a some exceptions.
      
      I've been in a variety of different living situations and in each relationship we chose our own way of contributing to the household. There were no demands put on any of us. When I was a bachelor living alone I did it all!
      

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      1. 77

         Kathryn L Hillposted 2 years agoin reply to this

         I believe you should do your own laundry for the sake of the revolution.
         Positive self-worth. Why should she do YOUR clothes?
         Surely you would rather do your own!
         - deep down in your soul.

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         1. 77

            Kathryn L Hillposted 2 years agoin reply to this

            - wash/dry them (your own clothes) for a couple of weeks get back to me.
            
            I declare that whoever washes/dries their own clothes, thereby taking good care of their persons, will be on a positive track. By all means, let each person do their own laundry.
            This is the next revolution, I say.

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         2. 81

            dashingscorpioposted 2 years agoin reply to this

            And I'm sure she'd rather shovel the snow!

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4. 77

   Kathryn L Hillposted 2 years ago

   motivation is the thing.
   
   If one feels obligated to do another's laundry, one feels burdened with a certain feeling of heavyness ... call it a lack of true willingness / motivation.
   
   Perhaps many (women?) do other people's laundry for their own reasons / motivations and not because they are expected to.
   
   They do it for the  l o v e  of their family members, or for the sake of cleanliness or order, etc.
   
   
   hmmm ... should have put this in the political category.

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5. 77

   Kathryn L Hillposted 2 years ago

   Slaves surely felt this heaviness. I cannot imagine being in the position of being forced to work for the benefit of THE BOSS / The Land Owner / The MASTER.

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6. 77

   Kathryn L Hillposted 2 years ago

   Perhaps, there is left-over, in the genetic code of some African Americans, a lack of motivation stemming form within ... stemming from their own love of life and the motivating impulses within them. How can they get and stay in touch with intrinsic motivations?
   
   Freedom in early childhood is one way.
   Maybe it is especially important for black children to be raised with much freedom.
   Maria Montessori leads the way in revealing the secret of childhood and the importance of freedom during this crucial period of early child development.
   However, more and more, this freedom is taken away from all children by parents, society and schools.
   
   Maybe the descendants of those who lived in bondage, in particular, need to have free access to Montessori schools!
   
   which leads us again to the topic of Affirmative Action and whether or not it was a help or a hinderance.
   
   Washing machines are really great conveniences!
   Yay for them!
   
   No one is a slave to laundry any more.
   
   Except when we WANT clean clothes.
   
   
   The WANTING is the MOST valuable tool.

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7. 77

   Kathryn L Hillposted 2 years ago

   However, too much WANTING of the wrong things can be bad.
   Too much food, too much relaxation, too much drinking, too much game playing, too much movie watching. Temptations galore are in the future through techno-amusments.
   WANTING the wrong things is going to hamper one's success in life.
   
   Why are containers for laundry called "hampers?"
   
   https://www.amishbaskets.com/collection … gKyZvD_BwE

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8. 77

   Kathryn L Hillposted 2 years ago

   Why is it so hard to WANT all good things
   Why is it so hard to NOT WANT bad things.
   What is it about human nature?
   
   
   People on drugs want the bad things in life.
   And this is a real problem.
   
   Maybe if they were more focused and occupied with washing their own clothes and taking better care of their persons, they would be on a more positive track.
   
   By all means, let each person do their own laundry.
   
   This is the next revolution, I would say.

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9. 77

   Kathryn L Hillposted 2 years ago

   ... water is another thing to appreciate. Every day, know you are very lucky to have clean running water. Without water we couldn't wash our clothes.
   
   We would be running around in wrinkled, dirty, disheveled clothes. And we would stink to high heaven.

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10. 77

    Kathryn L Hillposted 2 years ago

    and if the drought in CA keeps up thats, what we Californians will definitely be:
    dirty, disheveled and stinking to high heaven.
    (... reflecting their government.)

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11. 81

    dashingscorpioposted 2 years ago

    Not sure what happened to the rest of my post.
    At any rate doing laundry in the modern era is fairly easy and I've never had a problem with doing my own. You press a couple of buttons, drop in a pod of soap, add the clothes and return after the cycle is finished. Once the clothes are washed you put them in the dryer with a couple of dryer sheets and press some buttons or turn a dial. (The real work is folding clothes!)

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    1. 77

       Kathryn L Hillposted 2 years agoin reply to this

       Its the gathering, sorting and washing what you have basically ruined. Out of the dryer you bring your warm clothes which even your dog wants to curl up in. Then it's the careful process of folding, sorting and stacking according to what goes where. Then it's the putting away of what is delightfully and surprisingly like brand new.
       
       All these steps help provide an almost meditative state of focus, attention and concentration. For example, It's not like doing dishes. It's more fun and provides a way to facilitate one's own best interests. Dishes are not yours. They are everyone's. Dishes we do, because it has to be done. I just think doing laundry should be enjoyed because the things you wash are specifically YOURS!
       My advice for men, specifically, (to take or leave:)
       Let wives do their own clothes ... and the towels and the sheets etc.,
       but not your clothes. 
       
       I can't imagine anyone doing MY laundry!

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