Too bratty?

[catnapper]

I have long insisted I do the laundry for various reasons. One its my only place in the house that is MINE. Second, it allowed me to stay on top of the kids. Third.... why not just sit back and be lazy while a maid does your laundry?

Now they are all much older, they think they are outsmarting me by sneaking into the laundry room and doing their clothes while I am at work. They all swear up and down that they NEVER go to the laundry But yet, bottles of laundry soap empty out when I never even opened it -- eerie! and the lint filter shows black lint when I open it up to remove whites . and most odd is I remove a stray panty or sock from a load bedsheets, when I know that neither panties nor socks went in with those sheets --- very scary!

So obviously the kids are doing their own laundry. I can't mention it to them in person because they all swear they do not do laundry. I can't be super nice and mention it off the cuff. I can't mention it in a family meeting. No matter what I'd say, or when, they won't accept that I know what they're doing and I'm a-ok with it. Most of all, I'd like them know they can do their own laundry so that I don't keep going down and seeing everything moved around.... it makes me feel like I'm losing my mind or something PLUS I want them to stop dropping the clean laundry from the washer into baskets, then plopping it back into the washer when they remove theirs for the dryer.... I'd like them to simply put the clothes in the dryer then fold them when they're done. I'd do that for them.

Sooo... here's the letter I composed to put on the washer lid. Too cranky? Too sarcastic? Just right?

I know all. (bwahahahaha)

If you insist on doing your own laundry then put whatever was in the washer into the dryer instead of plopping it in a basket then back into the washer when your stuff comes out. Then fold what was in the dryer instead of putting it back in after your stuff is dry.

Thank you,
Management

[moosmom]

Kim,

Geez, that pretty much sums it up!!

[Logan]

The rule around here is "if you take it out of the washer or dryer, you are responsible for it". Hallelujah when our kids do their own laundry. Helen has been doing her own for years. We help each other when we can with folding and getting it in the right place.

Good luck, Kim!

Logan

[RICHARD]

Have you asked the neighbors?

They may be behind this.

[Rachel]

I'm more of the opinion that when laundry is done, everything in the household that needs to be washed (whites separately, mediums separately, and darks separately) should be done at the same time hence saving unnecessary loads - water and energy. I'm not necessarily green but I think this is one way to lower energy usuage. Years ago my husband was known to have basically run a whole cycle for a pair of socks. Okay, maybe that is a tad of an exageration - but not that much.

[Laura's Babies]

Rachel, the guys on the boat will run the washer and dryer for a pair of socks.. Had one fella that washed his clothes from the day before, EVERY day and it was always 2 loads... 1 shirt, 1 pair of pants = 1 load....
2 socks and 1 underwear+ load 2...

catnapper, seems like you got it squared away but I think I would have hid the soap and see if anybody asked what happened to it or shut the water to the washer off.. .. Had a bit of fun with it before I made an announcement..

[caseysmom]

Aren't those "kids" 19 and 16? Bought time they learned to do laundry

[catnapper]

I'm more of the opinion that when laundry is done, everything in the household that needs to be washed (whites separately, mediums separately, and darks separately) should be done at the same time hence saving unnecessary loads - water and energy. I'm not necessarily green but I think this is one way to lower energy usuage. Years ago my husband was known to have basically run a whole cycle for a pair of socks. Okay, maybe that is a tad of an exageration - but not that much.

Ahhh... another reason. I have loads of reasons why I finally decided to do all the family's laundry. Yes it brought more work on me, but in the long run it was actually LESS Work. No more shrunken sweaters. No more whites turned pink. No more bleach accidentally splashed on my good shirt. No more tossing a "dry Clean Only" outfit into the washer. No more finding the lint filter ready to explode. No more overstuffed loads. No more washing things that aren't dirty.... as if you need to wash jeans after all you did was wear them to the movies for 2 hours!

So now I give up - let them do their own laundry if they are that desperate to do it. I can use the break. Let hubby see just what happens to his work clothes when they get involved. I bet that he'll have a fit sometime between now and October when they ruin a few of his work clothes. He doesn't see the issue in something I complain about until it affects his stuff directly

[jenluckenbach]

It won't work. If they won't admit to doing this, they certainly won't admit to reading that! And be realistic......do you honestly think they want the extra duty of drying and folding a load that is not theirs??