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I noticed yesterday, while I was bent over at the drier pulling out damp clothes (I dry them for a few minutes and then hang them to dry the rest of the way) that a full three-quarters of the clothes coming out of the drier were inside out. Nothing like inside-out clothes to add to the time spent doing laundry. I was half tempted to dry them inside out and return them to my children's (and husband's) drawers that way, but my inner perfectionist did not allow it.
I've noticed we go through cycles around here with inside-out clothes. I suppose after a few reminders (several days of nagging) the kids remember to take their clothes off right side out for a short time, but then they go right back to the easy way. Standing at the drier I remembered that my aunt used to leave the shirts inside out, and her kids would end up wearing them inside out because, what did they care? I wondered then what my blogging friends do. Do you:
A. Like our Blessed Mother, look at inside-out clothes like another opportunity to "offer it up," taking pleasure in knowing that you are at your family's service?
B. Turn them right side out but secretly think that they'll all be sorry one day when you die from exhaustion?
C. Turn them right side out but let your family know that they are inconveniencing you greatly by being lazy (aka nag)?
D. Return all inside-out clothes to their drawers and hangers just as they are?
Or, maybe you do something entirely different -- I'd love to hear.
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How about an option for "All of the Above"....as I've done and thought all of that. I've also called a child to the laundry room and demanded him or her turn their dirty clothing right side out before it goes into the washer.
ReplyDeleteI've also put right side out clothes into the washer and had them come out inside out...there are gremlins in my washer...;)
Cheryl,
ReplyDeleteThere are children and husbands in your washer! ;-)
ha ha ha ha :)
ReplyDeleteThis post made me laugh. You know what, I never really paid much attention to whether they are inside out. Unless it's stained and grimy on the outside I leave it as is. I figure it's the inside that gets icky with sweat. My only laundry rule is don't leave it on the floor. Now that is an entirely "interesting" conversation altogether.
ReplyDeleteI wash and return the family clothing in the EXACT same way it came down to me -- and since my husband and the children send almost everything to me inside out (grr...) then it goes back that way. They are responsible for turning it right side out before they wear it.
ReplyDeleteI have asked many, MANY times for them to make sure everything is right side out when they sort and bring the laundry downstairs, and they still send it down inside out. Even the socks come down in tightly rolled balls (which is the only thing I do correct since a balled up sock won't get clean).
Rob will sometimes roll his shirt sleeves and he sends them down still rolled AND inside out! Arg!
I unroll the sleeves, but leave them inside out. He asked me about it once and I calmly explained that I was done asking people to turn things the right way before washing and that I was just returning them the way I found them.
He wisely avoided the argument, but I notice that he still sends things down inside out -- I guess it doesn't bother him too much! ;)
So I guess the answer for me is that I don't nag or complain, but I don't go out of my way to correct the issue for them either.
Oh, my gosh!! I am not the only one who deals with this!!! Yahoo!
ReplyDeleteThis is also hard for me, I have one specific child (who's only 5) that everything is like that, problem is lots of her shirts don't get all the way inside out, so the sleeves are big clumps and don't get washed properly or dried and need to be done over!
with her pajamas I just started last week putting them in her drawers inside out, the way she put them in the wash, but so far, she doesn't mind! I can't bring myself to do it with all her clothes, but think it every week!
I offer it up!
I am constantly turning clothes right-side out during laundry. My kids are so little, I have not started telling them (nagging them) to do otherwise. But it does get tedious. I feel like I have to turn them right-side out, because I usually have to treat stains on the fronts of the shirts. I'm a stickler for stains, because I want the clothes to last and be passed down ... Laundry is the never-ending, tedious chore. I'm certainly not at that peaceful place where I pray for the person whose laundry I'm folding. But I would like to get there one day.
ReplyDeleteAs I was just folding laundry minutes ago, this is VERY relevant. I like to think that I'm 90% B with an every increasing 10% A. HA! It's the little things that really wear us down in life, isn't it?!?!?!?
ReplyDeleteOoooh, I can't believe I read this today! Yes, I have a problem with it...especially one of my teenage daughters. And I also have done pretty much each option you have stated...and right now am struggling with having a servant's heart in doing this and more for my family. Just knowing it's not only me does help today!
ReplyDeleteGreat post. Looks like most of us can relate.
ReplyDeleteI am a very happy mother just to find the clothes not on the floor. That is my only request. NO CLOTHES ON THE FLOOR!
rest of it....I offer it up like Jamie does. Try not to think too much about it.
Chez nous, it's not the inside-out laundry that's a problem so much as the FAKE laundry.
ReplyDeleteI will find a ton of clean laundry that gets shoved down the chute. It's how my children "tidy" their rooms. Unfortunately, I don't offer it up. I do try to use my "inside" voice when reprimanding them, however.
It doesn't bother me at all how they come. If it's inside out, I just figure it's less wear on the outside of the clothes. For some strange reason I'm not concerned at all. My sister, OTOH, is OCD about it.
ReplyDeleteIt's the rolled up sleeves and stuff in pockets that bothers me. Oh, and don't tell him, but also how my dh "folds" things so sloppily that they'll be super-wrinkled. Might as well not be folded.
We all have something that bugs us about the laundry, I think!
i've never noticed that about clothes.
ReplyDeletebut i am certainly no saint.
i guess i just do it without even thinking.
but when the SOCKS are inside out it drives me batty.
and if i am in a naggy mood usually i call whoever is on the A list to sit in the laundry room with me and fix all the socks-dirty as they are-and make set them straight before i put them to wash!
i sure wish i could do option a more. in every aspect of my life!
I honestly just do it without thinking. That, however, has burned my britches on a few occasions with stuff piled in pockets (oops). Goes to show I need to look more often. I wash however it's handed to me except I will unroll shirt sleeves and socks. I will nag about the obviously clean (and folded) laundry that's handed to me as dirty.
ReplyDeleteOtherwise, I wish I could say it doesn't bother me but I do it without thinking. Someone has to, otherwise it won't get finished. :)
It's time my kids learn to do their own laundry - and they'll learn to do it properly (zips zipped; buttons buttoned; pant legs unfurled; underwear out of the pants; socks and all; separate the colours) and find out just what I've been going through again and again.
ReplyDeleteSeriously. I'm just now teaching them. I'm sick of it. They're grown enough to do it themselves. I show them how for a few weeks, and that's it.
Margaret's fake laundry is hilarious!
ReplyDeleteI opt for D and have for years. Nobody complains and I no longer resent turning things right side out so we are all happy. My youngest was exempt until I recently decided she was old enough to get the inside out clean laundry treatment as well. Like Margaret I have the fake laundry problem which I definitely do not use my inside voice about. I sort laundry in the basement and will loudly call down the offending party to claim their still fresh- smelling-folding-marks-still-showing item.
ReplyDeleteThe only one who creates fake laundry here is my daughter.
ReplyDeleteI tell the kids that I will only wash clothes that are in their laundry hampers. Everyone has one. Sometimes they use it. I do not pick up clothes left on the floor. However, my husband is exempt from this rule. (I'm not sure why)
Inside out? If I know it's badly stained, I right it before washing so I can treat it. Otherwise, I leave it as is, especially if I'm going to be hanging it on the clothesline. Sun fades colors. Inside-out laundry fades more slowly. I turn them the right way as I fold, except for socks. I only turn Little Brother's socks, because he will not turn them himself; he'd just wear them fuzzy-side out.
Inside out doesn't bother me much unless the clothes are half-in, half-out. PICK ONE!!!! I can't hang clothes on the line when one sleeve is coming out of the neck hole.
I do my share of nagging about other issues. This one is not a biggie for me--but believe me, I have others!
I will be the odd laundry woman out and admit I prefer much of the laundry to be washed inside out. It causes less wear/abrasion on the right side of the garment, and something clothing labels actually recommend washing inside out (like nice knits). It also helps protect any embellishments like on girls' dresses. I don't use a drier so I also like the clothes, especially colors and darks, inside out to reduce fading while it hangs out. And I'm with Margaret, fake laundry drives me nuts!
ReplyDeleteFor those 5 and under and those over 35, I patiently offer up the sacrifice of turning clothing the proper way.
ReplyDeleteAll others get their clothing folded inside out if that's how it came to me. I will right-side the ones that are half-in half-out and patiently offer up that labor (sort of).
I did think that my kids had seen the advice on hanging clothes on the line inside out to reduce fading, they seemed so good at giving me every single item that way this summer.
re: fake laundry. It's the socks still paired and rolled together that drive me nuts.
And we've had lots and lots of acorns in the wash. I need to check the boys' pockets before doing things from their hamper.