ME
First I sort my laundry: dark, light and delicate. I check pockets (even though pockets are emptied prior to going in the hamper), zip zippers, unfold and match socks, hook hooks. Lingerie items are sorted. Light colors go into a small lingerie bag (not so many of those) and dark colors go into the larger lingerie bag. I put everything in my rolling laundry cart, keeping the color separations.
I grab the laundry essentials - soap, quarters, Oxi-clean, scrubby brush, screwdriver. I go downstairs to the laundry room. I only use three of the eight washers. Why? Because we have front loaders and have to put the soap in this compartment thing that will run water through it carrying the detergent into the washer bin. Well, I have noticed that the water doesn't always rinse all the residue away and there is often fabric softener congealing in the tray. Not only that, but because the lid to the soap tray is supposed to be closed all the time, none of that water has a chance to evaporate. So the soap tray is a petrie dish of spores and mold. I discovered this after several months of mystery spots on my clothes and strange rashes in stranger places. I've told the HOA and they don't seem to care - they get someone out every couple of months to run a handiwipe over the tray and call it done. So now, before I launder, I have to unscrew the soap compartment and scrub away at it with my scrubby brush. This is why I can only use certain washers.
That done, I put my clothes in the washer, careful not to overload. I put in the recommended amount of OxiClean (it really does work!), insert the quarters (3), press the recommended temperature and wait until the water is running through the soap tray. Then I pour in the liquid detergent.
When the wash cycle is complete, I remove the wet clothes, shaking out each garment so socks don't get trapped in pant legs and I'm not putting a ball of wet, wrinkled items in dryer. I clean the lint traps in the dryers.
I do another sort. Some clothes I don't like to dry in the dryer - pants and sweaters because they often require drying, lingerie because it shortens the lifespan (of the lingerie, not me) and some items that were actually supposed to be handwashed. These items I either count, or place into the dryer for the first 15 minutes. If they are in the dryer by themselves, I do that first then continue getting the other clothes out of the washers. If I am going by count, I put all of that load into the dryer and after 15 minutes I pull those counted numbers out and bring them upstairs to dry on the hanger while the rest of the load completes the cycle. If an item has a stain that didn't come out, it doesn't get put in the dryer at all. The dryer is .75 for one hour. Each load gets a dryer sheet.
Hopefully, if I don't get distracted, I will go down to check on the dryer after thirty minutes. Some things will be dry and can be removed. Less clothes in the dryer, faster drying, right?
Finally, the dry cycle is done. I take my cart back to the laundry room, clean the lint traps again, fold the clothes and bring them upstairs.
Total laundry time: 2+ hours (depending on how dirty the soap trays are.)
DUDE
Balls all his like colored laundry together in a basket. Brings it to the laundry room. Stuffs laundry into nearest washer. Pours in unmeasured amount of soap. Drops in quarters, hits "normal cycle".
Returns 30 minutes later and grabs entire load in one grab and stuffs it into one dryer. Drops in quarters, hits "whites".
Returns 45 minutes later. Puts plastic laundry basket under the dryer, opens dryer door, reaches an arm into the dryer and pulls out clothes so they fall into the basket. Leaves 15 minutes on the dryer.
Total laundry time: 1.25 hours.
The Dude and I hold similar views on laundry.
But it's very nice that you clean the soap trays.
Are you coming to the Whistlestop tomorrow (Sunday)?
Posted by: spaazlicious | 04 February 2006 at 08:38 PM