How many loads of wash do you do a week?

[Beeman]

I hear people saying how much money they're saving since they bought one of the new frt. load washing machines. Our machine is 20 years old so we looked at machines while we were out today. The one thing I noticed was the energy useage/expense tag said this was based on 8 loads of wash a week. When I mentioned this to the salesperson they said they do more loads than that a week. I asked how many in their family and she said 4, we have 4 also with 2 being teenagers and we do 3 loads a week. The price of the whiz bang washers was in the $900-$1200 range, the normal Whirlpool or Maytag was $290-$390.

How much wash do you do and how much money do you save?

[culpeper]

I live alone, so I'm not perhaps 'a typical family'. I do only two loads on average per week. One for clothes, one for sheets and towels. I also do a fair bit of handwashing - things like jeans and other things whose colours run, or in winter, jumpers. It varies, however. From time to time, I wash pillows - only one will fit in the machine at a time. And every window in the house has vertical drapes, and they get a wash now and then, too. One 'window' per load. Then there's the doonah, doonah cover etc.

I have a top-loading washing machine, about 6yo (Fischer and Peykel). I wouldn't want a front-loader, because I'm getting older and find bending over not as easy as it used to be. I like the top-loader because it has self-adjusting water levels, balancing etc.

[NCGirl]

I too live alone. I do 3 (Full) loads a week. One white, One Dark and one Towels/sheets. I am sure if I had a family that 8 loads a week would be about right.

My sister just got a new front load washer and I can tell you that she LOVES it. She also says it is easier on her clothes.

[uncle Will in In.]

We had a Westinghouse front loading washing machine (New) in 1960. Can you say suds calamity? Guess what happens if the door gasket doesn't seal completely. That was 47 years ago, and it will be another 47 years before my wife allows another front loader in the house!
If the clothes didn't get spread out evenly for the spin cycle, the sucker would jump up, down, and sideways like a young buffalo in chicken crate.

[HillsideHouse]

I do about 14 loads per week. My Maytags were going about 17 years, they didn't stop working but because of our horrible well water the washer just kinda rusted out. So I used that excuse to buy a GE Profile pair. The washer is a top loader because I like to mess with my laundry and I couldn't figure out how, if the washer broker, you'd get the clothing out of a front load without making a total mess. Anyway, I love it. It was expensive, 2k for the pair but it really does hold a ton laundry with ease & even a king size quilt. No center beater bar!! Yippeee!! Frankly the capacity is so large I have a hard time actually running full loads. Luckily the washer tumbles things before & after filling to determines how much water & hence wash time is actually needed. It's quiet & doesn't *walk* like I read about so many of the front loaders doing. I originally wanted a front load & they almost got me with the cherry red combo but I like the Profile, it's a good fit for this household! Since you have similar antiques to what we had, you'll be sure to love anything new that you get!! Have fun!!
Hill

[Beeman]

14 loads! How many families do you wash for? As I said we're a family of 4 and do 3 loads a week.

[red hott farmer]

We do 7-8 loads a week on Avg. 2 of us. Part time self employeed contractor and full time farmer. I go thru 2 sets of clothes on Avg daily. Caked on dirt and Grease and when i weed and garden even pickin i work on my knees. we also have a clothes line and dry outside 95 % of the time we watch the weather and wash on rain free days . We get my clothes at thrift stores and freecycle so When clothes get holy we make me rags out of them.

[MelissaW]

I do 8-10 loads a week in winter for a family of three, plus four dogs (we go through a lot of dog towels during mud season). In summer, it's probably more like 5 loads. I have a fairly new washer (maybe 3 years old), but it's still the top load kind. I haven't noticed much of a savings, but I don't pay for water!

[largentdepoche]

European washers are pretty small so I do double loads because the size issue.

With two people I have about 16 loads a week.

Kat

[Stephen in SOKY]

2 people, 6-8 loads per week.

[Beltane]

I probably do about 5 or 6 loads of laundry a week. There is only two of us but I'm usually washing dog beds and blankets as well.

[LamiPub]

Family of seven and I do atleast 8-10 loads of wash a week including towels and bedding. In the summer it is less because clothes are less bulky and less bedding w/o all the blankets. I have my first maytag washer/dryer set. They are almost 20 years old now. I do hang out most of the wash when weather is nice which saves $. The biggest laundry expense for me is the Shout and laundry detergent. Has anyone else noticed a big increase in the price of laundry detergent?! They not only raised the price but the amount of loads per box went down. I couldn't believe it. I would love recommendations for a cheap laundry soap that gets the clothes really clean if anyone has suggestions.

[Beaners]

Beeman, I think your secret's out. How long have you been wearing that pair of underwear??

Just my husband and I do about 4 loads a week but most of my husband's clothes NEED to be washed every time he wears them. I don't mind that he smells like BBQ when he gets home, but I'd like him to smell like clean clothes some of the time at least.

Kayleigh

[Cara]

There are six of us and to keep up I need to do 10-12 loads a week. I am seldom caught up

[jen74145]

There's two fo us, and we have four dogs and a cattery.
Massive amounts of laundry, especially when a queen decides to have her kittens in the middle of the bed or she steals a bunch of work shirts for that purpose.
With pet laundry and ours. I do anywhere between four and eight loads a week. If it were just hubby and I, it'd probably be more like three... linens/towels, whites, darks.

But I can tell you, our clothesline has saved us money. We lived in an apartment until a few months ago (1000 sq. ft) and had a power bill of $140 month on average.
Since moving to our 1300 sq. ft home, and setting up the line, our bill has yet to top $120. That's $240 in savings per year, and come summer, I want to start handwashing the smaller stuff...

[FrankTheTank]

Check out the FisherPaykel top loader. We own one. Seems to work pretty good. Doesn't use much water and spins very fast. Cheaper then the front loaders too.

[giraffe_baby]

4 ppl, and we usually do 4-6 loads a week

[suzyhomemaker09]

We are a family of 5...we generate a load of colored clothes every day..not to mention linens and such...So usuallydo at least 8 loads a week.

[tyusclan]

11 of us now and we do about 20 loads/wk. Laundry is the main chore around here that is NEVER caught up. We have a reg. top load machine. tyusclan momma

[RachAnn in NW Okla]

before my front load machine (purchased last March) I was washing 2 colors, 2 lights, 2-3 towels and bedding? dont get me started on bedding....

okay bedding.....I would wash 1 blanket by itself, the other blanket with the pillowcases, and the sheets by themselves or poss. with 1-2 towels...the kids bedding would be washed with the towels....this is what my poor top load washer could handle

I got my front load washer home and it says something like 14 towels.....I wanted to test that theory.....I couldnt find 14 towels....I even threw in the clean ones!!!! I finally resorted to the dish towels, hand towels, and washrags...came out to about 14 towels worth

now I wash 1 lights, 1 darks, 3 towels/bedding and my hubby washes 1 load of BDUs per week

Rachel