“Based on the amount of washing I do, I think there are people living in my house that I haven’t met yet”

Unknown

Washing, where does it all come from?
On average I do about 3 loads of washing a day almost every day of the week. It consists of varying types of washing. It could be big full loads of dirty work clothes (I have a fantastic 10kg front loading washing machine) or a cold wash delicate cycle for my two or three good jumpers. Then there are the shearing clothes from ‘Number 2 son’, they are washed seperately. The white load, not often very big but still needs to be done. Not to mention all the sheets for four beds, towels for five people, bath mats, tea towels and cleaning cloths.

I don’t know about anyone else but my washing never seems to go away. I feel like I am in the movie, “Groundhog Day”. Different day same amount of washing and yes it can be a nightmare. I am the washer woman. It is easier for me that way. If there is a load of wet washing in the machine I know it is there, as I put it there. There are no surprises when I get to the machine in the morning. No stinky mouldy smelling clothes when the machine door gets open after two days. No baskets of half dry clothes sitting around the laundry that I didn’t know about. My problem isn’t putting the washing in the machine, it is getting the washing hung out, brought back in, folded and then actually put away. I love the washing part, that is the easy part.

So the reason I am going on about washing is because it is the middle of winter here for us in the South of Australia and that means short days, most of which are cold, overcast, rainy and sometimes (more recently) foggy. I feel like in winter it is harder to manage the washing. My clothes very rarely get outside on the legendary ‘Hills Hoist’ clothes line during winter. So all the clothes are inside on my two portable inside lines. I have an ancient wooden clothes drier which my mum gave me and a brand new, largest size you can get ‘Mrs Peggs’. Between them they do a good job. The wood fire is going flat out to try and get everything dry.

It has hit a peak for me and I have washing everywhere. Dirty washing on the laundry floor, some on the bench, a load of washing in the machine, a load of damp clothes in the basket ready to be hung, newly washed clothes drying on the inside line, some bigger things on the outside line (been there for 2 days now). Dried clothes in a pile on the cupboard, not folded. Folded clothes on the table ready to go away. The sock basket, full and hanging around, keeping the bath towels company, the said bath towels are draped everywhere, either drying or dried but not folded or put away and finally T-towels and other cloths on the coffee table. It looks like a bomb has gone off in my living room. And the most frustrating thing is that it looks like this 90 percent of the time during winter.

But, I am completely happy to be responsible for the chaos. Because if I was a keen, disciplined housewife I could have a dedicated folding day and make sure I spent that day actually folding and get the nice, dry, clean clothes into drawers and cupboards. Instead I normally choose to go and have a coffee with my neighbours and ‘best buddy girl friends’ or go out in the garden. Most times my ‘gorgeous farmer husband’ and the kids come and find me to ask me if I have seen a particular piece of clothing that they need and then they put it on. Just this morning, ‘Son number 1’ noticed that his Dad was not wearing socks. I was curious as to why my ‘gorgeous farmer husband’ was not wearing socks? They are in a very big bssket in a very convenient spot in the living room. They are so obvious you could trip over them (and I probably have). It seems to me that he presumes he has no socks just because they haven’t made it to his sock drawer yet. I am still promising myself to fold those pesky towels after dinner at night and if those pesky towels get taken off the pile to be used by someone without going into the cupboard well, all the better for me.

I also choose not to iron. Anything!!! I do have an iron and an ironing board and at one stage in my house wife career I used to enjoy ironing and watching a movie or something on the television but that has gone by the wayside at least 5 years ago. I do not iron. I fully believe that hanging neatly when wet and folding neatly when dry helps reduce creases. The fact that all the boys work on the farm where no one sees their creased shirts helps and they are all very casual farmer boys who most of the time don’t care about their creases.

I have put a photo (or two) with this blog just so you can see how much washing I am dealing with. Although the photos do not look as bad as I think it is. I am very much snowed under with washing. I truly believe there is no shame in being un-organised at times. Who are the washing police anyway? Why is it we worry about what people think of us? Most times I think that it is far better to go out in the garden for a few hours or have coffee with a friend or play with your kids or write a blog, rather than to fold and put away the washing. It will still be there. And if you get surprise visitors (not your ‘best buddy girlfriends’, who don’t care what your house looks like), then you can always quickly shove it all in the spare room out of sight. Or own it. Be proud of it. Who cares. This is how I roll.

One day in the future I may actually post a picture of me being an organised, tidy, amazing farmers house wife, but don’t hold your breath. Even though it doesn’t seem to last that long I actually do love the satisfaction of getting all the washing up to date, washed, dried, folded and put away.

I would love to hear about how you manage your washing day blues.

I think I have spent enough time in avoidance. Now I am going to face up to the washing.

Have a great day

Anne x