Ask HN: How do you do laundry? I don't like doing laundry (sorting, washing, folding). It's just a chore I never have time for. Even if I get things washed I don't fold them and they sit there and get wrinkled. How do you handle this? Are there any tools or techniques you use? Can I get a folding robot? |
I drink a can of Monster, put on some heavy metal and then fold aggressively.
Can I get a folding robot?
Probably if cost is not a limiting factor. Baxter [1] and others could probably be taught how to fold clothes. Baxter is said to be around $22K. It's probably cheaper to hire someone unless one was folding clothes non-stop.
I still feel guilty, even though I help in many other ways.
You need one set of sheets. But you only need to wash once every 2-4 weeks if you shower before bed. If you do gym and sport, you only need one pair of shorts and jersey. With daily sport, that’s only two outfits to hand wash per day - a quick job.
If you have multiple kids, sure, you might want a washing machine. With minimal clothing you should only need to do one load. Folding can be avoided by hanging clothes.
Alternatively, you could take the opposite route. Have 15-30 outfits and multiple sets of sheets, and only do a big laundry session once per month ;)
https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.16898
https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.00323
Back in the day, you could take your bags of laundry to a laundry service and pay very little to have them washed and folded. If you're financially-comfortable, tip generously.
Laundry robots and lifehacks sound too complicated.
Personally, it was the time sink that bothered me so I bought a washer and drier to put in my office. It is still a slight inconvenience but doesn't eat into my leisure time as it did before.
If you don't have a private office then, as comment below, you can simply pay someone at the laundry place to do it of you.