The Washing Fairy And Busy Mums

I only need to think back to my childhood to remember how much slower the pace of life was then. Most Mums did not work, a two car family was unusual and an automatic washing machine was a serious time saving tool if you were lucky enough to own one. As technology took off we all believed we would have more time to be doing fun things instead we just are expected to do more in less time.

The automatic washing machine is a really good example of this. Having a large family made up of kids (and a husband) who although they don’t believe in Father Christmas do have a stalwart belief in the “ Washing Fairy.”

Clothes are shoved into the dirty linen basket willy nilly and are expected to magically appear back in their room a couple of days later (and if not there is all hell let loose). In recent months this constant circulation of fleetingly worn clothes has resulted in me developing a close relationship with a very nice washing machine repair man.

On one of his recent visits (he does like to chat) in addition to him discussing how washing machines are just were not built like they used to be (vaguely annoying when you are not quite sure whether you should buy a new one or just keep buying new parts for the old one).

He pointed out that people now not only wash their clothes far more often but also themselves far more too! Glaringly obvious when you think about it. But like many of us Busy Mums we don’t!! A top that would be worn for a day now would have been worn for a week thirty years ago and I dread to think how much it would have been worn a hundred years earlier than that!

Now I’m not suggesting we should return to the “olden” days as my kids would describe them but in the interests of the environment and cost would it not be better to wash things when they need to be washed not just because they come into contact with the human body for a few hours. Just think of the money we could all save on washing powder, fabric softener, electricity, water not to mention time! The trick of course is to intercept them before they get to the dirty linen basket or do as my highly efficient mother-in-law advised me – if they aren’t dirty just hand them straight back up. And don’t worry about it!

This whole go faster thing has seeped into our attitude about everything. Getting things done faster whether its cooking, cleaning, washing, driving or shopping is as much of a fashion accessory as how many emails you received while you were on holiday. We try to cram so much more into a day than our mums did been nnn