Guest Etiquette: Doing Laundry When Visiting Friends and Family

Visiting friends and family over the holidays should be relaxing. You're there to catch up, enjoy good food, and spend quality time together. But somewhere around day three, you're eyeing the laundry basket in your room and wondering: is it okay to ask about using their washing machine?

It's an awkward question that most people don't know how to handle. You don't want to impose, but you also don't want to spend your entire visit in dirty clothes or hand washing socks in their guest bathroom.

Let's talk about the unwritten rules of guest laundry, both from the visitor's side and the host's perspective.

Reading the Room

Before you even ask about laundry, pay attention to what your hosts are doing with their own washing.

👉If you see washing hanging on the line or piled in baskets, they're clearly doing laundry while you're there. This makes it much easier to say, "I've got a few things that need washing too. Would you mind if I throw in a load?"

👉If you never see any laundry activity, they might be waiting until you leave to catch up on their own washing. Or they have a very efficient system and do it at specific times. Either way, tread carefully.

👉Watch for loadshedding patterns. If your hosts are timing their washing around load shedding schedules, asking to do laundry at an inconvenient time shows you're not paying attention to their routine.

How to Ask (Without Being Awkward)

The key is to ask early and offer to handle it yourself.

🔵Don't wait until you're desperate. Asking on day two when you have a couple of items is much better than waiting until day seven when you need to wash everything you brought.

🔵Be specific about what you need. "I have a few t-shirts and some underwear that need washing. Would it be okay if I did a quick load?" is better than a vague "Can I use your machine?"

🔵Offer to do it yourself. "I'm happy to do it myself if you show me how your machine works" takes the burden off your host. They're not doing your laundry for you, they're just granting access to their facilities.

🔵Time it right. Don't ask when they're clearly busy or stressed. A quiet moment after breakfast or in the evening works better.

The Right Way to Be a Laundry Guest

Once you've got the green light, don't make your hosts regret their generosity.

✔️Bring your own detergent if you're staying more than a few days. Using a capful of theirs for one load is fine. Using it for your entire two-week visit is taking advantage.

✔️Don't monopolise the machine. One or two loads during your stay is reasonable. Running the machine every other day is not, unless you've specifically discussed it.

✔️Clean up after yourself. Remove your clothes promptly when they're done. Don't leave wet washing sitting in the machine for hours. Wipe up any spills or detergent drips.

✔️Handle your own hanging and folding. Don't expect your host to deal with your wet washing. If they have space on their washing line, ask before you use it. Otherwise, use a portable drying rack in your room or ask if there's somewhere suitable.

✔️Respect their products. Don't use their fancy wool wash for your gym clothes or their stain remover without asking. These things cost money.

👨‍👩‍👦What About Teenagers and Young Kids?

If you're traveling with children, laundry becomes a bigger issue. Kids go through clothes faster, especially if they're playing outside or having pool time with cousins.

🔷Discuss it upfront. "We've got two teenagers with us, and they'll probably need to wash clothes midway through the week. Is that okay?" lets your hosts prepare mentally and practically.

🔷Consider alternatives for small kids. If you have toddlers, hand washing a few items in the guest bathroom might be easier than asking to do multiple loads. A quick wash in the sink and hanging things on a portable rack in your room can work for smaller items.

🔷Offer to do a family load. If your kids are playing with their kids and everyone's getting grubby, offer to throw all the kids' clothes in together. It's considerate and efficient.

🤫The Things Nobody Mentions

⭕Washing machines are personal. Some people are oddly protective of their washing machine. It might seem weird, but respect it. If someone seems hesitant, don't push.

⭕Different machines, different quirks. Front loaders, top loaders, machines with a million settings... they all work differently. Don't be embarrassed to ask for a demonstration. Better to ask than to flood their laundry room or ruin your clothes.

⭕Loadshedding complicates everything. If the power goes out mid-cycle, don't panic. The machine will resume when power returns. But do try to time your washing to avoid this if possible.

⭕The washing line hierarchy is real. If their line is full of their own washing, don't start unpacking it to make space for yours. Wait until there's room or ask if they're about to take anything down.

⭕Weather plays a role. If it's been raining for days and their washing line situation is chaotic, maybe hold off on adding to it unless absolutely necessary.

Hand Washing in Guest Bathrooms

Sometimes, asking to use the machine feels like too much. You've only got a few small items, or your hosts seem stressed, or you just don't want to impose.

Hand washing in your guest bathroom is a perfectly acceptable alternative. Just follow these guidelines:

💧Don't flood the bathroom. Be careful with water splashing everywhere. Wipe up any mess.

💧Don't leave the sink full of soapy water. Wash, rinse, and drain. Don't leave it for someone else to discover.

💧Hang things discreetly. A few items on a hanger on the back of the door or over the towel rail is fine. Turning the entire bathroom into a drying room is not.

💧Use your own towel for the roll trick. Don't use their nice guest towels to squeeze water out of your clothes.

Finding the Balance

Here's the thing about laundry when visiting people: most hosts genuinely don't mind helping out. They remember being guests themselves and needing to wash clothes. They understand that a week-long visit means laundry will happen.

What they do mind is guests who are presumptuous, messy, or who treat their home like a free laundromat. The difference between being a considerate guest and an annoying one often comes down to how you ask and how you handle yourself afterward.

Be grateful, be tidy, and be mindful of their household routines. That's really all it takes.

Coming Home to Your Own Space

After a lovely visit with family or friends, there's something undeniably satisfying about getting back to your own home and your own laundry routine.

No more timing your loads around someone else's schedule. No more wondering if you're using too much of their detergent. No more carefully navigating someone else's washing line. Just your own setup, your own machine, and your own system that you know works.

It's these small domestic comforts that make you realise how much you value your own space. And if your washing line has been making do or looking a bit worse for wear, coming home from a holiday visit is often the motivation you need to finally get it sorted.

Because whether you're hosting or being hosted, having a proper laundry setup makes everything easier. For you, and for your guests when it's your turn to host.

A good washing line setup makes hosting easier and coming home better. At SA Washline, we supply and install high quality T-pole, rotary, wall-mounted foldaway, and retractable washing lines. We also repair and reline old washing lines, and supply durable no-rust pegs. Contact us to upgrade your setup before the next holiday season.

Stainless Steel Laundry Pegs

ZAR 250.00

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