Thanks for all your fantastic comments about tipping. It’s nice to hear I’m not the only one who is frazzled by the concept, and also that my attempts at tipping are well within acceptable (or at least, common) range. Yay! Seems we are all tipping around 15% on food (before or after the tax remains a passionately debated issue), 10% on other services, and leaving a few dollars daily for the hotel maid. Food deliveries get a couple of dollars, hotel bellhops get a few more, the FedEx guy is out on his ear.
One thing though: I’m surprised at how many of you said you never tip on take-out. I don’t tip at counter-type places like say, Chinese take-out places or the Domino’s or the McDonalds, or even the take-out counter at Swiss Chalet. But when we get take-out from The Works or Lone Star, I do usually leave a small (10% -ish) tip. It’s usually a wait-person who took my order over the phone and make it a point to package it up, plus, don’t the servers share their tips with the cooks? I don’t know, am I crazy and throwing away money?
On to new domestic crises. The other day I was casually wondering if I should maybe be changing the sheets more often around here. I won’t tell you how often I was changing them, but when I googled the issue, the internet responded loudly with a “HEAVENS TO MURGATROYD, YES, change them more often.” It’s a good thing Google doesn’t have a feature whereby Public Health is called based on your search results. Although really, that can’t be very far away, can it?
I’m rather afraid to google how often I should be washing the towels.
Anyway, now that I’m all on the Healthy And Clean Sheet Washing Plan, I’m wondering, is it gauche to wash the sheets, then put them right back on the bed without a proper resting period of being folded in the closet? Will the other sheets get jealous? Will the one set that gets used and used over again get worn out?
Will the kids figure I just never change the sheets? Will they call Public Health, or have Google do it for them?
I am Concerned.
TurtleHead 
Murgatroyd! I haven’t heard that in ages and forgotten all about it. Great word!
I love putting fresh from the washer/dryer sheets back on the bed and the Little Man insists on it. He gets very attached to one set, so much so that I have to psych him up for weeks when it comes time to give up the winter flannel set for the summer cotton set.
And besides, then they don’t get wrinkled and you don’t have to worry about the complication of folding the fitted sheet. (Though I’m shamefully proud of my ability to fold fitted sheets – a lesson learned from watching Cityline about 8 years ago.)
Heavens to Murgatroyd! I think I saw that EXACT SAME episode of Cityline! I remember it well – a pale yellow sheet, yes?
Thanks to Cityline I also pride myself on being able to fold a fitted sheet like a professional laundress. Once when my sister in law was visiting, she had a hard time finding a flat sheet in the closet because she kept pulling out fitted sheets that LOOKED flat.
We should totally open our own sheet shop :).
Agreed!!! :o)
Bah – put them right back on the bed and save yourself the step. I’m a big fan of micro-optimizing and I do it aggressively – this fits right in.
And I used to sweat about folding the fitted sheet like Carly, but these days I don’t – “best effort” is as far as I go with that now.
Life is too short — that’s never more true than when you have kids. Anything that saves you time, no matter how little, is fair game IMO.
Oh and FTR I do not wash sheets every week, for the same reason. I won’t say how long I leave them on either, but at least you’ll know you’re not alone.
Once a week!? No.
I wash sheets when the sand by my feet becomes noticeable. Or whatever that is I’m feeling.
And absolutely, 100% sheets can go dryer to bed. In fact, I’m very proud if they do. Means my laundry got started and finished on the same day!
You’re not alone on tipping on take out. I too will add a smaller tip to my pick up orders.
And I’m horrible for remembering to wash the sheets. I get a bit better in the summer if I can dry them outside, because there’s nothing better than those fresh-smelling sheets. And let’s just not discuss getting them back on the bed.
I’m a reformed non-washer of sheets myself. Now I’ve got us on a once a week wash schedule, mostly because our bed isn’t just occupied by two humans, but also used throughout the day by three dogs and two cats. Since that’s seven creatures worth of dirt, I figured I’d better get those sheets in the wash as often as possible. And I usually just wash them and put them back on the bed. We only have one duvet cover that I actually like, so that’s why I don’t bother folding and rotating.
Wow, Jennifer, I had no idea you had so many animals!
Yes! We are a “land ark” as one of my friends says.
I always put the sheets right back on the bed after washing – it’s a great way to avoid having an anxiety attack whilst trying to fold a king sized fitted sheet.
Mr. Chatty handles the sheets in this household, and I bet we change ours way less often than even you used to.
The bathroom towels I change every 2 weeks. I used to do every week, but Mr Chatty pointed out that they get used only after washing, so how dirty can they be? Perhaps not too dirty, but I don’t like them getting musty from the dampness.
(Kitchen towel is another story. I wash that at least once a week.)
But it’s totally okay to put sheets back on the bed after washing. Just don’t let mom find out about that! Every time I stick my freshly-washed underwear at the top of the pile in my drawer, I hear her voice in my head, chastising me for not rotating them to the bottom of the pile. 🙂
i’m of the same sheeting washing schedule as allison p. and towels get thrown down the laundry shoot when they start to smell funky.
i am resisting the temptation to google your question so as to continue to live in my oblivious manner.
WARNING, WARNING – I have googled how often I should be washing the towels. I couldn’t stay away. Trust me, YOU DON’T WANT TO KNOW.
Now I have to go and do some laundry, because that’s what I’ll be doing pretty much every day of every hour of my life from now on. SHIVER.
I am SO glad I am not the only one competing in the “how long can you go without washing your sheets” contest. Although you others may compete, I will surely win.
As for the time from dryer to bed? Well, I often wonder why I even have other sheet sets. I guess it’s for those occasional vomit-in-the-middle-of-the-night episodes, but basically the same sheets on the bed always.
Hee hee – exactly! I am starting to wonder why we bother having those other sheets. Maybe for fort building?
I don’t change my sheets often enough either. When I do I now usually go straight from the dryer to the bed. Otherwise they end up sitting in a lundry basket taking up space until the next time I wash and change sheets because I hate folding those darn things, especially now we have a king size bed. I do change our towels once a week, sometimes more often if I’m already doing a load of laundry that has a little extra room.
Now I’m on my way upstairs to strip my bed and start washing sheets …
I change our sheets once a week’ish. My kids’ sheets get washed when they strip them off their beds. Which usually means every few weeks or a month as I have to ask nicely, then ask again a few days later, then yell at them, then decide “fine let them sleep in their own filth”, then feel like a bad mother, then nearly do it myself til I realize no they must learn, then ask them nicely, then scream at them- you get the picture. The whole thing usually takes about a month.
Towels get changed every couple of days. And I insist on pj’s only being worn for 2 nights. I don’t know why. I’m weird about that.
Actually, you seem to be the norm for the towels and PJs. At least according to the internet. So no need to feel bad…I’m hoping some of you rubs off!
Srsly? The norm is two days for towels and pajamas?
That is just way too obsessive for me. I’ll repeat my mantra: Life Is Too Short for wasting my time on washing towels and PJs.
Change sheets? Oh, you’re suppoed to do that? 😉
I wash towels all the time. My family likes to leave them in a wet heap after a shower or bath. When they do that I just toss them in the laundry. Sheets….. well I always have good intentions with the sheets. Need to work out a plan I guess.
I’m weird!! I wash sheets once or twice a week in the winter and def twice a week once I can hang them on the line to dry. I like to put them right back on the bed but that isn’t always possible so that’s when I also use my Cityline skills for folding sheets! All the rest of the bedding (blankets etc) are washed weekly (dogs and allergies), towels daily, dish towels daily, and pjs daily. wtf??? No wonder I feel like all I ever do is laundry. Why am I washing so often??? I knew I was a freak about floors being clean and garbage cans being emptied but I did not think I was being crazy about laundry.
How does everyone keep their towels from being shared? Or do you share? I don’t know where I would keep 4 towels for a week.
Wow, I definitely could not handle daily laundry. I have one major wash day per week, with another load or two sprinkled in between. Otherwise, I’d be one cranky lady!
As for the towels, each person in our house has their own colour of towel. Everyone has two towels in their colour so they can be using one while the other is in the wash. I added hooks on the back of the bathroom door so each child had a place to hang their towel during the week (….ish…won’t let on how long I let the towels go, either!).
Who has space to store 2 sets of sheets per bed? Ours get stripped, washed, dried and put back on all in the same day. With one set in the cupboard in case of middle of the night barfing episodes that require immediate (no just putting a towel over it) attention.
We do however, have winter(fleece) sheets and summer sheets, and I live in a house that has exactly 3 closets; one in every bedroom, so space is precious.
I am so glad I am not alone in the shame of sheet changing. Sigh sigh sigh.