If you could give up one domestic chore forever what would it be?

Out of all the chores of daily life, the one I hate most is doing laundry. Even more than dust constantly settling on furniture or dishes piling up after every meal, there is something about the constant stream of laundry that annoys me. I think it is because doing laundry well requires skill, perhaps even talent, in a way that other domestic duties don’t. Keeping laundry clean can really take its toll on the laundry itself if it isn’t done properly. Stain removal, proper temperatures for both water and dryer, ironing, even folding require more skill and patience than I have.

So imagine my delight when we handed over our laundry to the hotel staff at each stop on our recent trip. We decided to pack as light as possible but doing so meant that we needed to have things laundered over the course of 18 days. And since I wasn’t about to waste vacation time doing laundry or even trying to find a luandromat in foreign land we decided to pay through the teeth to let our hotels take of it.

In addition to not having to actually do the work, they also return it to you as if it were a luxurious Christmas present. If only I could do this every week…

Which daily chore would you most like to give up?

13 thoughts on “If you could give up one domestic chore forever what would it be?

  1. booksslicedanddiced January 28, 2010 / 11:10 am

    I hate laundry too! I also really dislike unloading the dishwasher. No clue why, it just annoys me :)

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  2. verity January 28, 2010 / 11:37 am

    Ironing, definitely, although now my OH isn't working he's doing that. I used to hate cleaning the bathroom, but when he moved in, he took that over and I do the kitchen! I'm lucky :)

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  3. Ti January 28, 2010 / 12:43 pm

    I don't mind the washing part of laundry. I get very excited over fabric softener for some reason. However, the folding and putting away part is a huge drag! Especially with two kids! All their little socks.

    The chore I hate the most is grocery shopping! I hate it! I have been turning to Trader Joe's lately because it's just easier to get in and out of and there is less stuff there to tempt me.

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  4. Tara January 28, 2010 / 12:44 pm

    I like laundry. I find it satisfying to have piles of clean nice smelling clothes. And I wouldn't say I spend much time ironing (my husband's shirts go to the cleaners along with suits).

    I hate vaccuming and cleaning the bathroom. You can come do those if you want and I will wash your clothes.

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  5. Book Psmith January 28, 2010 / 2:19 pm

    I like the routine of doing laundry and conquering the massive piles but I wouldn't mind taking a little break and having someone else do it especially if it came back so nice like yours. Dusting…I hate dusting…I hate how the very next day after dusting the entire house I can see a new layer already accumulating. It's is like some kind of domestic mockery.

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  6. Diane January 28, 2010 / 3:35 pm

    I like doing the laundry, but I hate to vacuum (noise sensitive here). I'm not too fond of emptying the dishwasher either!

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  7. Lezlie January 28, 2010 / 3:47 pm

    Peter does the laundry at our house. (Lucky me!!) I would choose vacuuming. With two dogs and a cat, it's never ending!

    Lezlie

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  8. Amanda January 28, 2010 / 4:03 pm

    I'm with you on the laundry! AND I NEVER IRON.

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  9. skirmishofwit January 28, 2010 / 4:17 pm

    Oh, for me it would be laundry too – I loathe it!! Most of my clothes seem to be handwash too – such a nuisance!

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  10. Mlle Paradis January 28, 2010 / 8:15 pm

    Boy I guess the holidays are well and truly over! Nothing but posts and kvetches about housework and overwork across the cyber-universe! I know my house needs a clean and I need a wife!

    I caught up on all your great pictures Thomas. I am MOST jealous of the cooking classes.

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  11. Brownbear January 29, 2010 / 6:07 am

    Dear Thomas

    You have been kind enough to register as a follower on my Blog 'Classic Penguins' and I see that you have a wide literary interest.

    I wonder if you would be interested in taking a look at my other Blog, peasinliterature.blogspot.com ? This is dedicted to the search for references to peas in literature. So far the blog includes Wm Shakespeare, Goethe, D H Lawrence, E M Forster and others. Why peas? I'm not really sure, I started to notice that they come up a lot in books and thought it would be fun to track the little rascals. Mad? my kids think so, but if you happen to come across a pea related reference please post it as a comment on the Blog and I will reformat it as a Blog entry. Tell your friends as well.

    Kind regards

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  12. Thomas at My Porch January 29, 2010 / 9:55 am

    Sliced: I find loading more annoying than unloading.

    Verity: It is nice to have a division of domestic labor.

    Ti: I agree folding and putting away is one of the more annoying aspects. My hubby was shocked to think that anyone wouldn't like grocery shopping.

    Tara: Ooh, I love to vacuum

    Book Psmith: Putting it in piles and watching the piles disappear is the best part I will admit.

    Diane: I don't mind the noise when I am vacuuming. But when other people are vacuuming it always makes me feel guilty. Like I should also be busy doing something.

    Lezlie: Peter is a prince.

    Amanda: I must admit I love to iron flat square things, like napkins or pillow cases. And when I was a kid I loved ironing my dad's hankerchiefs.

    Skirmish: Hand wash! There is one reason I am glad I am not a female. Not much in the male wardrobe that requires that.

    Mlle: Well, I supppose my post could be perceived as a complaint, but I think I thought of it more as a celebration of fancy hotel laundry.

    Brownbear: Peas! It is one of the few vegetables that I find it literally impossible to eat. They get about half way down my throat and threaten to make the journey back up. If they are fresh I can handle them in things. And I love split pea soup.

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  13. Rob January 29, 2010 / 3:31 pm

    Drying tops the list! The cost to run a dryer in Hawaii is expensive. We only use it for 5 minutes and then hang each article on an outside line to dry.

    Laundry has been bad news here at our home. We kept finding these strange orange spots on some clothes, sheets, etc. The spots wouldn't come out. It turns out that our 2 year old washing machine has been leaking transmission fluid on them. Now that the problem is fixed maybe I'll enjoy laundry again.

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