Checking Pockets Before Washing

In the winter, if I don't, it's Kleenex Confetti!
Theoretically, it should be every individual's responsibility, but my 8 year old is the Kleenex King.

The owner of the pants who graciously allows you to do their laundry is responsible for what is left in the pockets.

This is a constant debate (friendly) between my husband and I....
I say the person who puts the clothes to be washed.... he says the person who puts them into the machine
can you guess who des most of the wash in this house..... lol

OMG...I have a story about this...and it just happened yesterday.

The love of my life had to go away for the weekend for work (we're both military). The night before he left, I gave him a big red rose and wrote him a love letter on a nice card. He carried that card with him in his uniform pocket all weekend (can we all say "awwww?").

When he got back last night he stayed over at my place. I have a front loading washer, which he didn't know how to use, so I promised a lesson. He put his load of laundry in, after removing all the usual stuff from his uniform...pens, tablets, name tapes, rank, etc. I show him how to start the load...click! The door locks, water starts...off it goes.

So we're snuggled up together, enjoying one another's company about 30 minutes later and suddenly he pulls away and gasps. Oh NO!

He left the card in the cargo pocket of his uniform pants.

He's been heartbroken about it ever since.

What he doesn't know is that I went out and bought the exact same card and wrote him a new letter on it. Except in this one, I also express my joy in having found a man who would carry my love letter on his person while he's away from me. For that, I'll write him 100 replacements.

Tonight, when I give it to him, I plan on pouring a glass of wine and making a toast...to washed love letters.

And I'll check his pockets next time. ;-)

I wash clothes occasionally. I always (!!!) check the pockets of pants, slacks, shirts, and blouses. Why? Because I love her and checking her pockets and saving her phone or money or pictures or Xxx is a way I can show her my love, not just tell her my love. (I also turn the garmets right side out before I put them inside the washing machine.)

I do the wash if she is too busy or asks me or looks like she has had a bad day or if I have a surprise date to take her on to show her how much I love her.

BTW, all of the above mentioned items are in the book, "The Love Dare" and I, for one, delight in making my wife smile.

Good luck to you and yours.

It *should* be the responsibility of the wearer, but I check any way. Because,face it, it's going to be me who will end up dealing with the mess.
I especially hate picking wet tissues out of the laundry.

It's the person to whom the clothes belongs to's responsibility check the pockets, if they are old enough to be responsible for it.

However, I do a double check because tissues are a pain and lipsticks can ruin other people's clothing. I don't want MY clothing ruined because someone else forgot to check the pockets. And I've been known to wash my own money as well!

Anything found in the pockets belongs to the person doing the laundry! That includes money, phones, etc. Objects can be purchased back. I made my daughter purchase back her phone. It cost her $10 (2 weeks allowance) of which she was 2 weeks without her phone. She's never left her phone in a pocket again!

And once my daughter found $5 in a pocket and she got to keep it! Fair is fair! It makes everyone more responsible, and it gives a little incentive to do the laundry.

If it's an older child/teen/adult they need to check their pockets.. but ultimately, whoever is loading the machine needs to make sure pockets are clear, that no crayons/gum/checks/phones are going to get ruined, or ruin other clothes in the washer. A good way to get kids to check their pockets, tell them you keep what you find. I would hate for my clothes or whatever to get ruined b/c I relied on a kid (or husband) to check their own pockets.

the person who puts laundry in the basket has to make sure everything is out of the pockets. does not always happen, but we do not use tissues or gum so much, it is more bandaids and paperclips and hairbands and clips, etc.

Does this ever bring back memories! I always stoutly maintained each person was responsible for his/her own pockets.

However, I always checked them, too, before they went into the washer, because Kleenex that has been washed and dried is a big nuisance. And if there happened to be a crayon in a pocket, things got rather expensive to remedy. So I took the time to double-check.

I always said any money found in pockets became the property of Mama. However, when there was a five dollar bill and a tearful owner thereof, I usually ended up giving it back.

i check all pockets before i wash clothes. my rule is if i find money i keep it! my husband never checks pockets and has washed money and my cell phone!!!!

Whoever wears them is responsible for what they put in there pocket and ultimately forget to remove. On the bright side, as the household clothes care individual, when you find money in the washer, keep it until it is reported missing - Bonus! Good points made by others about checking them anyway, especially with kiddos.

Before the clothes come off the person needs to empty their own pockets. Otherwise it is not fair to the one doing the laundry.

But if one is hired to do the laundry it IS their job to check each garment before washing it. That way if the clothes are ruined due to lipstick or something in the pockets they can honestly say they checked.

I have told my sons that if I wash the clothes that THEY are supposed to wash, and something in their pocket is ruined, it's THEIR bad. That is how they learn to check their pockets when THEY wash their clothes. It will serve them well when they are out on their own without mom around!

Dawn

the wearer of the pant is responsible for checking the pockets, but I usually do just because I have teenagers and a 3 year old.... they don't do it. The bonus is, when they forget, I get paid!! The rule in my house is any money found in the washer or dryer belongs to the finder as payment for doing your laundry. (it also helps get someone else to help me with the laundry :p)

I always check my 3 boys pockets and my husbands pockets and I wouldn't mind it so much if there weren't 13 pockets for 1 pair of shorts now. I hate cargo pants, they should be banned. LOL.

If you throw it in the hamper I will not check pockets. Troy learned that the hard way. :(

If I pick it up from the floor I check the pockets and keep any money I find. The rest I put on their dresser. Yes I charge a handing fee if I have to pick up laundry.

I wish somebody here would, lol. The kids NEVER do, and I myself have left things in the pockets. I just can't seem to remember.

My husband does most of the laundry and he always checks pockets before washing. Our 3 y/o is a notorious rock collector :)

I check every single pocket. It isn't all that more work, adds at best a minute or 2 to my entire job.

I try to make it whoever wears the clothes, but you know how that goes. Once I found $80 in my husbands pocket and I haven't been griping about it since. I kept the money and he never asked about it.

Anything I find in pockets becomes mine. Including iPods, flash drives, special Lego pieces and any money. I keep it for a week. All money goes into the piggy bank in the living room. We empty it every 3 years and use it to play; dinner, Williamsburg, Busch Gardens.

It is the responsibility of the wearer - but as the washer I do a quick double check. I sinch in pants at the top (pocket area) to get a quick feel for all 5 top pockets no crincle or jingle or thud in they go! I do keep and hold onto any found items. Esp since the last time my man did his own laundry and washed his work phone b/c he did not do the double check!

So apparently this is a point of irritation in your house?

Me: I always check pockets. Because, the wearer of the clothes, does not check. ie: my Husband etc.

So I check it anyway. Also because, I hate when there is Kleenex stuck in pockets and then it messes up the whole load with Kleenex bits.

Like many things in the home, everyone has a responsibility for their stuff.
But in reality: why is it always the Mom/Wife, who does it? Consistently.

In my house, I don't check pockets. If I do your laundry, that's enough of a service that you're getting. I've made everyone aware of this, yet I still find things that have gone through the wash in Dh's and especially ds's pockets. My 16 year old does her own laundry, the 12 year old does his own about 1/4 of the time so this is really becoming not my problem. I don't wear clothes with pockets myself so not an issue. Also, if you put your clothes in the laundry bag inside out, I don't right them in the folding process. Again, not part of the service provided. I'm not running a laundry business.
As for the five year old, M., when my son was that age, I washed a fuzzy caterpillar and a fruit rollup.

My responsibility for the little ones. Especially the boys.

I can't imagine a young child being able to remember to empty out their pockets. And truth be told, I rather enjoy looking because I find the most amazing collections. It went from beads, to pebbles and rocks, to leaves, to bugs, to stickers, to notes to girls just over night.

My girls have never been big on leaving things in their pockets, which surprises me, because my pockets always have things like tissues, car keys, jewelry, change, coupons, etc.

Although, I always tell the family, or wearer, to check their pockets. And I always keep the change as I consider it my tip.

Whoever wore the pants should check the pockets before putting them in the laundry. My hubby does the laundry and he's always showing me the money he found in the washer! Fortunately, that's about the only thing that gets left in the pockets.

I think you've hit a nerve, since I see there are already 31 answers! Good question! At my house, it is the pant/jean owners' responsibility to check their own pockets. They can easily check them when taking the pants off; whereas at laundrytime, I want to be able to throw them in the washer NOT take the time to check each one.

I feel it is the wearer's responsibilty to check his/her pockets prior to placing the clothes in the dirty clothes pile. In theory, that is how it should be to me. However, I find that in REALITY, if I rely on my family doing this, I am going to end up with a washer broken, or other clothes (including mine!) ruined by an ink pen, marker, letter opener, tweezers, or 'no-telling-what else' left in pockets. I know from experience, so even though I ask my family to remove ALL items from their pockets, I check b-4 I wash them. Of course, they have to get a tongue lashing when I find items in their pockets that they should have removed. Its in the 'Mom's Handbook' that we must do that!!!

Mom (me) does the laundry and I check the pockets. I find all sorts of trash and treasures. It is easy enough as each garment goes into the washer. I used to complain about their not doing it...but it is one of those things about picking battles, and it is really not that hard to do as each garment goes in.

Well for me, the person who wears the pants with the pockets should be checking the pockets before putting them in the hamper. It never happens though. On occassion I will see my husband check his pockets, but he forgets. My two boys hopefully will learn to check their pockets soon. LOL It does take a little more time checking everyone's pockets, but I go ahead and check and recheck before I put pants/shorts in the wash. Just in case.

My girls are teens. I expect them to check their pockets before sending the laundry downstairs to be washed.

I don't check the pockets, but as I'm sorting if I see or feel something that isn't quite right, I check. Any money I find is mine.

Hi M....

No debate in our family. The owner of the clothes is responsible because everyone washes their own clothes! When my son was seven he learned to wash, dry and fold his clothes. The fun wore off quickly for him but the responsibility never did. My husband takes on his own too. We now have a cleaning service that comes and cleans the restrooms, dusts, etc. Before that everyone cleaned their own bathroom as well.

I think its everyone job. When you take your clothes off, you should empty the pockets. When you put them in the laundry hamper, you should check the pockets. But of course some arent going to do it. I dont want my clothes ruined when a crayon or gum goes in the load without me knowing so I check when I do laundry. My husband also checks when he does laundry. When the kids were younger I checked my sons jeans pocket and found 5 tree frogs. 3 alive, 2,,not so much. My grand daughter likes to save rocks and stickers and leaves and grass crackers and papers. I think her clothes need to run thru a garbage disposal instead of a washing machine.

The wearer is responsible, however, I (mom) double check because we had to call a repairman to fix the washer and discovered it was because things in the pockets got stuck in the hose/line. I like someone's idea about everyone cleaning their own bathroom. I think we'll implement that today!

The owner of the clothes! If I'm washing someone else's clothes, that's enough work already. I shouldn't have to check pockets as well. I remember to take my stuff out of my pockets, they should too!

ugh......id say its the person putting them in the hamper, after many ruined things and cargo pants with a million pockets id say its safe to double check.