Am I the Only One with a Hang-up About My Underwear?

I dont even like my other half to clean my underwear. So I separate my bras, socks, panties and do those myself every 3 days. Target has wonderful dividing hampers.

If someone wants to do my laundry for me, I will gladly let them, except for certain items that require special handling (hand-washables, for example).
But if, for whatever reason, you have asked her not to do it, she should not do it.

I feel the same way. I do not want anyone washing my underwear. I do not allow anyone else to do the laundry at all. Laundry is almost completely my responsibility and I want it that way. My son folds his own laundry and the towels, but that is it.

Whether I have sexy underwear or not is so not the issue. For me bras and underwear are private and I don't want anyone handling my dirty under-clothes!

She's your MIL. I treat mine like my mom. She has also come and done laundry. I don't need her to, I actually enjoy laundry. But she wants to be helpful so I let it be.
If you want your undies done by you then hide them in your bathroom and do them yourself.

And some day she may get very sick and old and have to have you clean up her undies. She will be embarrassed too, but you will do it and make her comfortable and say Don't worry, I got it.

What? You MIL does your laundry? Can we share her?

Your both women, dont ruin a good thing. ;)

She's a woman too, so she knows how panties can be.
If she's willing to do it, let her.
I'm sure she doesnt dissect them, probably barely touches them until AFTER they come out of the dryer.

I'm with Molly! If someone wants to help do my laundry, I don't CARE what they see! lol

Lolololo!! Im with you! My stupid dryer broke and we have to go to the laundry mat to dry and if im folding and come to my panties I quickly grab them and cram em under a shirt! How goofy is that! Everybody (well most of us) wear panties but other than me (and if I feel like sharing) my husband were to see them it would be not good to me! So if your weird than we can be weird together!

Yep, I'd feel weird.

So funny. My MIL has tried to do the same thing before. I always tell my husband if something ever happens to me to make sure he throws out my underwear ASAP.

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Ummm...yeah...I see your point completely.

Maybe hang a lingerie bag in your closet & stash your undies in there til you can do them yourself?

.

hahahahahahahahahahaha

Yes! I hear ya!

You're not stupid or silly. This would make me feel uncomfortable too. As far as I'm concerned the only other person who should be washing my underwear is my husband. I love my MIL dearly but I'd feel soooooo weird if she did my underwear.

My mother touching my clean underwear, no doesn't bother me.
But it does bother me when she insists on folding my laundry and it is DH's clean underwear. I think because I know it would bother him.
If my MIL touched my undies or ANY of my laundry, I would freak out. Lol.
But I think I have serious IL issues...

No, I understand. I feel strange even with my own mother. My parents come to visit once a year and inevitably they're going to have to do their laundry. So my mom will tell the kids to go wrangle up some dirty laundry to fill out the loads. I do feel strange about it too.

I don't ask my daughter to do my laundry, I don't ask my housekeeper...laundry is private (not the sheets and towels). I was at a hotel in Philadelphia for two weeks in May and we got invaded my bedbugs (so gross) and one option was for them to take every article of clothing and have it dry cleaned and shipped back to CA. I couldn't stand the thought of someone cleaning my undies and bras, no way!! I feel your hang-up!!

It's wonderful that she helps you out by doing your laundry. When she was menstrating she also had stained underwear. Relax and remember to thank her for all the help she is giving to you and your family.

I do not think you are weird at all, I am very private about my underwear, I am self conscious about the size of my bra's because I am bigger chested, and especially since I am leaning on the heavier side now ( I sweat more!) any way I also have what I call "good panties" and the panties I wear during "that time of the month" so I do not ruin the Good under wear...Ugh would not want anyone to see them!

That being said I have cleaned for several families and done laundry as part of cleaning and it has never bothered me to wash other peoples under things...and they have never seemed concerned about it...so maybe you and I are the odd ones out! But to me...no totally understand where you are coming from!

Ha! Me too! When my MIL has helped out with our laundry (when I had my first son and when our dryer was acting up) I kept my underwear seperate. I didn't even put them in the hamper. I washed them myself! Must just be one of those things...

I know this is a late response, but I feel the same way. My MIL has been asked, told, asked, begged, told, asked-everything & she still insists on doing our laundry when visiting. She doesn't even do her own while here, just ours. She knows she is more than welcome to do hers, or we can put her stuff in with ours, but she only does our laundry. We've even gone to such lengths as to hide the laundry baskets but she still goes into our room to find anything & everything in a laundry basket & then do the laundry. Even if we do it first, she insists on folding it. For some reason she has a fascination with buying all of us clothes throughout the year too. Makes me wonder if that's why she really wants to fold our clothes. Frustrating and embarrassing. Definitely feel for you!!!!

I would rather my mom not wash or fold our underwear. DD's underwear is one thing, but when she's here to do laundry, I prefer to keep it apart. She is like this mysterious laundry gnome, though, and folds towels in the night even if I tell her she doesn't need to. It took me a while to get over the underwear thing when I first moved in with DH and the kids. I'd ask her to only fold the clean stuff if you don't want her to touch your dirty clothes.

lucky you just dont put undie s in hamper so she cant find them and enjoy the help

When I have a pile of clean laundry waiting to be folded, usually on the couch, and people come in and out with things for me to sew, I always stuff underware under the shirts and pants just so they dont see it. Even if its folded but not put away I cover the pile on undies with other clothes. I just dont like others seeing them, even if the are brand new spotless clean. Dirty stuff, in laundry baskets and on the floor of the garage is even worse. (o:

When my husband first got laid off in the mid 90's we lost everything. My MIL asked us to stay with them for a while. We did and she would come in and clean the room plus do laundry. I argued and fought with this woman until it drove my husband nuts. He told us if we didn't stop he was going to take a handful of pills and put an end to it himself.

I should have told her I loved her and appreciated her doing for me when I was working full time and that I was thankful for her. If she had not dies of cancer a bit later I would tell her every day how much I was thankful that she could do that for me.

The only real disagreement that my MIL and I have had in 8 years is over laundry. My laundry and her doing it. She was living with us for a short period and absolutely disregarded my repeated requests to let leave my laundry and sheets be. I told her I would take care of these things. I did not want her "up in my business". She had the best of intentions....but jeez could I just please have some personal space. Ended up in a huge fight her threatening to go to a hotel. I think at that point she saw that I was quite serious. I guess threatening to put a lock on the washer did it. Anyway we have gotten along great since then. Good luck on this one...been there.

I wouldn't be bothered if it were me. After years of summer camp, college dorms, etc. I'm over the modesty issue. And I do pretty much all the laundry in my household. But if it bothers you keep a separate laundry bag or hamper and do the private stuff separately. And if this is the issue, peroxide and cold water will take out blood, especially if treated promptly.

Will your MIL do MY laundry? Its a stupid hang up. Let her wash it. If she was grossed out by others panties, she wouldnt offer. I doubt she is examining them.

Edit to add: Ha ha ha! I just read the other comments - looks like I am in the minority here. So funny so many of you are so protective of your panties!

I would feel the same way. Why does she do your laundry"? Does she live with you or do daycare for your kids? If she won't respect your wishes, I'd find some other place to keep your underwear for washing other than the family hamper so that she can't get at it.

I love the fact my MIL is trynna help. But I don't like her doing my laundry. I told my bf to tell his mom I will take care of our laundry.
Problem solved :)

I totally understand you dilemma!!! My MIL had offered to do our laudry when our washer broke, I cam hom,e to find out that my husban d had given her all our laundry including my undrwear and I freaked! Its just very uncomfortable for me. .

I totally get what you're saying. The same is true of when my daughter comes over and does her laundry. I will fold her towels, her jeans, even her camies but I refuse to touch her socks, bras, or undies. My mother on the other hand, not only washes and folds, but if I have a hole or the elastic is falling off, she'll fix it too! UGH!!! I cringe just thinking of my husband washing my undies.

I don't mind so much with Mom. She's been wiping people's butts and giving people showers for the last thirty something years since she's a nurse, mother of three women, and a grandma. Lately, I've been doing my parents' laundry rather than the other way around, although she sometimes does mine. Anyone else, besides my husband, can just stay away from my undergarments altogether. Especially my MIL.

Personally, I'm extremely modest. In public locker rooms I hide in a stall while changing or find a corner in addition to hiding my undies under a pile of outerwear. I also hate shopping for underwear because I get embarassed so easily. I even hide my dirty undergarments under the outerwear in my own hamper to keep others from seeing it.

I would feel the same way too. I would not want anybody, especially my MIL, to be touching my underwear. My daughter's MIL does that and I have not asked her how she feels. Maybe I should ask. If I know her, I am positive she does not like it either.

Women are women and we all have similar bodies. Frankly, I understand, and don't relish the idea of having my MIL or really anyone touch my dirty underwear. But the MUCH bigger, overlying thing would be, YAY, someone is doing my laundry! I would say either a) put your personal dirties somewhere separate where she will not get to them, and/or b) just enjoy the fact that you get some help with your household chores. I am somewhat of a modest person, but hey, if your MIL wants to come to MY house and do my laundry, I am FINE with that! haha!

I'd keep my undies separate...LOL All though I'd appreciate the help, I'm a private person when it comes to undies...

It would, and does creep, me out when family members touch my undies. But, it is irrational. No one is probably thinking about this, except you.

I agree with you. Underwear is a personal thing. My kids feel the same way. No one does my laundry but if I forget to take it out of the dryer and the kids need to use the dryer they won't touch it if my underwear is in it! And I really don't want them to either. I have enough underwear that I only have to wash it about once a month and it's a full load of just underwear so it's sorted separate from the rest of my laundry. Maybe that's what you need to do....sort it so it's not in the hamper with the rest of your clothes. This way your MIL won't have access to it and neither of you needs to worry about it.

No!!! I do too! It's YOUR underwear she should not be touching it! It's a personal boundries thing....it sounds like she is trying to help out! I love doing laundry so I am a little biased about the whole thing. But if you don't want her doing it you have to make it VERY clear to her. Good Luck!

I clean my MIL's underwear, and FIL's we all live together and the laundry room is in the basement (so is our space) ... so, who ever's clothes are in the laundry room get cleaned with no weirdness. Now, I will admit the first time I was a bit shy about it but, really they are just clothes and I do not fold their undergarments. I just hang everyone's clothes and place the rest in a basket and place them at the base of the stairs so they can take them up when they get home.