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Sistasoul Asked December 2015

Has anyone experience their loved one mixing laundry (dirty clothes with clean)?

My mom keeps putting clean clothes with the dirty clothes. Sometimes I find wet items in the dirty clothes. My washer broke two months ago and I'm in the process of buying a new one come Jan. I have to go to the laundromat to wash and every week my mom has a bag full of clothes that she wants me to wash.. I can't separate the clean from the dirty. Of course, she says it's all dirty, the dirty clothes bag looks like a month's worth. When I wash, I fold and put them away because she seems overwhelmed by the process. Do I need to put less things in the drawers for her to pile? Do I need to remove the hamper out the room? I'm at a lost for this issue.

Sistasoul Dec 2015
You guys are awesome. My sister and I came with an idea the other day that maybe label the drawers so she knows what goes where. I think that is too much though because as I notice, mom does not really read things all the time. So the suggestion of less things in her wardrobe, I accept and will be removing things slowly from her sight. It's just hard to get in her room without her in there thinking I'm stealing something. She doesn't want to donate anything to anyone (tried that idea when I moved her when trying to downsize before she came to live with me). I had to send her to her sister so that I can get the work done. So I may need to do the same thing so I can rearrange the closet and drawer space.

JustMoi Dec 2015
Hey there
My mother-in-law did the same thing. she has dementia.

So I would have have to go into her room morning and night and sort out her clothes.
She would ROLL them up in a ball.
Most of her underwear smelled like urine (she mixed them with clean clothes)

Also YES. put LESS in her wardrobe.
I also hung her pants and tops up nicely. she liked that. but LESS.
Underwear, bras, socks ALL in the same drawer, but only 4 of each , if that.

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Eyerishlass Dec 2015
Putting the hamper where you can get to it easily might be a good idea. You know what your mom has worn each day. That outfit plus her underwear should be in the hamper each night along with a few nightgowns or whatever your mom wears to bed. Can you put the hamper in the bathroom? You might have to fish out the clean clothes each night but that might be better than hauling them to the laundromat each week to wash.

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