Laundry chol hamoed

amother

↑ Natural

Yesterday at 12:45 am

amother Chocolate wrote:

There are lots of Halachas chol hamoed that we evolved on such as taking pictures it’s like writing but we all do it because it’s digital and enjoyable but I know some real frum who do it.

The reason why you are not supposed to do laundry chol hamoed is because in the olden days they washed once a month (or less) and they didn’t want people to take advantage of the free time on yom tov to wash. If you washed all your laundry before yom tov and are throwing in a load or two for second days it’s not a avoda and many poskim allow it.

I also just read this. It is very interesting. I am a single mom and every task took longer and not enough energy to work full time and the fasts really did me in so I did some laundry but not the amounts that I had hoped to do before yom tov.

amother

PlumPink

Yesterday at 12:51 am

I did laundry. I'm away. Baby spit up on every outfit I brought and I over packed. Literally went thru 9 outfits over yt and I wore weekday skirts/shirts in house I need for chol.hamoed. kids had NO underwear and socks left. I also need rh clothes for second days ....

I was told for kid so can wash and I can add adult stuff to loads of needed.

amother

Hotpink

Yesterday at 1:41 am

amother OP wrote:

I do not understand this Halacha. I washed all my laundry on erev yuntiv. I do not have clothing left. My baby spits up a lot. Why is this simchas yuntiv ? I don’t have 10 skirts / dresses for YT.

I live in Monroe and asked the local Rav/dayan/ beis Haruah as it's called here, and he said that any laundry accumulated from over Yom tuv (meaning not laundry from before) and you need it for 2nd days can be washed. He explained the reason we don't wash laundry is because it's a Yom tuv and then people would probably wash from before Yom tuv or use chol hamoad to clean up for after Yom tuv. But whatever got dirty in Yom tuv and you still need is totally allowed to be washed

amother

Eggplant

Yesterday at 1:51 am

This is so ridiculously impractical. Throw tomatoes but it is not something that can be kept on a yom tov schedule that we currently have.

We are 7 people. Each of us has at most 3 outfits for yom tov. Some of us have 2 outfits. We have 1 shabbos robe per girl/woman. My kids get absolutely filthy every single day. They get dirty at meals, they play outside in the dirt, they roll all over the floor. I get sweaty and filthy running after them. My husband gets dirty also running after kids.

There is no way we would look or smell like normal humans after wearing our shabbos clothing 2 or 3 times a person. It's not even respectful to ourselves or others.

We also don't have enough money to fund 6 or 7 outfits per person plus extra shabbos robes. That's more than double the price of our current shabbos wardrobe.

The 9 days is totally different. We are supposed to suffer then. We aren't supposed to be clean. We only have 1 shabbos in 9 days. Weekday clothing are easier and more plentiful. We aren't meant to look good and perfectly put together. There's no need to be in shul other then men for minyan.

On yom tov we are supposed to look clean and dressed up and put together. We go to shul. We are dancing with the Torah for goodness sake. I'm not having my boys do that in stained shabbos shirts and dirty pants. We have the equivalent of 6 shabboses during a 10 day span.

Laundry must be done.

Ruchi

Yesterday at 2:07 am

amother Eggplant wrote:

A separate pair of trousers for running around outside and they wear this everytime they go out. Basically,
play trousers. Cheap House robes are also helpful during eating times to protect clothing, so that shirts and pants remain clean for going to shul.
Cheap shabbos robes can be bought or perhaps you can take used ones in great condition from other family members who have outgrown them.

amother

Wisteria

Yesterday at 7:06 am

amother Eggplant wrote:

Kids clothes aren't a problem to wash on chol hamoed.
Adults can wear same dress/robe 2 times without washing! Believe me you'll still feel like a "normal human"! LOL

amother

Maple

Yesterday at 7:32 am

amother Pearl wrote:

Yes, they were MUCH dirtier and less hygienic 100 years ago. They wore the same shirt or dress days in a row, and they were much more physically active.

Trust me, you don't want to live back then.

It's better to buy on Chol Hamoed than do laundry so take advantage and buy something new! (Attitude is everything :-)

And of course you can wash for the baby. Ask a rav if you can throw in your baby-related clothing that you care for baby in.

That’s very nice if you can afford it. I have one shabbos dress and two weekday so I’m washing 🤷‍♀️. Also my older kids they have more but still need things. My littles I wash everything on the premise that we don’t know what they’ll need