Laundry for Families With a Nanny: Give the Hours Back to the Kids
Laundry for families with a nanny is one of those quiet line items that grows until it eats a real share of the week. With two small kids, the hamper refills daily: outfits changed after lunch, sheets after a rough night, bibs, burp cloths and towels from bath time. Whoever is home during the day ends up running the machine, and in many Boston households, that is the nanny or au pair.
That raises a fair question for parents: how many of the hours you pay for childcare actually go to the kids, and how many go to the washer and dryer? This guide looks at the realistic time cost of family laundry, what is generally reasonable to ask of a nanny, and how sending out the bulk household laundry can give those hours back.
How much nanny time really goes to laundry
Machine time is not the issue; hands-on time is. Every load means gathering clothes from several rooms, sorting, loading, moving everything to the dryer, folding, and putting it away in the right drawers. That can easily take 20 to 30 minutes of active work per load, not counting the trips to a basement machine.
A family with two kids under five can run five to ten loads a week without trying. At 20 to 30 minutes each, that is roughly two to five hours of a nanny’s week spent on laundry. If you have never measured it, ask your nanny to jot down laundry time for one ordinary week. The number is often higher than parents expect.
There is also an attention cost. Folding with a toddler underfoot is slow, and a trip to shared basement machines with two small kids in tow is a real logistical problem. Laundry tends to happen during naps, which are often the only quiet time in the day for meal prep or a break.
What is reasonable to ask of a nanny
There is no single rule, but a common distinction is between children’s laundry and household laundry. Many families treat the kids’ clothes, crib sheets and bath towels as part of a nanny’s childcare duties, because they come directly out of caring for the children. Parents’ clothes, the family’s bedding and the weekly towel pile are closer to housekeeping, which some nannies take on and others do not.
Whatever you decide, discuss it up front and put it in your written work agreement. If you want to add household laundry after someone has started, treat it as a change in duties and have that conversation openly. Massachusetts has specific rules for domestic workers, so check official state guidance or an employment professional for anything contractual; this article is general information, not legal advice.
Au pair programs generally focus on childcare and child-related tasks, so household laundry usually falls outside them. Check your sponsor agency’s guidelines before assigning anything beyond the kids’ items.
Outsourcing the bulk laundry frees hours for the kids
A practical split works well for many families: the nanny handles the quick, child-related laundry that comes up during the day, like a spill on a favorite outfit or a crib sheet after a nap, while the bulk household laundry goes out on a scheduled pickup. Those two to five hours go back to the park, reading, meals and naps.
With Neptune, you schedule a day and time online in about a minute, or through the app on the App Store or Google Play. On pickup day, the laundry goes at the door in any bag, with no sorting, counting or labels. The team sorts, washes, dries and folds it, and it comes back professionally folded, usually within 24 to 48 hours. The detergent is fragrance-free and hypoallergenic at no extra cost, and the service runs from the 489 Saratoga Street store in East Boston.
One published Google review of the Saratoga Street store puts it simply: “Been using Neptune for over a year for our family of 5. Never a missed pickup, always fresh and on time.” If you are in the newborn stage, our guide to laundry service for new parents in Boston covers that season specifically.
How much laundry a family with small kids produces
Kids’ clothes are light but numerous. Most of the weight in a family pile comes from adult clothes, towels and sheets, which is exactly the bulk laundry that is easiest to send out. A family of four with small children can produce somewhere around 25 to 40 pounds a week, depending on how often sheets and towels are changed and how many outfit changes the day brings.
To find your own number, weigh one week’s laundry: step on a bathroom scale holding the bag, then subtract your own weight. Our laundry weight chart also lists typical weights for common items, from jeans to bath towels. Comforters and other bulky items are priced per item in addition to the weight, so set them aside when you estimate.
Volume also changes with the seasons. Winter means heavier pajamas, fleece and extra blankets, while summer brings beach towels and more outfit changes. A schedule that keeps pace in October may need a bigger bag in January, which is one reason a regular weekly pickup is easier to manage than catching up every few weeks. If you are in East Boston, our post on weekly laundry pickup in East Boston walks through how a weekly routine fits a household.
Recurring pickup math for a family
Pickup is $2.00 per pound for a one-time order, or $1.70 per pound when you set a recurring pickup every two weeks. A family on an every-other-week pickup qualifies for the recurring rate. Each order has a 19 lb minimum, which is $38, and scheduled pickups have no delivery fee.
| Laundry per order | Per pickup at $1.70/lb (recurring) | About four weeks (2 recurring orders) | Same order at $2.00/lb (one-time) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25 lb | $42.50 | $85.00 | $50.00 |
| 30 lb | $51.00 | $102.00 | $60.00 |
| 35 lb | $59.50 | $119.00 | $70.00 |
| 40 lb | $68.00 | $136.00 | $80.00 |
To judge whether it is worth it, compare the weekly cost with the nanny hours it frees: multiply the hours your nanny spends on household laundry by their hourly rate, and look at what those hours could go to instead. For many families, the answer is more time outside, calmer afternoons and a nanny who is not folding towels during nap time. There is no forced subscription, so you can try a few weeks and see. New customers can use code FIRST20 for $20 off the first order, and the full details are on the pickup and delivery page.
Pricing Notice: Rates and prices mentioned in this article are for informational purposes and are subject to change.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Should a nanny do the family’s laundry?
Many families include the children’s laundry in a nanny’s duties, since it comes directly from childcare. Whole-household laundry is closer to housekeeping and should be agreed on up front. Put whatever you decide in your written work agreement.
Is it normal for a nanny to do the parents’ laundry?
Some nannies do it and others do not, so there is no single norm. It is best treated as an added household duty and discussed openly. Sending the bulk laundry out is one way to keep the nanny’s time focused on the kids.
Can an au pair do household laundry?
Au pair programs generally focus on childcare and child-related tasks, so household laundry usually falls outside them. Check your sponsor agency’s guidelines before assigning it. The kids’ own laundry is typically treated differently.
How much laundry does a family with young kids have per week?
A family of four with small children can produce around 25 to 40 pounds a week, depending on how often sheets and towels are changed. The easiest way to know is to weigh one week’s pile on a bathroom scale. A laundry weight chart helps with individual items.
How much does weekly laundry pickup cost for a family?
At Neptune’s recurring rate of $1.70 per pound, a 30 lb order is $51.00 and a 40 lb order is $68. The one-time rate is $2.00 per pound, and each order has a 19 lb minimum of $38.
How does laundry pickup work for a busy household?
You schedule a day and time online, and on that day the laundry goes at the door in any bag. There is no sorting, counting or labeling. It comes back professionally folded, usually within 24 to 48 hours.
Is there a delivery fee for weekly laundry pickup?
Scheduled pickups have no delivery fee. Bulky items like comforters are charged per item in addition to the weight.
Give your nanny’s hours back to the kids and let the family laundry come back folded. Call (617) 567-1839 or schedule your pickup at neptunelaundry.com.