AEE 2487: Laundry in English Part 3: Overwhelmed by Laundry? Make It a Connection Moment

Summary

---

All Ears English Podcast – Episode 2487

Title: Laundry in English Part 3: Overwhelmed by Laundry? Make It a Connection Moment
Hosts: Lindsay McMahon & Michelle Kaplan
Release Date: September 30, 2025

---

Episode Overview

In this final installment of the “Laundry in English” mini-series, Lindsay and Michelle dive into how the universal, often mundane task of laundry can serve as an unexpected yet powerful tool for connecting with others in everyday conversation. The hosts explore not only practical English expressions and vocabulary around laundry but also how sharing tiny details about our daily routines (and their quirks and imperfections) fosters real human connection.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Why Laundry is a Great Connection Topic

• Universality: Everyone does laundry; it cuts across cultures, family status, and lifestyles.

• Relatability: The “mundane” is fertile ground for connection because everyone can commiserate or swap tips about everyday chores.

• Connection Not Perfection: The hosts encourage listeners to use these small-talk moments to make connections, not to worry about perfect English.

  Quote:

  “It’s those ordinary, mundane parts of life that everybody experiences. So they—it can lead you to a lot of connection.” — Michelle (04:58)

---

2. Sharing Laundry Habits to Open Conversation

Laundry Frequency

• Hosts discuss laundry routines, revealing differences based on family size, lifestyle, and even location (city vs. suburb).

• Sample phrases to share or ask:

  • “I pretty much do laundry every day.”
  • “I feel like all I do is laundry.”
  • “I can’t believe how much laundry there is in my house.”
  • “The laundry just piles up so quickly around here.”

  Quote:

  “I feel like all I do is laundry, or I feel like all I do is house cleaning...” — Lindsay (07:36)

How People Do Laundry

• Folding styles, separating colors, or not bothering—these small quirks provide great conversation fodder.

• Unique personal “laundry quirks” were shared, such as purposely doing laundry in batches for extra exercise or only folding certain items.

  Quote:

  “I’m way too lazy to separate my laundry.” — Michelle (08:15)

---

3. Use of Everyday Expressions and Idioms

• The episode is packed with natural phrases for commiserating about chores, including:

  • “Story of my life.” (16:30)
  • “The laundry was piling up.”
  • “Most of my laundry winds up on the floor.”
  • “Mismatching socks”—embracing imperfection as a talking point.

• “Vent” and “commiserate” are highlighted for their use in expressing mild frustration in an engaging, approachable way.

  Quote:

  “People connect over imperfections, which is something we talk about here—connection, not perfection.” — Lindsay (15:48)

---

4. Cultural Differences & Conversation Starters

• The hosts encourage listeners to ask others about their laundry habits as a window into culture:

  • “Do you iron your sheets?”
    • Ironing sheets or underwear is rare in the US but more common elsewhere.
  • “Do you avoid certain clothes because of how they wash?”
  • “Do you stretch out wearing clothes before washing, especially fancier items?”

  Quotes:

  “I definitely don’t [iron sheets]. Do you, Michelle?” — Lindsay (13:24)
  “Absolutely not. I didn’t even know I had an iron in my house until my mom found it a few weeks ago.” — Michelle (13:28)

---

5. Role Play Segment (15:08–17:35)

A lively role play models how to use all the discussed phrases naturally with a friend, covering:

• Talking about laundry as an ongoing struggle (“Story of my life”)
• Laughing at mismatched socks and piles of laundry
• Connecting over shared laziness or quirks

Notable Role Play Quotes:

• “I just spent so much time doing laundry, it was completely piling up.” — Michelle (15:14)
• “Story of my life. I feel like all I do is laundry, especially in the summer.” — Lindsay (15:20)
• “Most of my laundry winds up on the floor. It’s horrible.” — Michelle (15:26)
• “I’m good about folding, but honestly, I’m way too lazy to separate my laundry.” — Lindsay (15:36)
• “That’s why I always mismatch my socks.” — Michelle (15:42)

---

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On connection through imperfection: “People connect over imperfections, which is something we talk about here—connection, not perfection.” — Lindsay (15:48)
• On the mundane as meaningful: “Look at this topic. Look at how we can connect around such a mundane thing, but the relationships... won’t be mundane.” — Lindsay (17:35)
• Cultural curiosity: “I do wonder around the world, what are the norms for what gets ironed, what gets washed in certain ways, what gets folded?” — Lindsay (13:43)

---

Useful Timestamps

• 02:29: Warm-up chat about personal folding habits and Marie Kondo
• 04:42: Mundane topics as connection starters
• 06:43: Expressions for talking about when/how much laundry is done
• 08:05: Laundry routines in apartment vs. house
• 09:36: When “most of my laundry winds up on the floor”—embracing imperfection
• 11:33: Quirky personal laundry habits
• 13:01: Conversation starters: “Do you iron your sheets?”
• 14:01: Avoiding certain clothes because of the laundry process
• 15:08–17:35: In-depth role play demo
• 16:28: Highlight on expressing things “piling up” and “story of my life”

---

Final Takeaways

• Don’t dismiss small talk about chores—these moments can spark real connection.
• Use the phrases and questions provided to open up and learn about others in a natural, relatable way.
• Celebrate imperfection—sharing your quirks or tough moments makes you more approachable.
• “Connection, not perfection” is at the heart of using English in everyday life.

---

For More:
Check out earlier parts in the laundry series:

• Episode 2478 (All Ears English): “Laundry in English Part 1: Don’t Shrink Your Clothes”
• Business English Podcast 468: “Laundry in English Part 2: What’s On Your To-Do List?”

---

Listen & Subscribe:
Hit follow so you don’t miss more episodes about using real English for real-life connection!

Transcript

[A]

This is an All Ears English podcast. Episode 2487, Laundry in English Part 3. Overwhelmed by laundry? Make it a connection moment. Welcome to the All Ears English podcast. Downloaded more than 200 million times. Are you feeling stuck with your English? We'll show you how to become fearless and fluent by focusing on connection, not perfection, with your American hosts, Lindsay McMahon, the English adventurer, and Michelle Kaplan, the New York radio girl, coming to you from Colorado and New York City, usa. To get real time transcripts right on your phone and create your personalized vocabulary list, try the All Ears English app for iOS and Android. Start your seven day free trial at allearsenglish.com forward slapp.

[B]

On today's episode, we finish up our laundry series by talking about all the ways to connect over laundry. Find out how this seemingly mundane topic can lead you to a new friendship.

[A]

Do you often end up in situations where you know exactly what you want to say, but you don't have the English vocabulary words that you need in that moment? To succeed in English, you need nuanced English vocabulary. But first you need to know your English level. Take our free English level quiz to find out if you are B1, B2 or C1. Go to allearsenglish.comfluencyscore that's allearsenglish.com F L U E N C Y S C O R E Foreign how are you today?

[B]

I'm good, Lindsay. I was just on vacation, guys. I was on a cruise with my family. So now I'm excited. I'm refreshed. Yay. I'm super happy to be back and recording with you. Lindsay. How are you?

[A]

Good, Michelle. I'm glad you're back. We took a week off, but it's always good to get right back into podcasting, so. But Michelle, I want to talk about laundry. Today. We're coming back into this part three of our laundry series. Who knew that such a mundane topic could be so applicable?

[B]

It is, right? Yes. Y. Yeah. So what is your question?

[A]

Well, Michelle, do you tend to fold your laundry before putting it away? Do you do that?

[B]

I do. Like a semi fold. I mean, I. I did. I did have a moment where I read remember that Marie Condo book? Oh, yeah.

[A]

That was hot for a while. Yeah.

[B]

Yeah. So I read that and so I learned how to fold from her. So I got really excited about it at that time and then I can't keep that up. So just today I was putting away some laundry and I don't know, but it's funny because we were. It is kind of timely that we're talking about this today because on the cruise, you know, I had to. I didn't want to do laundry. You have to pay extra for that. So, yeah, it's hard to know how much to pack, especially with the kids. Right, Right. So we have a lot of laundry to do right now. Do you fold your laundry before, you.

[A]

Know, I, I kind of half fold it, but some of this stuff is going to get. Get hung up anyway, so I don't even see the point.

[B]

You know what?

[A]

Right. So I'm not the most thorough laundry folder in the world, but. So I'm excited to get into this today, Michelle. But there have been two other episodes in this series. What were those episodes?

[B]

Yeah. So, guys, part one was here on the All Ears English podcast. It was episode 2478. It was laundry in English, part one, don't shrink your clothes. And the second one, Lindsay, that wasn't over on. That wasn't on this podcast. That was over on our other podcast, the business English podcast. Right, Absolutely.

[A]

That was episode 468. And you guys should definitely be over there. If you don't know about business English, that is where we talk about all things related to English and our careers. So go and type in the search bar business English and hit the follow button over there. 468.

[B]

Yeah. Laundry in English, part two, what's on your to do list? So definitely check that out. So today is part three and our final episode of the laundry series. Guys. Yeah. Remember to hit follow for sure. So, yeah, today we're going to talk about how to connect over laundry. We've been talking, Lindsay, about these mundane topics. Even you did episode. An episode with Aubry about connecting over, about charging.

[A]

Right. But it was so funny because these are some of the best episodes. Because as we go deeper into these episodes, we realize this really is a connection topic because these are things everyone does and everyone maybe encounters someone while they're doing it. It has a chance to build a conn. Right?

[B]

Right. It's those ordinary, mundane parts of life that everybody experiences. So they. It can lead you to a lot of connection. So a lot of times people connect over the amount of laundry they have, Right. Especially with kids or pets. Right?

[A]

Yes. It's crazy. Like we don't even have kids and it feels like we're constantly doing laundry in our house. I can't imagine what it feels like for you, Michelle.

[B]

Yes, it's just. Just wild. Especially in the summer when they're going to camp and they come home with wet towels. Even Today. Woo. Today. Cuz they're home from school. They go back to school next week and they had friends over and they decided to play it with the water hose and they got everything wet. And so then all of a sudden my laundry became, my laundry pile became higher because everything was wet.

[A]

Oh, you can imagine.

[B]

Jeez. Yeah, but they had a good time, so that's okay. But yeah, I mean some people vent about laundry or they talk about their laundry habits. Yeah.

[A]

By the way, what does vent mean? That's a great bonus for today. If our listeners don't know. Michelle, what is that?

[B]

They just kind of talk about it or complain or they, oh, I have so much laundry to do. It's laundry day. Right.

[A]

Kind of like commiserating or complaining.

[B]

That's a good word. Yeah. And this would usually come up if somebody says, you know, they have to do their laundry or they had to spend the weekend doing laundry. So let's talk more about this. So a couple of the connection topics. I would say the first one is just when. Right. So they might talk about when to do their, they do their laundries weekends or how often they do it. So I mean, Lindsay, would you say do you have a laundry day or do you just do it as it comes?

[A]

Yeah, so I'm not the person in my house that does the laundry. So luckily I know I get a pass on this. Maybe those responsibilities will be flipped and will be changed soon. But yeah, so I think, you know, we do laundry at different times throughout the week. Week. I think it's not just done on one day. It's kind of a rotating schedule.

[B]

Right?

[A]

Yeah, it's not really a schedule. It's just as needed a few times a week.

[B]

Yeah, same. Yeah. But I think mine is every day or almost every day.

[A]

Yeah, every day. Wow. Okay. Yeah.

[B]

So again, like I said, in the summer, definitely every day. But what are some things, some expressions or some things that you can say to someone to connect over this when you do your laundry?

[A]

Yeah, I mean, what you just said, I pretty much do laundry every day. Or I feel like all I do is laundry.

[B]

I love that.

[A]

And we could insert anything there.

[B]

Right.

[A]

I feel like all I do is house cleaning or you know, I feel like all I do is picking up the kids. Something like that.

[B]

Right?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Or you could say something like I can't believe how much laundry there is in my house.

[A]

Or you could say the laundry just piles up so quickly around here. I remember I did have a designated laundry day when I lived in New York because You know, as we talked about in the other episode, you had to go to the laundromat. I think you said you had a laundry machine. Right.

[B]

In a common. In the common space.

[A]

In the common space. Yeah. I think I always did it on Sundays. Just went down there, hung out. In the laundromat. Yes.

[B]

The New York life.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Yes, exactly. Exactly. So another thing you could connect over about. Over is how you do it. Right. Or, you know, I'm way too lazy to separate my laundry. So we talked. Lindsay, we've talked about the other. On the other episode, about if you separate your laundry, if you put, you know, the. The whites together, the delicates together.

[A]

Yeah. And I think that's even come up in previous episodes, too. And that was a connection moment for us, I think, because we were both. I think, if I'm not mistaken, we both said we're too lazy to separate. We don't do whites and darks. We just put them all in.

[B]

Is that right?

[A]

Yeah. No.

[B]

Yes. Sounds like we have very similar laundry habits. You could do, some say something like, oh, I like to do my laundry all on the same day, folding and all. So some people are very meticulous about it. They're going to be organized. They're going to get everything together. When I first moved into my house, that was who I wanted to be. I'm like, I'm in a new, new place, new habits. We're gonna start it all. And I would just every day fold and put in and fold and put.

[A]

In, and it's a good aspiration. Then it is.

[B]

And then it fell apart, and now I have a giant pile. Well, this is funny. The next one is most of my laundry winds up on the floor. It's horrible. You can tell that I wrote this episode because that is true for me.

[A]

I love it. I love that. So good. So, yeah, the key here, it's not so much the content here that exactly what we're saying. It's, you know, who are we around and can they relate to what we're saying? Right. That's how we build those connections. Maybe we make a friend. And down at the, like, the community laundry space or whoever, we're around, we have to voice what's going on in our laundry lives, Michelle.

[B]

Exactly. Exactly.

[A]

Are you in charge of hiring at your company? Every day that a role goes unfilled is a missed opportunity for your team and for your bottom line. That's why speed matters when it comes to hiring. So stop struggling to get your job. Post seen on other job sites. Indeed Sponsored Jobs helps you stand out and hire fast. With Sponsored Jobs, your post jumps to the top of the page for your relevant candidates so you can reach the people you want faster and it makes a huge difference. According to Indeed data, Sponsored Jobs posted directly on indeed have 45% more applications than non sponsored jobs. We found one of our best team members on Indeed and a big part of our success was the fast process. There's no need to wait any longer. Speed up your hiring right now with Indeed and listeners of this show will get a 75 sponsored job credit. To get your jobs more visibility at Indeed.com AEE just go to Indeed.com AEE right now and support our show by saying you heard about Indeed on this podcast. Indeed.com a e e terms and conditions apply. Hiring Indeed is all you need. Okay, so there are quirks that could always enter this conversation, Michelle. Right. We all have our own weird quirks. What would be an example of a quirk? A laundry quirk.

[B]

Right. So for me, ever since moving to more of a suburban atmosphere where I don't walk everywhere, I'm always thinking of how can I get some extra exercise. So, yeah, instead of folding all my laundry, just taking it up in one load and folding upstairs and then distributing it, I fold everything downstairs so that I can get exercise bringing it upstairs.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

I like that.

[A]

Very strategic. Yes.

[B]

Yes. What about you, Lindsay? Any, any laundry quirks? Anything funny you do around laundry, but you don't do the laundry?

[A]

Well, I do. I do help fold it, though, when it's done. It goes on the bed and I do help fold it. So I would say, yeah, sometimes I do have mismatching socks. That's just a symptom of who I am, you know, like the other day we took our niece and nephew to Lava Land, which is just a play area. We were babysitting for them. And of course it took my shoes off. Like, oh, my socks aren't matching. Look at that. You know, and it's like you're usually exposed, you know, when you're somewhere where you have to take your shoes off when your socks don't match.

[B]

Yes, yes, exactly. And I, I, I'm proud of that. And my kids also don't have matching socks.

[A]

It's totally okay, Michelle. It's totally okay.

[B]

Yeah. So let's give throw out a few good laundry conversation questions. One is just how often do you do laundry? Yes, we've already talked about that.

[A]

And I have another one I want to throw in here. Do you iron your sheets?

[B]

Sheets?

[A]

It's a good question because I feel like there might be a lot of cultural differences going on here. We may have to do a survey question here because I know that I've heard hearsay of friends that have studied abroad in different parts of Europe where the sheets were getting ironed, that sheets and even underwear were getting ironed. And I definitely don't do either of those things. Do you, Michelle?

[B]

Absolutely not. I didn't even know I had an iron in my house until my mom found it a few weeks ago. Yeah.

[A]

So we were on in the no category for that. But I do wonder around the world, what are the norms for what gets ironed, what gets washed in certain ways, what gets folded. Right.

[B]

Yes, I know we're, we're starting to get a little tight on time, so I want to move on to the role play in a minute. But just I will ask you one more question is, do you ever avoid buying certain clothes because of how you think they might wash?

[A]

Oh, yeah, for sure. Because sometimes I just have no idea what to do with that. I don't even understand the label, frankly. And so I just think I won't be able to handle this, owning this piece of clothing. It's too nice for me. Let's go back to cotton, you know.

[B]

Do you ever avoid washing something altogether?

[A]

Yeah, I mean, I think sometimes I try to make things stretch. Especially nicer, business oriented clothes. Like if I go to a conference, I could think, oh, could I do one more day, you know, next conference, you know, what could I do here?

[B]

Yeah, exactly. Because I, I will do that to avoid messing something up. So.

[A]

Hey, cuz, it always looks worse, honestly.

[B]

After you wash it, right?

[A]

Yes, it's true.

[B]

On the cruise I had a couple dresses that I was wearing and I'm, and I'm so torn because I never, I had, they were new so I hadn't washed them yet. And I, I like to wash things because I don't like the idea then, oh, they were, you know, but, but they, but I know, I know that that's the last time I'll ever see them like that. So I'm trying to decide.

[A]

Yeah, it's true, it's true. Oh, gosh. All right, so this is a great topic that lends itself to a real role play. So shall we dive right into it, Michelle?

[B]

Let's do it. So here we are, just friends talking about our weekend.

[A]

All right, so how was your weekend?

[B]

I just spent so much time doing laundry, it was completely piling up.

[A]

Story of my life. I feel like All I do is laundry, Especially in the summer. Completely.

[B]

I can't believe how much laundry there is in my house. All the wet bathing suits and towels. It adds up. That's why most of my laundry lines winds up on the floor. It's horrible.

[A]

I'm good at full. I'm good about folding, but honestly, I'm way too lazy to separate my laundry.

[B]

Oh, I never do that either, Lindsay. And I never fold anything, especially socks. That's why I always mismatch my socks.

[A]

You're too funny. Nice. Yeah. I mean, and, and this is the cool thing is, you know, people connect over imperfections.

[B]

Right?

[A]

Which is something we talk about connection, not perfection here. People are imperfect in the way they live their lives, and that's the beauty of people. And that's where we find the connection moment. So we're revealing a lot of the things about ourselves here, Michelle, that, you know, we're not perfect. Who is?

[B]

Right. Yes, exactly. It shows you're vulnerable. Maybe a little self deprecating. So it's, it's good stuff. So. Yeah. So I just talked about in this role play, I said the laundry was completely piling up, which that's a really good one you can use to pile up.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

You imagine this mountain of laundry.

[A]

And then I agreed with you or I resonated with you. Not by saying, oh, me too. By saying a bonus phrase for today. Story of my life. And that's a whole other episode that we could do on that one, Michelle.

[B]

Right, Exactly. So, guys, hit follow because I will be planning it.

[A]

Oh, can't wait. So we'll get to that in the next episode when we come out with that. But basically I'm just saying me too is what I'm saying.

[B]

Right?

[A]

Yes, me too. In a big way. In a major way. And then I said, I feel like all I do is laundry and I want to punch the all I do is laundry.

[B]

Yes, yes. And then I said, I can't believe how much laundry there is in my house. And then I said, that's why most of my laundry winds up on the floor. Yes.

[A]

And then he said, it's horrible. And then I said, I. I'm about folding, but honestly, I'm way too lazy to separate my laundry. So everyone has kind of a line, right. Between what they will do and what they just won't do. It's interesting to compare the lines.

[B]

Exactly. And then I said, I never fold anything, especially socks. That's why I always mismatch my socks. Yes.

[A]

Love it. Look at this topic. Look at how we can connect around such a mundane thing, but the relationships that could come out of the connections and the conversations won't be mundane.

[B]

Right, Right. Because you're learning, you're getting kind of a behind Dean's. Yeah. You into somebody's normal daily life instead of this formal, oh, now we're going to talk about this. Right. Like it just, it gives you a, a little peek into how. And you can learn a lot about somebody about, like when you're talking about these topics.

[A]

100. I love it. I love it. And that's the takeaway for today. I mean, don't overlook these, you know, while we're busy preparing for exams or worrying about business English or these important things, don't forget these little moments of connection. And I bet if we look closely, we could find 20 or 25 of them in our everyday life. Waiting for the bus, being on the train. There's so many of them. We'll try to cover more here in the fall. Right, Michelle?

[B]

Exactly. All right, awesome. And guys, remember to listen to those other episodes. All ears English 2478 Business English 468. And of course, you have this one.

[A]

Yep. And hit the follow button so you don't miss a single episode in any future series. All right, Michelle, you take care. Talk soon too.

[B]

All right, bye, guys. Bye.

[A]

Thanks for listening to All Ears English. Would you like to know your English level? Take our two minute quiz. Go to allearsenglish.com forward/fluencyscore. And if you believe in connection, not perfection, then hit subscribe now to make sure you don't miss anything. See you next time. And Doug, Limu and I always tell you to customize your car insurance and save hundreds with Liberty Mutual. But now we want you to feel it.

[B]

Cue the emu music.

[A]

Limu, save yourself money today. Increase your wealth. Customize and save. We see that may have been too much feeling. Only pay for what you [e-mail] Liberty Liberty.

[B]

Liberty. Liberty Savings.

[A]

Very underwritten by Liberty Mutual Insurance Company and affiliates.

[B]

Excludes Massachusetts.

[A]

Your sausage McMuffin with egg didn't change. Your receipt did. The sausage McMuffin with egg extra value.

[B]

Meal includes a hash brown and a.

[A]

Small coffee for just $5 only at McDonald's for a limited time.

[B]

Prices and participation may vary.