After transplant, you will probably do more laundry than you
did before. I don’t mind this as much as I did when we lived in Nashville, as
we now have a nice washer and dryer in our apartment in Pittsburgh. (Finding a
place with a washer/dryer in-unit was a must for us as we searched for a place
here.)
We have a rule in our house that anything worn to the
hospital (or in a place with a lot of germs like a restaurant or school) goes
directly into the laundry basket or straight into the washer when we get home.
When you go to appointments at the hospital, you never know who has sat in the waiting
room chairs before you!
Previously, I was in the camp that thought it was okay to
wear shirts, pants, and dresses twice before washing, unless needed. However,
since his transplant, I realize that it is important for Jens to change his
shirt, especially, every day. The shirt is the closest piece of clothing to his
face, and I feel much better that he has a clean start to each day.
We also do a lot of laundry, as we have a schedule of what
gets washed around our home. Here are some examples:
o Sheets,
pillowcases, and pillow covers: weekly
o Pillows,
mattress pads, comforters: monthly
o Kitchen
hand towels: changed daily
o Bathroom washcloths, hand towels, and bath towels: bi-weekly or more often
o Microfiber
cloths (for dusting and cleaning): after use in one room
o Drying
Mat (in kitchen): monthly or more often
o Couch
pillows/pillow covers: monthly
I try to do my “monthly” cleanings around the 1st
of the month. It’s helpful for me to know that on the 1st I have a
lot of extra cleaning tasks to get ready for the month ahead. These tasks might be done sometime
during the middle of the month, but these are good things to do at least once a month. I keep this list
on my computer so that I know what needs my attention.
I also used the time that he was in the hospital to make
sure that everything was washed and ready. EVERYTHING got washed before he came home. I was especially
careful that he did not have any pieces of clothing or pillows that had been
exposed to him prior to transplant to ensure that he did not pick up any of his
old “CF bugs.”
One last note about laundry:
After reading this, you may want to run to Costco and stock
up on laundry supplies. However, be aware that your patient’s sensitivity to
smells may change after transplant. Jens seems to be a little more sensitive to
odors and smells post-transplant. This is good to keep in mind as you consider the
type of laundry detergent, fabric softener, and dryer sheets. Try some
different types/brands out after-transplant before you stock up!
