Laundry – it’s the dreaded cycle that NEVER ends. I mean really, I know I have a big family, but even my friends who don’t have large families struggle with their laundry. The dreaded laundry day used to haunt me every week.
First, my counter space was too small…fixed that…still dreaded it.
Next, my whole laundry room was too small, and it was ALWAYS a mess. This was a real problem because it was also our main bathroom, so it was used by everyone ALL THE TIME.
I can say we have solved both of these problems now, but that is not what helped me find a laundry system that worked.
The Weekly Laundry DREAD
Monday was laundry day. Eight baskets, stuffed full, waiting for mom to save the day, but where was mom? Hiding! Hiding from a day of dread and beeps and folding and putting away and repeating until the piles on the counter had to go somewhere! They had to go somewhere because someone needed to go potty, and they couldn’t find the potty for all the laundry! I didn’t necessarily mind the switching or even the folding, but the putting away was the worst. The only good thing about the putting away was that it meant I was almost done!
As I have mentioned before in my posts, my goal in life is when I see an area I’m struggling with, I cannot help but try to find a solution. A super mom way to conquer the struggle!
How I have conquered the DAILY laundry dread.
Do you see that title? ‘The DAILY…’ Yup, that’s right. That’s how I conquer the laundry beast, I do it daily. When a good friend of mine first suggested a daily laundry theory, I thought, ‘No way. Absolutely no way am I spending EVERY day doing laundry.’ ONE day is torture enough!
I promise you, this daily laundry routine has been such a blessing to me and my family! I have 8 people in my family, so basically, I gave everyone a laundry day. Wait, NEWS flash, Jill. There are only 7 days in the week. (Just wanted to see if you were really paying attention…) I actually have two days where there are two people on the same day. This means I’m only doing 6 days of laundry and resting on the Lord’s day. That’s it. Make a schedule and tell the family about it!
Enlist Help
We all know kids these days can outsmart us on any electronic device, yet many of us do not have our kids help with daily chores – daily chores that no matter how much money they make in life they WILL most likely be doing themselves. My kids are still young, but even though they are young, they know what day is their laundry day. And when I get them up in the morning, they are ready. They are pulling their sheets off the bed and bringing their baskets down to the laundry room.
Each day, I do 2-4 loads of laundry. I do a sheets load and a clothes load. I don’t separate colors for anyone. Well, maybe I do for my husband because he has a lot of whites. For everyone else, I do bedding and then clothes. To be honest, for the most part, I don’t buy white clothes for my kids, so everything goes in in one load. One load, that’s it, switch that, fold it back into their baskets, and when they get home from school, it’s waiting at the bottom of the stairs for them to take up and put away. It really can be that easy.
Stick to the schedule
Sticking to the schedule is KEY to the success of this. If you come up with excuses one day, it will mess up the whole cycle. You can make up all the excuses you want about why you didn’t get it done, but seriously, it’s TWO loads. I can have two loads done before my kids are even off to the bus stop. Get up and get started right away. Listen for that beep, switch it into the dryer, and get the next load in. Don’t fold those sheets. Instead, bring them right up to their rooms for them to put back on their beds. Switch that next load to the dryer, and BAM you are almost done.
Stop making up excuses
Do you know how long it takes to fold a load of laundry? 5-6 minutes. That’s IT! But we dread it; don’t we? I do the same thing, and I stop myself every time and think, ‘It’s 5 minutes. I can do it!’ Seriously, mama, I have found myself skirting back out of the laundry room too just because I don’t want to take the time. But, really, it’s not any time and wow…it’s done.
Make a routine out of it
Each day, you can have a routine not only for that day but for the way you fold. I have the same laundry basket for all of my kids. It’s a small file crate. This the perfect size for one load. You can find them on Amazon at the link below.
After I dump the load into the washer, I set the crate on the ground below the dryer door. When it’s time to fold, I put the pajamas on one side and the underwear on the other. I drop the socks on the floor beside it as I find them. I pull out clothes and match them into outfits while I make a pile of them. You can read about my clothing theory here. When I have everything out, I hang up the outfits and match up the socks. Then I pile everything back into the basket, and it’s ready for my child to take up and put away.
This may seem silly, but it has greatly streamlined my laundry, and I can fly through folding. I would even say it rarely takes me 5 minutes. It’s more like 3 minutes to fold a load.
DAILY
Daily – that’s the key. I know you don’t want to, but I promise that changing from a ONE-day laundry mess to a daily few loads will be a lifesaver for you! Don’t forget to enlist those kids to help too! I know it won’t be long and they’ll be doing the folding too. Our children need to learn this life skill. Why not teach it to them while they’re young!
If you would like to more about me and how I have helped my family of 8 live our lives easier you should also check out my freezer meal theory! You may also enjoy my freezer meals and jar salads. Coming soon you can read about my clothing theory too!
