Finally, about two months ago, I put together a system for doing laundry. Since then, I've been behind on laundry one time for a few days, and that was only because we were gone a lot one week. That is absolutely nothing short of a miracle.
First, I divided up our laundry into categories:
- Towels
- Kids' clothes
- Adult clothes
- Hubby's farm clothes (which have to be washed separately because of the lovely hog smell.)
Next, I assigned each category to a day of the week:
Monday: Wash Hubby's farm clothes
Tuesday: Wash towels
Wednesday: Kids' clothes
Thursday: Mine and Hubby's clothes
This gives me Friday and the whole weekend off from the pressure of doing laundry. If we're gone all day and I don't get a chance to do that day's laundry, I can simply move it over to a free day and stay caught up.
The key to making this schedule work is folding and putting away the clothes right away instead of dumping it all out on the couch to worry about later.
I've also found it's easier to stay caught up on folding and putting away laundry when I'm just doing one category a day. I used to tackle 6-8 loads in one day, and it was completely overwhelming to stay on top of folding and putting it all away. When you're not behind on the laundry already, folding and putting away 1 or 2 loads is not a big deal. That used to be my biggest problem, but now it's not an issue because I'm staying caught up.
Is laundry an ongoing issue for you or have you found any tricks to help you stay on top of it? I'd love to hear how you handle laundry at your house!
I have never minded doing laundry even in the old days when I had babies in cloth diapers and no dryer. Recently I did eight loads one day (that was for only three adults!) and never minded it. So I have no tricks.
ReplyDeleteAs long as it works for you, it doesn't matter how you do it! :)
DeleteI've never minded laundry, but I feel like I'm doing it all. the. time! There are 7 of us in the house, plus my husband works outside. PLUS the kids take our dog out for play twice a day and he is a energetic, jumpy Lab so it is no mystery why the laundry hamper is never empty!
ReplyDeleteIt's a good thing you don't mind doing it then! It's one of those jobs that never really seem to end :)
DeleteAt the moment we are having a lapse in successful toilet training so I feel like I am trying to find a few things to toss in with whatever is soiled every day.
ReplyDeleteI find if the Mozzies (mosquito's) aren't out and it isn't 35 degrees C I tend to fold the washing while I am out at the washing line and sort it as it goes in the basket - then I just have to put it in the draws and do the ironing, which is my challenge this year. I got rid of the "Ironing basket" over Christmas and I don't want it back, I want to Iron it as it gets washed as best I can. It is easier if it hasn't been crushed for weeks in the ironing basket and I don't have to find something that is ironed to wear when I am in a hurry because it all will be ironed. Who knows if I can live up to it but I am going to try.
I've been trying to iron as things come out of the wash too. It's so much easier when you're only doing a few pieces at a time instead of a whole wrinkled basket!
DeleteI'm not a fan of laundry either! I think the pile that is almost as tall as me just gave me a dirty look as I typed that. I really like your system and may have to give it a try. What I think is so great about your system is that it will set the groundwork for your children to easily take over their own laundry as they get older (very smart!). I will be thinking about how I could adapt this system around here over the weekend. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteDefinitely! My 2 oldest kids (ages 6 and 3) are in charge of putting their own laundry away and it really makes the laundry that day easier. I can't wait until they get a little older and can run the washer and dryer by themselves :)
DeleteWhat made the laundry task easier for me when my kids were small was giving them each their own laundry basket. They were in charge of placing all dirty laundry each day into their baskets and getting them to the laundry room on wash day. No basket, no clean clothes for the next week. Once they were old enough they were to sort their things into the appropriate piles in the laundry room. As each load was finished, the clean clothes were folded and placed back into the basket. When they were old enough that would be their job. Once the laundry was finished they took the baskets of clothes to their rooms and put them away. I also gave each child 2 towels and washcloths of their color choice. They were to make sure they were hung after use. If there were towels left lying I always knew which child they belonged to and didn't have more than one load of towels a week. Now an adult, my daughter has this system for her children.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great way to teach kids responsibility! I also love the idea of having color coded towels. I will definitely be applying your ideas to our laundry routines as the kids get a little older.
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