But, that is a dream far down the line and may never happen. For a family of 8 or more, laundry is one of those tasks that pretty much consumes. I shop in bulk for laundry sheets, stock up on good detergent when it goes on sale with a coupon, and I have a variety of pet-peeves related to it that make my teenagers want to pull their hair out. They'll need therapy for the rest of their lives over the laundry in this house. But atleast they'll have clean clothes to go in...just sayin'.
I digress....today's "How Does She" post is devoted to all things laundry. And, no, it doesn't include a fairy. But it does include a few easy steps for helping make laundry a skosh more enjoyable and functional. And who doesn't need that in their life?? Be sure to check out all 6 posts for how I master the laundry in my very busy household.
STEP 1: ORGANIZATION
You will HATE your laundry space if it is cluttered, disorganized, or chaotic. I hyperventilate just thinking about my last laundry space. It was teeny tiny, and I avoided it like the plague. Which, truthfully just made it worse, because then it became the most loathed space in the house and the one I used the most purposefully. Ugg. So, when we moved, and I was lucky enough to have the most amazing laundry space ever, I took that as a sign that I needed to get my act together and make it functional. It took some time to find just the right system for me but it really helped and I'm glad I worked through my issues the kinks.
Now, I have a system to my madness. And that really helps with the other steps I'll be sharing throughout the week.
Everyone in the family has a CLEAN basket with their name on it. I fold and put it in the basket. They put it away. That's how it works around here. I do teach my children how to also DO their own laundry (their spouse will thank me some day), but if I can at least get it washed and folded in this crazy world, they can put it away. Later in the week I'll tell you more about how I enlist my family and even taught my boys to iron. I have seven of them and I better get a very large hug from their wives someday. Again, I digress. Sorry. The tag is a simple laminated piece of cardstock printed with their name which is then attached to the basket with a binder ring.
The kidlets are responsible for bringing their dirty clothes to the laundry room if they want them washed (or when I nag appropriately with some Love and Logic tools I've learned along the way). They then sort their dirty laundry in to the baskets. This is where my OCD kicks in to overtime. Zippers banging on t-shirts create little holes. Whites should not be dingy because they were washed with the darks. Towels cannot stink. You know...little things. I don't have a zillion dollars to clothe my darling family, so I choose to be OCD in the laundry room to make our clothes last longer and look better.
So my baskets are tagged the way I want them. Even my little 3 year old has mastered how to sort his dirties in to the baskets. This will hopefully make my life easier when he's 14 (or not) and gives him a sense of accomplishment when I praise him for it. Double whammy...LOVE IT! There are 5 baskets: Darks (with Zippers), Darks (Without Zippers), Whites, Towels, and Delicate/Miscellaneous. I have a 6th smaller basket that sits on my dryer and that is where all of the kitchen rags/towels go. Those get washed in their own load -- I don't want them growing mold somewhere in the clothes basket until I get to them later in the week. That's gross. :)
My laundry room also flows a certain way. I did this on purpose. I can literally take clothes from the dirty baskets to the wash. From the wash to the dryer. From the dryer to the folding table. From the folding table to the baskets. It's all about efficiency in that room...I'm not even kidding here. I used to have this terrible habit of taking the laundry to my bed to fold. Then it would hit the floor....then it would have to be re-washed or would get all wrinkly and it might wait for days. It was a nightmare and I break out in hives just thinking about the mountains I would leave on the floor. Ugg...I made a promise to myself when I got my big laundry room that clean clothes could no longer be placed on the floor or on my bed.
I had a friend who once commented that spouses need a "retreat" from the rest of the house. I don't know why I didn't appreciate that comment much sooner in my blissful marriage. Mountains of laundry on the bed and floor are certainly not conducive to a retreat. I've since tried to create a place for the hubs to be able to kick of his shoes and relax and it has worked WONDERS for him (and as a result, me). And why shouldn't he be pampered just a bit after a long day at the office. :D For those of you who don't have the luxury of a folding table in your laundry room, please think twice before you put it on the bed. Unless you are an overachiever who immediately folds the pile as soon as it hits the bed. In that case, I want to be you when I grow up.
In the corner of the laundry room is a garment rack. This is where I hang clothes that don't get dried and clothes that I don't want wrinkled in basket or will get hung later. In our house, we hang all of the big people shirts (including t-shirts). Top wrack is for mom and dad. Bottom wrack is for younger folk with better backs. They are responsible for clearing out their hang-ables when they snag their baskets. It's win, win. Not perfect, but certainly better than the pile on the floor I was going for in my early marriage and mommyhood days.
Be sure to check in tomorrow for Part 2 of my laundry adventures.
- Part 2: LEARNING THE RULES OF THE {LAUNDRY} ROAD
- Part 3: ENLISTING THE FAMILY
- Part 4: BE PICKY...IT'S OKAY
- Part 5: DO IT...DAILY
- Part 6: SOCKS, SOCKS, SOCKS (I loathe you)
I'd love to hear what works for you and your family in the laundry department. Do you have a secret organization trick to share? Sound off below.
Stay Happy,
~ B
