Do You Have a System to Keep up with the Laundry.??

I used to hate laundry, and picking it up after my husband. He's much better now :) But I'd gone as far as to stuff all those sox's I found all over, in his pillow case. He didn't notice before I had to give it up. I decided to change my opinion on it. And try to remind myself it's an endless circle, like life and death. So at least I was still alive :)
I wash when theres enough for a full load. It's about 3-4 a week (even with all the cloth napkins, and kitchen towels).
My daughter used to watch from inside the sorting basket. She's almost 5 now, but still likes to watch once in a while. We have a kid table w/ her art stuff near the laundry. So we talk the whole time.
A. H

As someone who hates laundry sitting around I use these rules:
a) try to do one load a day b)have one kid help with folding and/or help put away his own clothes c)when dried, take out of dryer and FOLD-this prevents wrinkles and less ironing d)if you miss a day-do 2 loads the next, e)towels, jeans and hoodies/jackets-wash when visibly dirty, f)hang up and fold immediately, and have others take care of their own

I think a load a day seems never ending. I have a family of 5 and I tackle our laundry by doing it 2 times a week. Same days every week and I planned the days where I won't be doing laundry on the weekend :) I use Sundays and Wednesdays!

LOL - NO - I have no secrets, but I just wanted to empathize with you because it seems that our laundry is always running too. If it gets really bad, desert your hubby and kiddos for an evening and go to the laudromat with a good book and a candy bar. The laundry will all be done within 2 hrs. and you will have gotten a break. It is worth the quarters!!! ;o)

I'm a SAHM and I take Mondays and do all the laundry. This way I'm not doing laundry every day. I hate laundry so this is easier for me Each child has their own hamper and the oldest has to sort his own laundry if he wants it washed and I help my four year old sort his by telling him which pile to put it in.

I personally do the kids' laundry on Monday, and do my husband's and my laundry on Tuesday and the towels and linens on Wednesday. I take Thursday off.... Then, on Friday if there is anything that desperately needs to washed I do a couple of loads. Then I start over the next week. I dont do any laundry on the weekends lol.

It's easy to feel like your a laundromat LOL

I used to do laundry on Saturdays BUT it became an all day ordeal with 8 to 10 loads. My entire day was spent doing laundry. Now enter the potty training 3 year old. Now I do 1 or 2 a day. Each one of my kids have their own basket. I line the dining room table with the baskets so as I fold them they go into their individual baskets. Each of my kid have their own basket. I have a portable rack in the laundry room which I hang clothes up on and the kids know when the get home from school the have to take care of their cloths and put them away. they are 12 an 9. If I dont do a few a day then the laundry would consume me.
You just have to try what system works for you and good luck.

We do at least one load of laundry every day to keep up with it because with six people in our family it piles up fast.

We just went through this discussion in our house :-)

We purchased the blue IKEA bags from IKEA. They are 59 cnets each and are HUGE! We got 10 of them. Every member of the family has one in their room (there are 5 of us). The bag holds exactly one loads worth, which makes it easy to know when it is ready to be washed.

Genrally speaking, anything can be washed in cold water. My daughter's wardrobe tends to be mostly pink and red, so I pull out anything that isn't for her load and throw in the few things everyone else has that is.

I would say that if you do one load a day, you should be alright. The biggest trick is what to do with the towels. If you have space under your bathroom sink, I would put a box or a small garbage basket with a liner under there that is for towels only (after they have dried on the rack). At least that way they are all together.

By the way, my husband now does the laundry! It was actually his idea to get the IKEA bags and he is pretty proud of how well it is working. He is doing the laundry for 6 months. Then he will be doing the outside chores that I can't do because of allergies. I will do the next 6 months.

I have two about the same ages as yours.
I do laundry (one light, one dark) on Mondays and Thursdays. I am sure to keep up on it (not letting it sit in the dryer or washer). As soon as it is done I fold it right away and put it way right way. I find if I fold it and put it back in the basket folded I have a hard time getting back to it.

My issue is folding.I love to do it but my two year old loves to dive bomb the folded clothes. So... I try to let him have a good time so I dump the clean/dry/unfolded clothes onto the couch or floor and he can jump in that. The folded clothes are OFF LIMITS. If he insists on jumping on the folded ones - I just fold a few things and put it away Then I come back and do a few more. It takes longer but that way the boy can be a boy and have a good time. It sure beats yelling at him constantly and having tears - then you'll never want to do your laundry.

Hi Lisa,
I have 4 kids and have a system that works for me. I use to do laundry every day I got tired of that so now I start the laundry on Saturday and finish it Sunday. As I wash I fold everything and hang what needs to be on a hanger. I leave it all in baskets in the basement until Sunday evening when it's all finished. I then sort into piles and put it all away. I do this on my bed and watch TV while I work. I have been wanting to give each person a basket to make it easier to put away I just haven't got the room to have 6 baskets spread out in the basement. If I have a busy weekend planned I do the same thing during the week. It works well and I'm not a slave to the washer. If a bed gets soiled or I have really nasty towels(summer, beach or something) I will do a load for that. I have very strict rules about where dirty stuff goes and if the cloths aren't in the right spot I do not pick them up. Your kids are young but I require all my kids (13,5,4,2)and my husband to put their dirties in the basket. If they aren't there, they don't get washed. My husband is usually the big offender and doesn't have clean cloths. I am not a maid and will not search out dirty laundry! I feel like I have more time to enjoy playing with the kids or reading if they are playing well together:-) Having a laundry day really works for me.
Good luck
Rachelle

Hi Lisa,

I have 3 children and my husband works in a factory so I have tons of laundry to do and I can't believe how quickly it builds up so I've decided to do at least 2 loads a day and that seems to keep things under control. My husband alone dirties the most clothes cuz he has his work clothes that he wears to work, then his workout clothes, his casual clothes, and then his pj's!! ha ha So I know how you feel! When I see a hamper with clothes to the top I just take my basket and load it up and do that load. You have to be consistant no matter how tired you are, just do it cuz if you don't it will build and build and then you'll be overwhelmed! My hardest thing is folding and putting them all away! Sometimes I've got clean clothes sitting in baskets in each room.. ha ha I've told myself just recently that has to stop and I HAVE to fold and put them away no matter what!! Good Luck I hear ya!!

Lisa,

I do 1-2 loads a day. My husband always says that the washer and dryer are overworked! Ha!Ha! I rather do a couple a day and have more time each day with my Cobey. If I did laundry all one day as the other mom said, it is an all day event. Then, you don't have much time with your little girl and new little boy. Especially now with an 8 month old. He is learning so much and probably starting to crawl and everything and you don't want to miss too much.

God Bless

D.

I hate laundry, so doing it every day would be tourture! I do it 2x a week. It does take most of the day, but then 5 days a week I can forget it:)

I try to do one or two loads in the morning after I take my 5 yr old to school. Then I try to make sure that there is a load in the washer while I'm making dinner, that I put in the dryer before bed. It is like the laundry magically multiplies, lol

Lisa, We have three kids!!! I know. I have found if I put each one of their laundry in separate baskets and wash them like that then if I did my sons laundry I fold it on his bed and put it away in his room right a way. Sometimes when it all gets mixed together I will take the clean load and fold my sons in his room put it away fold my daughters in her room put it away etc. I have to do it at least every other day or have two days a week when I am home and dedicate it to laundry... Good Luck! M.

Hi Lisa,

I am a professional organizer and our (NAPO) National Association of Professional Organizers chat group just had a long thread about laundry. Here are some of the nations top organizers' suggestions:

1. First, there is only one location for dirty clothes. If someone wants something washed, they've got to get it to the main hamper area.

That hamper area, which can be in a linen closet, a bedroom closet or the laundry area itself, contains of 4 or 5 (depending on how many different types of loads you do) double height colored mesh bins from The Container Store, measuring 13 x13 x 27. Each bins is marked specifically with the types of clothing that go in that load, but color helps guide here (white bin for whites, hot pink for reds, blue for jeans and towels, etc. ) There are also 13 x 13 x 13 bins that a perfect for gathering those smaller delicate loads. Because these bins are square they can be fairly tightly packed together and clothes don't fall in between them as they would with similar round bins.

The tall bins hold a full sized load for a super capacity washer and because the base is only a 13 x 13 square they take up very little room and fit nicely in the base of a closet. Because they are mesh, they are well ventilated and most importantly, it is easy to see how close you are to having to do a load of clothes. When the bag is full simply carry it by it's two handles to the machine. This system involves only one space consuming laundry basket, which is used to take the clothes out of the machine and back upstairs.

2.Encourage the use of hooks for those "not quite dirty yet clothes." Over the door hooks on the back of the bedroom door give a good visual on what is available for wear.

3.One of the ways to prevent those piles of clean laundry from piling up and not getting folded or put away is to fold it directly out of the dryer.

4.My rules for re-wearing clothes: pajamas, jeans/pants & sweaters – worn at least twice or until visible stains or other obvious reasons, hoodies (worn over something) – treated like a jacket and washed when visibly dirty/obviously smelly. Towels – I always recommend color-coded towels for bigger families, then each person knows to toss theirs in the laundry after 2 or more uses.

5.Empty out the sock drawer and place it in a basket, for 2 weeks (or whatever works) anything that is worn & laundered can go back in the drawer. At the end of that time frame, whatever is still left in the basket is not being utilized on a regular basis, consider tossing. For those who may not be realistic about what they use, let their choices make the decision for them.

6.I agree that reducing the number of linens and clothing is important. I have two sets of sheets for each bed - no more. I have two sets of towels for each bathroom.

7.Socks can be mated together with a plastic clothes pin when they are taken off to avoid time needing to mate a big pile of socks later.

8.Don't fold things that can stand to be wrinkled, like underwear.

These are just a few of many suggestions. Hope it helps!

S.
123 Clutter Free

hello lisa
being a mother of five girlsi am doing laundry in my sleep i do all wash and hangs (shirts that can not be dryed) all lol on monday and friday all jean on tueday and saturday towel and sheets on wenday and all white on thurday i never feal like i am done well hope i gave you a little bit of help