One of my new years resolutions is to be more organized and have a cleaner home- and stay on top of everything. I want to have a simple, daily task system that helps me with this, and I think I've got a good way to do all of this. Laundry however, is my downfall. I can let it pile up as tall as me and overflow out of the two baskets we have. I tend to do laundry only when it's out of control and I don't want to do that anymore. I need to designate one day- probably two, actually- that are the only days I do laundry. What are your designated laundry days and why does that work for you? For those with kids, and for those who stay at home especially, any tricks on getting it done? I can start a load and dry it, no problem, but it's difficult for me to find 30 uninterrupted minutes to fold it all and put it away.
Post by mrs.jacinthe on Dec 14, 2012 16:12:44 GMT -5
I'm no help - I do one or two loads a day. I don't like to let it pile up because then it's overwhelming. Folding one load of laundry? Not a problem - it takes <10 minutes. Folding a whole week's worth? OMG. I can't even.
I'm a fellow laundry delinquent. I do a load whenever MH tells me he's out of socks or underwear.
Once we actually have a laundry room and closets again my plan involves 2 days a week of official laundry day (so I'm very curious if anybody has any day of the week tips why one day would be better than another), but also personal baskets.
I'm going to have seperate baskets for CLEAN only - one for me, one for MH, one for the baby and one for household stuff (towels, etc). So as I pull out laundry I can sort it by destination. And either fold as i go - or get to it later. But that way MH can put his own clothes away without my needing to do anything special to it. And baby laundry can just get dropped in the baby's room until I have a few free minutes. I feel like that would help me a lot.
I try to do one load a day. I don't always rarely succeed, and end up doing a couple loads a day for a while.
When it was just DH and I, I usually did laundry one day and it just seemed like too much. After sorting, swapping loads, and hauling everything upstairs, we were lucky if we got everything folded. That just led to a large pile of clothes for a few days.
Post by stephm0188 on Dec 14, 2012 16:30:15 GMT -5
1-2 loads daily. Adults colors on Monday Sheets on Tuesday Whites on Wed Kid colors on Thurs Towels on Fri
The reason I keep it all separated is because it cuts down on the time it takes to put it away. Each family member has a mesh laundry bag for white socks, so the bag just gets tossed into the washer and dryer, and then dumped straight into each person's drawer. I don't match them up or sort them. Keeping our stuff separated from the kiddo's stuff means that I'm just taking that one basket into one room. I'm not sorting and putting things away in multiple rooms.
I would also like that add that I'm appalled by the amount of laundry we have. With the exception of underwear, we rewear all clothing that isn't dirty, yet we would still have piles and piles of laundry if left alone for a week.
I actually just do a load or two a day. It's easier for me to find 2 minutes to throw it in/get in the dryer and five to put it away than it is for me to find 2 uninterrupted hours to take care of 8 loads worth.
It's really much more low stress for me that way..and I never have a pileup.
Depends on the day. Sometimes I toss in before work, dry when I get home, put away at bedtime. On days I'm home, I just kind of take care of it when I get a sec.
Also, if Rubes wakes up for a sippy in the middle of the night, I walk right by the laundry room so I'll change or toss a load in then too. Not that that's helpful.
I also seperate so I can just dump the whole load be done. I have one hamper for barn clothes, another for my work clothes/pjs/better stuff another for sheets/towels, one for Rubes stuff and each area also has it's own white basket, and I gather all the whites once a week and do it.
I really like doing one a day, but I can't do that in the winter so it gets done on Mondays or Friday mornings.
We have a washer in our apt and hang dry in the summer on the porch, but in the winter we use landlords w/d upstairs. I like to wash while he's at work.
I'm a fellow laundry delinquent. I do a load whenever MH tells me he's out of socks or underwear.
Once we actually have a laundry room and closets again my plan involves 2 days a week of official laundry day (so I'm very curious if anybody has any day of the week tips why one day would be better than another), but also personal baskets.
I'm going to have seperate baskets for CLEAN only - one for me, one for MH, one for the baby and one for household stuff (towels, etc). So as I pull out laundry I can sort it by destination. And either fold as i go - or get to it later. But that way MH can put his own clothes away without my needing to do anything special to it. And baby laundry can just get dropped in the baby's room until I have a few free minutes. I feel like that would help me a lot.
Yeah, I'm so guilty of your first sentence! If it were just me and H, I feel like I could have a pretty good handle on it. But with the kids stuff. OMG. 800 little pairs of socks, underwear, jammies, etc- it literally takes me 30 minutes to sort a load if DH doesn't help me (and he usually does try, at night after the kids go to bed). I think for me, an official day(s), the same every week- would be the best for me. I couldn't do a load a day.
1-2 loads daily. Adults colors on Monday Sheets on Tuesday Whites on Wed Kid colors on Thurs Towels on Fri
The reason I keep it all separated is because it cuts down on the time it takes to put it away. Each family member has a mesh laundry bag for white socks, so the bag just gets tossed into the washer and dryer, and then dumped straight into each person's drawer. I don't match them up or sort them. Keeping our stuff separated from the kiddo's stuff means that I'm just taking that one basket into one room. I'm not sorting and putting things away in multiple rooms.
This sounds like a great system! Towels and sheets are easy peasy- I don't often count them as a "load" because they require little or no time folding (sheets, back on bed). So the socks bags- where do you get them? That idea sounds genius- and I bet I could get my DS (he's 4) to match his own socks and put away his underwear. I do keep our stuff separated from the kids, but it's just the laundry as a whole- I have to get a system going.
to cut down on matiching socks, I buy one brand and only two colors for DH - white and black No matching necessary - other than color. Kids - same - one brand and limited colors. Underwear - I buy only beige & black bras and panties I limit the colors of wardrobes so that every thing mixes and matches as well
1-2 loads daily. Adults colors on Monday Sheets on Tuesday Whites on Wed Kid colors on Thurs Towels on Fri
The reason I keep it all separated is because it cuts down on the time it takes to put it away. Each family member has a mesh laundry bag for white socks, so the bag just gets tossed into the washer and dryer, and then dumped straight into each person's drawer. I don't match them up or sort them. Keeping our stuff separated from the kiddo's stuff means that I'm just taking that one basket into one room. I'm not sorting and putting things away in multiple rooms.
This sounds like a great system! Towels and sheets are easy peasy- I don't often count them as a "load" because they require little or no time folding (sheets, back on bed). So the socks bags- where do you get them? That idea sounds genius- and I bet I could get my DS (he's 4) to match his own socks and put away his underwear. I do keep our stuff separated from the kids, but it's just the laundry as a whole- I have to get a system going.
The sock bags are just mess drawstring laundry bags. You can get them at the Dollar Tree or Target. Mine is white, and my husbands is blue. I have them on a command hook next to the hampers in our closet. My son's bag is hung on his closet doorknob. I just cinch them shut the contents stay in while they're in the wash, but they're still large enough so the stuff can swirl around inside and come clean.
And my rule is that if it isn't in the bag, it doesn't get washed. Out of socks? Not my fault.
Post by stephm0188 on Dec 14, 2012 16:59:14 GMT -5
I also found it cuts down on missing mates. They can't get sucked up inside the dryer or fall behind anything or whatnot. If they go straight into the bag, they're not going to get lost under furniture or anything.
1-2 loads daily. Adults colors on Monday Sheets on Tuesday Whites on Wed Kid colors on Thurs Towels on Fri
The reason I keep it all separated is because it cuts down on the time it takes to put it away. Each family member has a mesh laundry bag for white socks, so the bag just gets tossed into the washer and dryer, and then dumped straight into each person's drawer. I don't match them up or sort them. Keeping our stuff separated from the kiddo's stuff means that I'm just taking that one basket into one room. I'm not sorting and putting things away in multiple rooms.
My laundry is in the basement. I keep a basket downstairs for each of us and for towels/tablecloths. I hang or fold as I remove stuff from the dryer and the boys come down for their stuff when they run out of socks, shirts or undies. DH usually carries all the hangered items upstairs when he brings his up.
DH generally folds towels and puts them away.
I also limit DH to black Gold Toes and white athletic socks. DS has a range of socks, but he sorts them.
when dh, ds or i need something that is in the laundry or we have run out of underwear of some sort, then we do laundry. whoever identifies the need, does the laundry (with the exception of ds, as he never identifies the need....would run around naked w/o a care in the world, if he had his way).
I started doing the babies laundry on WEDS way back when they were infants and have stuck with it. The only exception is bedding. Now that they are in big kid beds, I wash the comforters on SUN/MON.
I try to do our adult laundry on Thurs. But it usually takes me until SUN to finish it LOL
I do it sun/mon and then thurs. I like to have a clean house and clean laundry come the weekend. At the beginning of the week I do darks one day and lights the next. I do it, fold it, and put away in 1 day. At the end of the week I have less so I do both loads in 1 day. I hate laundry.
Post by bunnymendelbaum on Dec 14, 2012 21:53:44 GMT -5
I don't know if we are gross or what but we NEVER have that much laundry. I couldn't do a load a day if I tried. (I sort though.)
My only rule is I do NOT put things right-side out, (except for DDs stuff because she's only 2 and turns her stuff inside out when taking it off sometimes). My husband and I? Nope. Not my job.
The best system we had for laundry was when our kids were still at home. We had a laundry sorter hamper, and when someone put in the item that made it a full load, they took the load to the washer and ran it. They told everyone what they had done, and someone else took responsibility for moving it to the dryer, etc..
Now we just do laundry whenever the hamper is full, or if DH needs something to pack for a business trip.