Ever feel like you are Bill Murray in Groundhog Day? You’re stuck in a time loop that sees you washing a never-ending pile of laundry. I get it. Staying on top of laundry is a tedious job. A simple laundry routine can make this part of your day less of a chore and give you more time to do the things you want to do. Here is my laundry routine to give you a head start on creating your own.
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Night Time Laundry Routine
My routine starts at night instead of in the morning. I load my washing machine after we eat dinner, clean the kitchen, and get the kids into their pajamas. I grab a load of our daily clothes, toss it into the washer, add detergent, and set the timer. I don’t sort the clothes. One tip I shared in a previous post is to wash your clothes in cold water to cut down on color sorting. My washing machine takes about an hour to wash a load of clothes, so I have the load finish about an hour after I wake up. Hey, nobody wants to deal with laundry as soon as their feet hit the floor!
Morning Laundry Routine
I drag myself out of bed at about 6 am. By this point, my kids have been awake since around 5 am. (Thank you hubby for being a morning person and letting me sleep a bit longer!) I get dressed, make my bed, direct the little people to finish their morning chores, and make breakfast. While the kids eat, I (or the Big Girl) hang the laundry on the clothesline, weather permitting. So far it’s a pretty simple laundry routine, right?
Mid-Morning Laundry Routine
There may be another load of laundry to wash depending on the day of the week. I have set days for sheets and towels. There are also days we accumulated more dirty laundry. Whatever the reason, I wash any other load of laundry that needs washing. The next load of laundry gets started as soon as the first load is on the line (if not before). Once the second load finishes, it goes out on the line. That’s it until the afternoon!
Laundry, the real Never Ending Story
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Afternoon Laundry Routine
The clothes come in around 4 pm and the Big Girl’s clothes get pulled out for her. She does any ironing and hangs what she doesn’t put in her drawers. The Big Girl then folds her other clothes and puts them away. The younger kids help with folding hand towels, washcloths, and matching socks. They also fold some of their clothes. I hang any of the younger kids’ clothes that need it, and they put the folded clothes in their drawers. The folding and putting away takes about 10 minutes (more if the cat pounces and knock over folded clothes!).
Rinse and Repeat
The rest of the afternoon carries on after we put away everything. But, you guessed it, the routine starts over after dinner. Once we finish the evening chores, another load goes in the washer and I set the timer. Easy peasy.
Winter and Rainy Day Routine
I mentioned line-drying, but that can’t happen every day. It’s difficult to get anything dry on the line when the weather is cold and damp, and it’s impossible when it rains. On those days, the dryer runs, and my routine changes a little.
Once the clothes finish washing, I toss them in the dryer. I have the alarm set to let me know when it finishes. Once that alarm goes off, I go back in and give the laundry another 30 minutes and start the second load. Why another 30 minutes? I have a sensor dryer (buying that was a huge mistake!) and unless the load is identical in material and fabric weight, some clothes are not 100% dry. I’ve found a touch-up cycle ensures everything is dry and nothing smells sour.
I hang up and fold everything when the dryer stops. The exception is the Big Girl’s clothes. Her clothes get hung and folded to prevent wrinkles, but she puts them away and irons after school.
Other Useful Information
That’s my every day simple laundry routine. I will point out that sometimes, I throw the towels and socks in the dryer after they come off the line. I hate crunchy socks and towels. During boiling days where there is no breeze, the towels and socks get stiff and crunchy feeling. Yuck! They go in the dryer for a few minutes and no more crunchiness!
I also have a clothes horse (indoor drying rack) that I use for clothes that are sun-sensitive or hang dry only. If it is something delicate or lay flat, it gets dries on the rack inside.
That’s it! I hope you pick up a few useful laundry trips from my simple laundry routine. If you are need more laundry help, check out this page.
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