Laundry. I think it’s pretty safe to assume we all hate it. Just when you think you’ve caught up, another load has appeared out of thin air. What’s a mom to do? Turn to Google in hopes of finding life-changing laundry tips? You could, or you could keep reading this post to see how I keep our mountain of laundry to a minimum.
Tried and Failed
Having 4 kids means I’ve become a bit of a laundry whiz. I’ve tried a lot of things, and I’ve found many methods that sound great, but they don’t work for us. I tried doing all our laundry on one day, but I couldn’t deal with watching the laundry pile up all week. Then there was the folding. Don’t get me started on folding multiple loads of laundry. UGH!
After a lot of trial and error, I have found what works for me!
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Time Saving Laundry Tips
1. No Laundry Hampers in the Bedrooms or Bathrooms
Dirty laundry lives in the laundry room. It’s easier to wash laundry when it’s conveniently located. Besides, do you really want to run around emptying several different laundry baskets? I don’t. I do enough running around.
2. Wash a Load EVERY Day
First thing in the morning, I put a load of laundry on. If you have a large family, it will give you time to do a second load should you need to. But what if _? Get into the routine of not making excuses. Do one load every day.
3. Rely on Delayed Start
I started loading my machine at night and setting the delayed start since I wash a daily load. Bonus that I saved time in the morning! If your washer has a delayed start function, make use of it. Get a jump start on your day!
4. Set Days for Linen and Towels
Three days a week there are extra loads of laundry. On Saturday, we change and wash the bed linens. Sundays and Wednesdays are when we swap out and wash towels. Occasionally there will be times the towels are swapped out sooner, but that is the general rule in our house.
5. Keep Sorting to a Minimum
I wash most things on cold, so I only sort our laundry into three piles: clothes, linens, and towels. If the whites are particularly dirty, they get sorted out and a good bleach and hot wash.
6. Make Less Laundry
How? Wear it more than once. No, I’m not saying run around in dirty clothes. Throwing on jeans and a shirt to run to the grocery store and changing as soon as you get home doesn’t mean those clothes have to go in the dirty hamper. Putting pajamas on a clean body and sleeping for a few hours doesn’t make it dirty in my books. Pajamas are okay for another night.
Have toddlers? The toddlers like to put anything lying around in the laundry. Do teenagers live in your house? My oldest uses the laundry as her dumping ground. If she doesn’t feel like hanging her clothes, or her drawers are messy, she’ll put stuff in the laundry. If she tried something on, she’ll toss it in the laundry when she takes it off.
7. Enlist Help
Kids are capable of helping. My younger children love to help do the laundry. They separate, put clothes in the machine, and fold washcloths, hand towels, and their clothes. They also put away their clothes (with my assistance of course). My oldest hangs out laundry on the line and brings it in. She also folds, irons, and puts away her clothes.
Want to do less laundry? Make less laundry. “
A Little More Southern
8. Do It All at Once
When it comes to doing a load of laundry, don’t put anything off. Wash, dry, fold, and put it away all at once. Don’t pile it up to fold later. Do it now. It will seriously take 5 minutes. Remember, there’s only one load.
9. Start With an Empty Basket
If you have a trip or plan on a weekend getaway, make your life easier? Get your laundry done before you leave. You’ll only have what you bring back to wash. An empty basket is less stressful.
10. Don’t Use Work as an Excuse
I know it’s a bit more complicated if you are not a stay at home mom, but you can still keep your laundry under control. With a few adjustments, it’s still doable. Set the timer to have the clothes finish about the time you get home. Toss them in the dryer and fold after dinner. No timer? Have the clothes loaded in the washer and hit start as soon as you get home. Put them in the dryer as soon as they finish and fold before you go to bed.
What are you waiting for? Start making your life easier by using these laundry tips as part of your daily routine! If you’re looking for more laundry tips and tricks, check out this post!
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