Healthy HomeI finally found a laundry routine that works!
Believe it or not, laundry is my favorite chore.
But it can also make or break my day.
If I am on top of the laundry pile, I feel like my whole day goes better.
If I’m behind, it’s hard for me to concentrate on anything else. It’s almost as if Mount Laundry is calling to me from its hiding place in my bedroom closet.
Thankfully, even when I do get behind now (which usually happens after a family vacation or when, ahem, while I’m working on a big project), I know how to catch up and stay caught up.
Figuring out how to take the overwhelm out of my laundry routine has been a huge game changer. It started when my mentor, Holly, convinced me of the benefits of doing just one load of laundry per day.
After implementing Holly’s tip of completing just one load of laundry per day, from start to finish, I was able to begin tweaking it to meet my family’s routine and needs.
I can’t wait to share with you my 4-step laundry routine because it really works!
1. Throw a load in at night–when the kids are getting ready for bed.
At 2, 4, and 6, my girls are independent enough now to put on their own pajamas. While they are doing this, I toss a load of dirty clothes into the washer. Because I’m piggybacking laundry with an activity we do every day, it makes it easy to remember.
Throwing in one load of laundry takes me less than five minutes!
2. Toss the clothes in the dryer after the kids are in bed.
After we put the girls to bed, my husband and I usually do a little work on our computers or sometimes watch a TV show. I listen for the washer to finish, and I quickly toss the clothes in the dryer after the wash is done.
As a bonus, using the washer and dryer at night costs less money than it does to use these appliances during the daytime hours!
3. Fold the clothes the next morning.
Most of our clothes do not wrinkle very badly, and if they do need a fluff, I might turn on the dryer for just a few minutes to de-wrinkle them.
An old trick my grandmother once taught me was to toss a wet washcloth in with the wrinkled clothing. Something about the wetness with the heat makes the wrinkles fall out!
It takes me no more than 10 minutes to fold one load of laundry. I do this mid-morning, and I place all of the clothes into the individual containers assigned to each child (and my husband and I share a basket).
The containers sit neatly on a shelf, so it’s not like a bunch of laundry is all over the place (like it used to be!).
Note: I use these color-coded laundry baskets for each child!
4. Put the clothes away (at bedtime).
While the girls are still getting ready for bed (it takes them longer to get ready than it takes me to accomplish step #1!), I quickly put away their clothes.
Since I only do one load of laundry per day, it takes me about five minutes to put it all away.
Yes, it takes me an entire day to do one load of laundry, but because I divide the task into four 5-10 minutes tasks, it’s easy to complete each step from start to finish–without it taking up close to an hour at one time!
I am a busy work-at-home mom who doesn’t have an entire hour to spare, but, this way, I can complete one full load of laundry per day, which helps me to stay on top of it (for the most part!)!
Trimming down our wardrobes has also helped tremendously in preventing our laundry from getting too out of hand. Before, we could go weeks without washing clothes (I know–it’s embarrassing!) because we had way too many!
Now, our smaller wardrobes force me to keep on top of things.
I rarely face the laundry blues now, and laundry is back to being my favorite chore!
Need more laundry help?
Check out Taming the Laundry Monster by Angi Schneider. In Angi’s own words:
“If you are regularly overwhelmed and frustrated with laundry, there’s hope. This book will help you think through your schedule and systems and develop a plan that is unique for your unique family.”
Katie
Great tips! I’ve also found that if you use enough fabric softener, the clothes won’t wrinkle as much either after sitting in the dryer.
I didn’t realize appliances were cheaper to run at night. I wonder why that is? I guess that’s good I run the dishwasher at night too after hearing Holly’s tips on dishes =) (Her advice, by the way, is already proving to be a blessing in our home! Now I just have to practice the nighttime routine!)
Debbie Sue Lyon
It’s cheaper to run appliances at night due to less “strain” on Duke Energy (or to whoever you pay your electric bill)!
Sincerely,
Aunt Debbie
Sally
With six kiddos age 1.5 to 10, it feels like I’m running laundry all day long! I tie it to daily routines – similar to what you do at bedtime. I start a load before breakfast, reboot to the dryer before I do the breakfast dishes and start another load in the washer. Take 5-10 minutes to fold or hang immediately when it finishes (by that time the kitchen table is cleared off and ready for laundry piles). I sort into personal piles as I fold. I keep both machines busy throughout the morning. I put away my and my husband’s clothes as I run upstairs for something else (never go empty handed). I put away the little ones’ clothes when we go up for naps. Big kids take theirs up after school and have to put them away as a part of cleaning rooms before screen time. I often run a few more loads in the evening (big kids bring down hampers and start a load after dinner is cleaned up) except that I am a night owl so I’ll fold towels or match socks while watching a movie with my husband. Evenings are also a good time to get to the small delicate loads. I totally agree that having fewer clothes makes it easier – my boys especially want to wear the same few things over and over again anyway.
Sarah
I just wanted to say how much I loved the e-course! It has helped me so much! You both are truly a blessing to our family!
Katie
I’m forever getting the overgrown pile of Mt. Laundry in the hallway! I’m going to have to try this to help me keep on top of it… I’ve noticed it does help if I can do one load a day, I just forget or don’t feel like it. Thanks for the encouragement, and I’m off… to soak that load of laundry that Z-man puked all over. 😛 Gotta love being Mama!
Chris
I’m watching the “dishes” video. There are some of us that don’t have a dishwasher. 🙁 I appreciate you doing this class though.
Chris
I see you are addressing that issue, also. I LOVE the fact pointed out about coming full circle. That’s where I have trouble.
Brandi
“The Flylady” has a great routine for those of us without a dishwasher. Worked for me for years : )
Amanda
Awesome tips, Erin! I loved watching your eCourse videos. I am implementing all of the ideas in my home! Some I was already doing, but not well… hopefully now I will have the motivation to do it!
Lisa
I really need to start this! I feel like every weekend, I’m behind on laundry! Doing a load a day seems much more manageable.
Christine
I try to do a load everyday, but some days are just too busy. I’ve rewritten my routine to keep on top of things better. I love the load a day method. It’s too exhausting to do one day a week. I’m usually good with the washing and drying part, but the folding and putting away is something I have to work on most. Thanks for these tips!
Kathy
Love this! I didn’t know it was even possible to enjoy laundry.. this post gave me hope! I have three baskets for each type of clothes in a central location of the house and baskets in the bathrooms for towels (only towels!!!!) Once a basket is full time to do a load and put it away! One load is much easier than two! Thanks again 🙂
Rosy
This is almost exactly what I do! One laod and put it in the dryer at night. Then fluff for 5 minutes in the morning and fold/put away before I go to work. I do sheets and towels on Saturday, and rugs/blankets anytime when necessary
Jessica
My dryer went out a few years ago. We live in an Comdo/apt (left to me when my mother passed so not rented), so with no area outside for a line- we strung one across our patio (22ft long). Instead of using clothes pins the traditional way, I placed clothes pins about 3-4 in apart and put the clothes on hangers to hang on the line. This way I can usually get two loads up, at least, at a time. Clothes dry best in the mornings when the sun is rising and shining on them. However, we live in Florida (many rainy days), and with a family of five, it can sometimes be really hard to always stay on top of our laundry when I have to wait so long for it all to dry. I Have no problem separating the clothes per person, then folding them and putting those away. By this time though, I have lost my motivation for hanging them. I can not wait until we can afford a new dryer! Having to do it like this for so long has really made me appreciate the convenience of just being able to throw them in the dryer and go about my day. #CountingBlessings
Ashley
I like the individual bins that you assign to each child. We already have fabric drawers in their rooms, so I don’t even need to go buy anything special. I’ll have to take that idea! Thanks.
Nichole
First of all I love your posts. I read them almost daily. I have found a few tricks that work for me. I HATE matching socks So I have my children (ages 4, 7, 10, 11) match the socks whoever matches the most socks gets more of a prize than the others for example whoever matches the most gets two rolls of smarties while the others get 1 or The winner will get 2 quarters to put in their piggy bank while the others only get 1. I also sort my clothes into 3 different bins mine and my husbands is in one, my boys clothes (the 7, 10, 11 yr old’s. ), and then my daughter’s. I have my boys go through the “boy” bin and pick out their clothes and fold and put them away. I have 3 reasons that I have my boys sort and fold their own laundry, 1. makes my life easier 2. teaches them independence 3. My 7 year old and my 10 year old wear the same size clothes and I have no idea which clothes belong to each child other than their blue jeans. The blue jeans they fight over for some unknown reason so I used a permanent marker and put marks on the tags. 1 mark for the oldest 2 marks for my middle boy and 3 marks for my youngest son. If they pass them down to the next brother I just add another mark.
Christine
Those are some good ideas that I might have to try!
Camaron
How do you sort it all? I have a kids basket, a whites and darks in my room. Usually the kids gets separated between the two and becomes its own lighter colors as well. Stuff always gets mixed up and I have to go through each basket to do it. Plus we live next to the beach, so doing wet, sandy laundry happens a couple times a week. Any suggestions?
Alyssa
My only issue is we usually have to wash towels every day so I would have to do 2 loads.
Alison
Ours are now old enough mostly to do their own laundry. We each have an assigned day and they bring their laundry down the night before. If the system is working like it should, and most weeks it does, then we sort of follow this same system but I am not the one who has to change the clothes out or put them away. Your system will be very adaptable as your girls get older!
Jis
I recently moved to a state where having a your own washer and drier its super expensive, unless you live in a house and I am still living in an apartment. Therefore I have to use the laundromat, what ideas do you have for this situation, my dirty pile gets huge and living in an apartment it can be challenging. Thank you!!