I know, I know. I’m weird. I like doing laundry. More like, love doing laundry. I have a laundry system that works so great for us and I think it (or something like it) will work great for you, too. Maybe by creating a laundry system, you’ll learn to love it too. Better yet, let’s work together to create a laundry system for you and then stick to it, as well as using a few tips to make this laundry thing a little bit easier and less stressful.
Instead of doing laundry one day a week like I’m sure so many of you do (and I used to do before we had a lot of kids) and being overwhelmed by the loads and piles of laundry sitting around, I break it up so that I have a load of laundry going every day (minus the weekends). Here is my schedule:
Sunday: Big J’s laundry
Monday: My laundry
Tuesday: J’s laundry
Wednesday: K’s laundry
Thursday: E’s & L’s laundry
Friday: Rugs, Sheets, Towels
With this schedule, I can enjoy the process much longer. Not to mention not having piles and piles of laundry to do, fold, and put away all in one day.
TIP: For larger families, double up on the days. Do two family members laundry on one day, and so forth.
Now on to the smell good stuff: (my favorite part) What is your favorite detergent, fabric softener, and dryer sheets? Or do you make your own detergent? I’ve always been interested in coming up with a concoction to make my own. So, if you do just that, share your recipe with us!
My favorite is Tide April Fresh, Snuggle fabric softener, and Bounce dryer sheets. MmMm! As we speak (well type), my house smells of fresh linen.
I also throw in a few of these dryer balls with each load in the dryer. These dryer balls are great for cutting time (saving electricity) off a dryer load. Also, here’s a little tip — to eliminate static just pin a safety pin to one of the balls.
Do you ever lose socks and have spares just laying around? I’ve found a method that works and I’ve used it since I was little. Each time you take off your socks, pin them together with a safety pin and put them in the hamper. When it comes time to wash and dry, do just that with the safety pin attached to your socks. It makes folding easier, and voila – your socks aren’t lonely and always have their match!
Make laundry smoother by trying these 5 tips to simplify your laundry:
1. Don’t Sort! We all grew up learning how to sort clothes by colors. But these days, sorting isn’t always required thanks to higher quality fabric. You can also use Shout Color Catcher to help with this. Simply toss a color catcher in and let it “catch” any dyes that run. When the load is finished you’ll see which colors run. If you love sorting and doing extra laundry when you don’t need to, then have at it — sort your heart out. But for the rest of us, we’ll stick to the non-sorting loads.
2. Be Organized! Who wants to do laundry in a cluttered laundry room? No one! Even if you don’t have the most elaborate of laundry rooms, take pride in it and keep it organized. I promise this will help you in simplifying your laundry. Here are a few tips: Keep detergents, fabric softeners, stain removal bottles all in a bin or small basket on a shelf. {so little ones can’t get into it}. This basket will help your laundry room look more organized. (you can see my suggestions for these baskets over in my Amazon Shop)
Hang rods in your laundry room to let your delicates or clothes hang to dry.
Have a small bin near the washer to place toys, coins, and other things you find in those pockets. It’s up to the person to claim their things or else it goes in the trash after so many days.
Keep a trashcan near by so you can throw away paper and lint.
3. Wear something more than once! Yes, you can do that and no, you won’t smell. Anything but socks and underwear can have a “sniff check”. As long as it doesn’t smell, it’s good for another use.
4. Do a little bit, a lot more often! I have a schedule for my laundry (like we mentioned above). You see, when you have it all planned out that you’re going to do certain loads of laundry on certain days, you won’t get behind. Do a little bit each day, and the mounds and mounds of laundry won’t pile up. Experiment with it and try to come up with your own schedule or I’d love to help you create one just for you!
5. Get to know your washer! Yes, learn all you can about it. My washer has a bunch of neat cycles to use to make your laundry life easier. Read up on your type of washer and learn about its features and cycles.
What are your laundry secrets? How do you simplify your laundry?
Still want to know more? You can also:
Follow along on Instagram as I share a tour of our laundry room + laundry hacks under the highlight “laundry”.
Check out my Laundry Room Amazon shop with all my favorite laundry products and laundry room decor ideas.
Follow my Pinterest board for tips regarding laundry organization and laundry room inspo.
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