HOW TO CONQUER LAUNDRY

Laundry!

My struggles with laundry are legendary!

True story:

Many years ago, while attending a professional (keyword: professional) conference, the question was asked, “What is one thing with which you struggle?”

Having four small children at home, I quickly raised my hand.

“Laundry”

Now, seeing how it was a professional conference, I later realized that was not the kind of response for which they were looking!

However, it really was a struggle in my life. How can you get out the door if you can’t find two socks that match?  (That explains a lot about Rachel…to this day she doesn’t concern herself with matching socks!) What do you do when no one has clean underwear?  What do you say when your uncle sees your heaping pile of laundry laying at the bottom of the steps and almost has a stroke?

(As I am writing this, I am falling down laughing.  Our oldest daughter has a clean laundry fetish and I am just realizing it is probably due to our many laundry fiascos!)

Over the years I tried many things to help conquer the laundry.  Every time I came home with some kind of a laundry sorter, my husband would roll his eyes.  (Do you have any idea how quickly a three year old boy can take one of those things apart?)

Finally, finally, I figured it out.

So, when Emily called me a while back and said, “Aunt Micki”, I have a “little” for laundry.  You throw all the laundry in together and walk away!”  I was able to respond, “I can tell you how to conquer laundry!” 

Here’s my current method:

Keep all dirty laundry in ONE basket in one place.

If you sort your laundry by color, sort out two loads into the appropriate color piles.

Put one load in the wash

Put the second load in a laundry basket that you sit on top of your washer (or wherever works for you!)

The rest of the dirty laundry remains in the dirty clothes hamper

At some point during the day move the clothes from the washer to the dryer. (I do this first thing in the morning.)

After drying, take the load from the dryer and set it somewhere to be folded and put away. (During my 15 minute nightly run through is when I tackle folding clothes.)

Whenever you are ready, the second load is setting there waiting to go in the washer (This is actually the first thing I do when I walk in the door at night.)

By repeating this process consistently, you should be completing one load per day.

You have broken doing laundry into “littles” and you are well on your way to conquering laundry!

Note:  Do NOT leave your house with either the washer or dryer running.  Many people have flooded/ caught their houses on fire by doing that! (And I personally know someone who did that.  The damage was over $20,000!)

 

A LITTLE EXTRA!

How I sort and wash

By color	Water temp. wash*	Water temp rinse	Bleach – yes or no	Bleach alternative – yes or no
Dark (jeans – heavy duty darks)	hot / warm	cold	no	no
Good darks (professional work pants)	cold	cold	no	no
Grey (can easily be put with darks)	hot / warm	cold	no	no
Good whites (not towels)	hot / warm	cold	no	no
White towels / sheets	hot / warm	cold	yes	no
Dark towels / sheets	hot / warm	cold	no	yes
Brights (Red / yellow / blue/green)	cold	cold	no	no

* Most people do wash in warm or cold water.  

All of this is simply personal preference.  There really is no right or wrong way to sort and wash laundry.  The goal is simply clean clothes!