My dear lazy people.
When will we find a cure for the epidemic that plagues households everywhere? The epidemic that tears families apart. Makes mothers cry softly in their sleep. Brings pain to so many all over the world?
The laundry epidemic.
It's beyond tragic.
Remember when I got so sick of looking at my laundry basket full of unmatched socks and declared war against it and completely obliterated it to pieces with my super awesome sock bag tip?
I'm on a new mission, people.
A mission to prevent this from happening in my house anymore and in countless households all over the globe:
Yes, I have decided I want my couch back. I'm tired of it looking this way weeks on end. And the terror it strikes in my heart when I realize people are coming over.
So.
Let me show you what I came up with to eliminate this problem that plagues so many households and brings families to their knees in prayer that they can find a pair of underwear hidden in the giant clothes mountain on the couch every week.
My laundry room is in the basement and it's quite big... because... well, it's in the basement. I had a sort of "system" in place already to corral hand-me-downs and off-season clothes. But I rounded it out a bit more by putting those items in unused tubs I had and labeling them with a sharpie.
Because how many of you know that when you label things with a sharpie it makes things way more official?
Then I started thinking about items that land on my couch every week. Things that don't belong to individuals, but clog up the arteries of our laundry flow because of that fact. Towels and sheets were the biggest culprits.
So I started labeling laundry baskets I already had to corral these items that needed a new home (other than on my couch).
THEN, I needed a new home for everybody's folding clothes (I hang up all of our hang-up clothes on a big rod I have down there). So I labeled a basket for Lazy Dad's clothes and I went out and bought the cheapest little laundry baskets I could find and labeled those with my kids' initials.
Now that everything had a new "home" I was hopeful that my couch would stop growing clothes out of it and taunting me with them every time I walked past them.
I tested out my new system for 2 weeks and I'm happy to report that IT'S WORKING. Yes, people, my couch has been clothes-free that entire time and we're hopeful it will make a full recovery.
So here's how my new system works. As items come out of the dryer I either hang them or fold them. All folded clothes go in their appropriate basket. Then about once a week I
When the towel basket gets full I stand there and fold them and then go put them away. Same with the sheets. Everything has a home now in my laundry room. A place where it can sit if I can't get to it right away, which is no longer on my couch.
BAM!
And just like that, I save the world.
(What? I like to pretend I'm more awesome than I am.)
So here's my Lazy Mom Tip to you... take an assessment of your laundry situation. Take notes if you have to! Write down what clogs up the flow of your laundry arteries and then take your list to the store and walk up and down the laundry aisle and look for solutions. Find baskets that will fit in the space you have, or if you have very little space to work with, think of unconventional ideas that will work for you. (Look up! Maybe a shelf above your washer and dryer can hold some baskets for you. Look down! Maybe raising your washer and dryer will give you some space below to work with?)
And remember, we all suffer from this laundry epidemic. We're all in this together. And God-willing we'll all survive.
What are some ways you handle the laundry epidemic? I'd love to know! Leave a comment below.
If you liked this tip, you'll also like my tip where I solve the sock plague.
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I have a folding banquet table set up. Everyone has a large Costco bag lined up on the table. Clothes go into appropriate bags when they are folded. The bags are easier to carry and when someone's bag is full it goes to their room and I can easily replace it with another since I have extras. Under the table is a bin for donations and one for misc stuff that is always in the way. I do not fold underwear or pajamas nor do I match socks. that job belongs to the owner as does the putting away. The boy will wear the same 5 shirts so I sometimes hold them as ransom. I have a hanging rod in the laundry room for hang up clothes.
ReplyDeleteWhen I wash a load I almost always wash, dry, fold and put away before I start another load. I don't have a lot of room so I can't do the basket system (which is a great idea by the way) so this is the only way I can keep up. I have found if I can squeeze 2 to 3 loads in a day my laundry stays mostly under control. Which reminds me I better go get some started :) Luv your Lazy mom tips and ideas thanks.
ReplyDeleteMy laundry situation was a mess for awhile. I don't know how many photos I have of the kids, and in the background is a sofa full of unfolded laundry. My husband came up with the solution for motivating me to get them out of the way quickly. I have a huge weakness for popcorn (real huge), but I don't like the bother of popping it (I like it best popped in a pan...microwave popcorn is expensive here and doesn't taste as nice). So my husband tells me "no popcorn until the clothes are folded and put away." Believe it or not, it has worked! I fold clothes in the living room while watching a movie, and I make piles as I go--a pile for each person, one for towels/bedding and one for kitchen towels and washcloths. When I finish, the older 2 kids are responsible to put theirs away (I'm still working on getting my daughter to do this without whining). My youngest helps with what she can (she knows where her socks and undies go). Luckily, my husband puts away his own--I put all his in a basket for him to carry up. Since lack of motivation is my biggest problem when it comes to housework, this is what works for me. Wish I had a laundry room, though!
ReplyDeleteI love you. I really do. :)
ReplyDelete-Heidi (SELCmom)
Comment from Anne at http://bringingboryahome.blogspot.com/:
ReplyDeleteI learned this tip years ago and I've never looked back:
Each kid has their own laundry basket in their closet. Also, in the bathroom where the washer and dryer are, I have a shelf unit with six "fabric boxes", one for each kid. Each day "belongs" to a different kid (Monday is Patrick, Tues is Bella, etc). On their day, they gather their laundry and wash it (even a pretty young child can learn how to do this). I generally put their load in the dryer and then fold/hang when it's done. Theu put it back in their rooms. On the w/e, I wash mine and my husband's clothes, plus sheets and towels. White socks? When each kid is putting their wash in, they separate out the whites. Shirts and stuff go into a basket that I do over the w/e, socks go into each kid's zippered lingerie bag in the bathroom closet. I wash these all together over the w/e and just hand each bag to each kid to sort or just dump in their drawer as they please.
Bottom line? I have NO NO NO sorting to do! One kid's wash goes in, one kid's wash comes out. I have six kids and I am telling you, laundry for me is easy peasy.
If we all wear the same clothes for a week and don't wear socks, it really cuts down on laundry. Plus teaching
ReplyDeletethe kids at a young age how to do laundry helps.
Love your system. Now... how do we control towels? Do your kids hang them up and reuse them? Mine do not. Short of refusing to give them more than one towel a week (and I could get to that point) I'm wondering what others do?
ReplyDeleteI was going to say... Move to a new house.... but I see you already have ways to handle it.... Sheesh, you're such an overachiever! Lol
ReplyDeleteI have 4 kids, and they each get one towel, each in a different color. (I keep one extra for each kids, just in case). They reuse, then I wash them all at once 1 or 2 times a week. Works great for us.
ReplyDeleteI have four hooks for the four boys in the bathroom. Each has a diff color towel so they know which to grab and I know who left it on the floor ! Each kid has a basket...one kid laundry per day. They are over ten and do their own. No psp time or tv time til its done !! Self motivation!! A reminder or two keeps them moving. I do mine, towels, hubby's on the weekend and the kids leave me whites to bleach. Well, some do. ;)
ReplyDelete