Wash, dry, fold repeat. Family laundry seems to be never-ending. Here are a few simple ideas that have helped me stay on top of the family laundry. First of all, I suggest washing as often as you can and to have set laundry days. This will help avoid that mountain of clothes spilling from the washing basket.
TIP – Minimising the amount of clothing in your cupboard means less laundry to do!
Establish set laundry days.
Monday – Sheets and Bedding.
Tuesday – Towels and Kitchen Linen.
Wednesday – Uniforms and Darks.
Thursday – Whites, and Handwash.
Friday – Darks.
Saturday – Uniforms, Sport and Gym Clothes.
Sunday – Day off.
Fold clothes straight from the line or dryer.
I take clothes straight from the line or dryer and fold them, stacking in piles in the basket as I go, rather than just tossing them into the clothes basket. This reduces wrinkles and makes it easier to sort clothes for putting away. If I am short on time, I do a rough fold and then I do a neater fold as I place the items in the drawers.
I fold my towels and kitchen linen as I take them from the dryer. Then they go straight from the laundry to the linen cupboard. I like to use the dryer for these items as it tends to make the towels soft and fluffy compared to line drying.
When I wash sheets and bedlinens I put them straight back on the bed. This way I avoid having to fold them.
Use clothes hangers
Hang clothes on hangers straight from the machine, this keeps them from getting too wrinkly. I like to keep clothes hangers handy in the laundry. Once dry they can go straight to the cupboard. I iron very few of our clothes. When clothes shopping I prefer to buy fabrics that require little or no ironing. Hanging clothes straight from the machine also reduces wrinkles and reduces ironing time.
Clothing on hangers can be hung on the outside line, on a clothes rack or on a garment rack inside while drying.
Putting away the family laundry.
Take the basket straight to each room and put clothes away rather than leaving a full washing basket on the floor or piles of upended clothes on a bed or chair.
If you are in a hurry and don’t have time to put the clothes away set yourself a designated time when you will attend to them. This could be something like placing the basket beside the lounge room chair to fold at night while watching tv.
The basket beside the chair will remind you that it needs to be done. Use the ad breaks to take clothes to each room and put them away. Folding is a job you can easily do while catching up on your favourite shows.
If your children are old enough, encourage them to put their own clothes away. You can use a small storage box or basket. Place the folded clothes inside and leave it on their bed for them to put away in the cupboard.
Wash smaller amounts more often.
I would suggest not doing large amounts of washing all at once if you can avoid it. This just becomes an overwhelming task. Consequently, washing, drying, folding and putting away can easily become left and the task of sorting through numerous piles of washing can become too much. I certainly find washing smaller amounts more often is more manageable. I can get the task done quickly and move onto something more fun.
Sometimes we are faced with a mountain of washing to do. Maybe you’ve been sick, away on holidays or just too darn busy. If this is the case try to create a cycle of wash, dry, fold and put away as you move through the day. One load in the wash, one load on the line while one load is being folded and put away. This will break it down into mini-tasks of 5-10 mins here and there throughout the day to get the job done, rather than dealing with an overflowing mountain of clothes to bring in off the line, fold and put away at the end of the day.
Washing after vacation.
My biggest wash days are usually after we come back from holidays. I’ve found the following method works well for me. As I unpack each suitcase I place the clothes into piles on the floor according to the wash type. For example one pile each for, whites, handwash, kids clothes, our clothes, towels or bedding. Once I’ve fully unpacked the clothes, I check the dirty laundry baskets in the bathrooms and add those clothes or towels to my piles.
I then place each pile on the laundry bench. If you don’t have enough bench space you could use laundry baskets, a nearby tabletop or on the floor, maybe give it a quick sweep first.
Start with washing items that need the longest line drying time, then wash anything that can go through the dryer. I like to use the dryer when I have a lot of washing to do because I can get through it quicker. This means I don’t have to hang things out and they dry quicker, especially if the weather isn’t favorable. I can fold and put away clothes from the dryer while other items are still line drying, then attend to those line items later in the day.
Lastly, I do my handwash and hang those items inside to dry. Most often I let those dry inside on a drying rack or garment rack overnight and then put them away in the morning.
HINT – If you have time before going away, wash your bathroom towels the day before. That way you don’t have wet dirty towels that you’ve been using for days, sitting there for a week or two while you are away. If you shower in the morning before you leave, make sure to hang wet towels and bathmats to prevent mold.
Quick Tips To Stay on Top of the Family Laundry.
- Rewear clothes when you can. Only 30 mins at the grocery store? Hang and wear it again.
- Make sure school uniforms, work clothes, and sportswear are washed over the weekend ready for the next week.
- Do a mid-week wash of uniforms and gym clothes if you don’t have a set for each day.
- Have a small basket for each child to encourage them to put away their own clothing.
- Follow a schedule for washing.
- Do little bits often. Don’t let it pile up.
- Fold clothes straight from the dryer or line.
- Place shirts and dresses on hangers to dry. They can then go straight to the cupboard.
- Ironing small amounts often is more manageable than facing hours of ironing.
- Minimise your clothing and linens. Most of us only wear 20% of our clothes 80% of the time. You probably don’t need as much as you have.
- Less clothing and linens mean less laundry to do!!
I hope these simple ideas can help you create a workable schedule and stay on top of your family laundry.
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