Most of you who know me know how much I detest doing laundry. I hate it. It is the worst chore ever, it never ever goes away. Most of my friends do a laundry day where they just do laundry all day and get it all done. I've tried that, it doesn't work for me. I have tried to do one load a day, that doesn't work. I'm really good at getting laundry started, but it is definitely hard to get it all put away. I often start the laundry, get it to the dryer, it sits there for 2 days, I turn it back on to "unwrinkle" everything, then I forget about it again. 2 more days later, and many searches through the dryer for clothing, I decide to finish it up. Well now most of the week has passed and the piles keep getting bigger.
Sound familiar? SIGH
I know I'm not alone, there are others who struggle with laundry too, right? It just takes so much time, and I start another project while it's drying/washing so I forget all about it even when the buzzer is set. Anyways....
So yesterday I set out on a mission. I had major amounts of laundry. I had 3 loads that had been done and were sitting in baskets in the laundry room. I feel an enormous amount of guilt when I see Dallin trying to find matching socks out of baskets, (he is very good at not complaining) so I decided I would catch up all my laundry. I did a laundry marathon.
10 loads of laundry.
10 loads of laundry.
10 LOADS OF LAUNDRY!!!!
I did it. I got all of them washed, dried, folded, and put away. I am so proud of myself. All of my laundry baskets are empty! The crappy thing is the piles begin today, and then the cycle starts all over, but for now I am going to enjoy this one week where I don't have to feel guilty for not getting the laundry done.
What's your trick? I worry when I have more children how out of control it will become.
12 comments:
Liz, I am folding laundry as we speak. OK, so we're not speaking and I'm typing on the computer, but you get the idea. Anyway. I was TOTALLY going to blog about laundry today. I am so tired of it, and I'm not very good at figuring out a good system either. No matter what, you will always have dirty clothes because even when you're finished you are still wearing clothes that will soon be dirty laundry. Hopefully someone posts a great idea for you because I am in need of one too. Just wanted you to know that you are totally not alone! Off to do more laundry.
I do a load as soon as there is enough to do one and that way it never can pile up... basket full of whites? great, time to put them in... mostly it's because I watched my mom let it pile up and it drove me crazy growing up. I just took it over when I lived at home and now that I'm not there anymore I go over there and see piles and it makes me crazy. I would sometimes forget to change it over, but now our laundry room is right off the kitchen on the main floor, I can't help but think about it when I see the laundry room constantly. I kind of like doing it though... I love the smell of laundry soap and fabric softener, the only thing I don't love is folding and ironing, but if you are only doing one basket at a time it only takes 5 minutes. I have started making folding time "my time" I do it when Carter is napping and indulge myself by watching TV while I do it! I'm weird though... I also like to scrub my bathroom.
I also have issues with doing laundry. Our laundry baskets are in the corner, so kind of the "out of sight, out of mind" type of thing for me, I think. I don't have a problem getting it in the washer and dryer...I have major issues with getting it folded and put away!
Anyway, the system that we have (a little bit, anyway), is that we have a hamper with 3 compartments, one for whites, mediums, and darks. I also have one for the kids with 3 compartments, one for pastels, one for darks, and one for clothing that will need to be pre-treated before washing. Usually, I wash the kids' laundry separate from ours, because once their hamper is full, I have 2 full batches. If I am lazy, or just need to fill batches up, then I combine our laundry. I don't know why I don't combine it in the first place...probably just cuz they're already sorted separately, I guess.
I don't know if this helps you or not. It's actually a pretty good system as far as not having to sort ALL the laundry, it's already sorted, and I can just take a batch from the compartment and get it in the laundry. Like I said before, it's just getting it done when it's full, and getting it folded and put away after it's washed that gets me!
At least you get it in the dryer! My problem is that I forget about it in the WASHER and often have to rewash! Laundry is the worst. I miss living in apartments where we could "save up" all our laundry and get it all done at once at the laundromat where we could use like 10 washers at a time!
Okay, I am a one-day washer. My sisters call me the laundry queen. I can get out almost any stain. I once had a dryer full of jeans that got attacked by crayons, and I got it all out! I tried doing one batch a day, but it was never "done." At least doing it once a week, I am "done" and don't have worry about it for another 6 days.
The funny thing is, I hate doing laundry. But my mom taught me growing up that if you hate something, just dig in and get it done and over with. When I am eating, if there is something that I don't like, I will eat it first and very quickly so it's gone.
So I do all my laundry in one day. I start first thing in the morning and can get it all done by 3:00. I set timers so I don't forget. I have tried waiting and folding it all when it's all done, but then I have an enormous pile that is so overwhelming. So when each load comes out of the dryer, I take 5 minutes and fold it and put it away. Then it's done for another 45 minutes until the next load comes out.
And with a husband and 4 kids, I do between 5-7 loads every week. I actually like it when the boys don't put away their clean clothes because then they have to do their own laundry for the next 2 weeks. It's great!
Hang in there. Congrats on getting it all done!
I did some laundry today . I know, you are thinking....what and it's not Thursday? It just so happens that I'm running out of clothes to wear and all my maternity clothes are for the winter. I need to find some new clothes, but I looked at two different stores yesterday and they were either ugly or expensive.
Anyways, so you know my system of washing every Thursday, but sometimes I just wash because I need clothes. Maybe you could get rid of all your clothes so you only have enough for a week. Walking around your house with no clothes on or in your pj's (which was my case today) might help you remember you need to change the load. :) You know I'm kidding. Sorry I don't have a better suggestion.
Or you can buy lots and lots of garments and only have to do whites like once a month... we're almost there! :)
I don't know why husbands don't like mating their own socks from the dyer or from the laundry basket on the floor by the dryer! I think that only way to do it is just to put them away right away. Otherwise mine just sit in the basket and never get put away. I set a rule for myself that I can't watch TV unless I am folding clothes (okay, I know you are not addicted to TV like me) that way our clothes at least have a shot at getting put away before we empty the laundry basket by using the clothese before they are even put away.
1o loads of laundry??? That's insane! :) I usually wash on MOnday's. We usually only have 3 loads. It's not too hard to rmember to go switch them and get things folded after each load is done. Maybe you need to invest in a commercial capacity washer and dryer. :)
I actually changed my laundry day to Monday because I know of at least 2 other (not three thanks to Jessica) that do theirs on Monday. It helps knowing that I am not the only person doing laundray on Monday and that makes me feel better.
I have no tricks, I was just wondering where you got a picture of my pile.
Here you go Liz, this made me change my attitude about laundry.
http://www.thefunnystuff.net/viewmovie.php?id=529
Love ya,
Heidi
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