Making Laundry Easier

I am not a fan of housework. I hate cleaning and organizing but I love having a clean organized house, so I find any way I can to make things easier for me. Here are some of my tips for easing the stress of laundry.

I have 4 children who seem to create unnatural amounts of laundry. The baby has an excuse since he is learning to use utensils and is close to the ground. But my big girls seem to smear lunch all over themselves as they eat it and how does that Hawaiian red dirt end up in all the places it does? Whether they dirty it or not, they will change their clothes into a new outfit and double or triple their quota of laundry for the day. (still working on training them put of that habit)

I have to do laundry every day to keep up, and you know that's not happening. So I usually have tons at a time. My sweet husband will run loads and loads and has taught my older 2 how to sort laundry. However, he doesn't like to fold, so that leaves me.

Here are my helpful hints. I bought each child a different color laundry basket. I found them at PriceBusters for about 2 bucks each. They are smaller so they don't take up too much room and go in their closets if they need to. For the 9 and 7 year old, they are responsible for cleaning up the clothes in their rooms and bringing them down in the baskets. I also have them bring the babies' clothes and the big pile that accumulates in the hall.

Then they help sort it. We have 3 plastic hampers in the laundry room so we can sort and not take up baskets. These are not that expensive and I like to be able to lift them up to dump stinky stuff into the machine. That wouldn't work with a divided organizer. I like to have a plastic grocery bag hanging on the door knob to hold lint and old dryer sheets. It doesn't take up room like a trash can and I can throw the whole thing away.

As I fold the clothes, I put out the baskets and start dropping them in the right one. When my 3 year old is around she LOVES to help with this. I used to say "Put this in the yellow basket" but now she knows whose basket is whose and she recognizes the clothes so I usually just hand them to her. I also get her to help fold washcloths and roll socks and panties. Lots of praise and she is an awesome helper. I usually fold laundry when the big girls are at school or in bed, but I try to get them to help when they are around.

I own many laundry baskets and will fill the big ones with towels and sheets. My husband's and my clothes sometimes go in the same or separate, if there is alot. I think not many people own enough laundry baskets. I have to own a lot to hold the huge piles that accumulate!

My big girls have learned now to go get their baskets when I ask and go empty them when they are full. I often have them take a baby basket and empty that for me, as well. They also empty the towel baskets. Sometimes I pay them extra when they are doing lots of helping, but usually it's just part of the helping around the house because they live here.

I don't think these ideas are that groundbreaking. I am sure lots of mothers (especially those with large families) do the basket idea and encourage the children to help. I would like those reading this without any new ideas or especially new mothers to consider ideas like this to help you out. I am always learning new things and love it when I feel I have conquered something. For laundry, adapt some of these ideas for your home set up, family size and preferences. Some people don't let it accumulate and fold right away or hang up everything. Just find what works for you, be consistent and hopefully teach your kids how to do it while you're at it. Now I have to go because I have laundry to put away.