Laundry Tips - Tackling Mount Washmore

Keeping on top of the laundry pile is one of the biggest challenges in managing a house. The problem is that it never stays done. Your family is generating new laundry every single day, so it can get away from you pretty quickly if you don't have a plan for dealing with it.

The first thing you need to look at is the room itself. If your laundry room is clean and attractive, you're going to dread going out there. Take a few minutes and look around to see what you can do to make it more comfortable, efficient, and attractive. If it's out in the garage, can you add some rugs so you don't have to walk over the cold concrete? Do you need some shelves to store your soap and other laundry supplies in a more convenient spot? Maybe a table or a counter to fold the laundry? Maybe you could add an under the cabinet radio or a small TV to entertain you while you are folding laundry. Use your imagination.

Maybe the solution is as simple as a coat of fresh paint, and some pretty pictures on the wall. I know you're thinking it's just a laundry room and you'll probably be the only one to see it, but you're just as important as anyone else, aren't you? Have fun with it. You could decorate it in frogs, or chickens, or whatever you like best. You're probably going to be spending more time in there than anyone else, so let it be a fun place for you to go.

Next you need to look at your laundry routine. You'll need to adjust this to suit the size of your family and your schedule. Some women prefer to do one or more loads a day, while others like to dedicate an entire day and get it all out of the way at once. Either one works as long as you keep some kind of regular schedule. What doesn't work is ignoring it until every laundry basket in the house is overflowing. That's what Flylady calls Mount Washmore! Avoid at all costs....

I try to do the one load a day schedule, but I get busy and fall down on the job sometimes. Also, I have my boys do their own laundry. I feel that any child over the age of six is old enough to do their own, but that's just my opinion. My son Blake is an expert at the art of Japanese T-shirt Folding - you can find videos of it on YouTube.

How you organize the laundry collection and sorting can make a big difference. If you're seeing clothes on the floor very frequently, you may not have enough baskets or may not have them in the correct places. I keep a basket is everyone's closet including a triple-sort basket in our bedroom - similar to this one. One section is for darks, one for towels and sheet and one for lights. I love this because I can just grab a section of laundry and pop it into the washer without sorting.

Side note: Our washer leaks - a lot! There's something wrong with the connection that goes into the wall and the hose comes out a lot. We've probably had five or six leaks in the year or so since we've lived in this house. So, I finally made my husband go out and buy one of these. I'll tell you, it's the BEST $15 we've ever spent! When you consider how much damage even a small water leak can do, I don't think any home should be without a water alarm.

Anyway, back to laundry. We've got the laundry sorted and into the washer. The washing and drying parts are pretty easy because the machines do all the work. It's the folding and putting away that is the challenge. I'll let you in on a secret - I HATE to put laundry away. It's probably my least favorite chore after mopping the floors. So, rather than be a martyr and do a job I hate, I trade it off to someone else who doesn't mind it so much - in this case, my husband. He doesn't mind it, so I do all the other steps if he just does this one. Hey, it works for us.

As for the folding, I like to do it in front of the TV, 3 or 4 loads at a time. I get on the coach with baskets spread all around me and just dump it all on the couch. I use one basket for each person and an extra one for sheets and towels.

Have you ever timed how long it takes to fold a load of laundry? You'd probably be surprised. I can fold a load in 3 to 5 minutes unless it's something like socks or dressy clothes that need to go on hangers. My philosophy is that if something takes less than 5 minutes to do, it's just not worth fussing about. Same thing with putting away. We spend more time dreading the task than it actually takes to do. Just do it and then treat yourself to a cookie or something for a reward.

Other bright ideas - keep a bag or box in your laundry room for give away or out of season items. Then as your kids outgrow their clothes, you can transition them to charity or to off-season storage.

Tide to Go Pens are the greatest invention known to man. Get a bunch of them and keep them around the house - in your purse, closet, bathroom, etc. for instant stain treatments.

Keep a delicates bag handy for bras and other delicate items and I post large notes on the dryer so my kids don't ever put them in the dryer. I also have a wardrobe rack to hang up sweaters or other items that are too delicate for the dryer.

I got this idea from MeckMom - put in a couple of hooks, either in your bathroom or laundry room for kids to hang up their wet bathing suits and towels. I don't know how many times I've found a nasty wet suit lying around somewhere - ugh!