HELP what is the best way to keep up with DIRTY LAUNDRY?

Question

I hate doing laundry, and I usually end up with piles of it to do by the time I get to it. I have an eight year old, an eighteen month old and a husbands and of course my own clothes to take care of.
Any suggestions about a quick and easy way to stay on top of it?
SERIOUSLY I need major help!!

Answer 1

With 2 kids and a husband, you have a lot of laundry. You can try some different things to see what you like, mostly aiming to do less thinking and planning. Maybe you would be better off doing laundry every day, or even one load in the morning and one at nigh, always on a routinet. Try doing lots of smaller loads and see if it's more bearable. Another idea is just to do one type of item at a time, to make the folding easier. Like, one day do only clothes that go on hangers. Another load, just sheets. Another, just towels, etc. I hate folding a big load with all kinds of different shapes and sizes. Another thought: if you currently do a lot of sorting, try throwing a lot of (non-bleeding) things together in a cold wash. Or if you already do that, try sorting. Something else that can help: each family member shouldn't have lots of different socks to match up. ONE brand of white socks. One brand of black, and so on with the fewest possible colors for you, your husband, and your 8-yr-old.

Answer 2

I can see where you are having so much trouble. My advice would be to just do a few loads a day. If your house is like mine then I do the laundry and my husband brings home the money. It doesn't matter if I was the one to wear them or not. He helps me fold and he does other chores around the house like clean the kitchen so it's not like he just sits there and makes me do it all. We both work and go to school so I don't mind to help him cause he helps me. I would try not to get too overwhelmed and when the baby is napping and your 8 year old is at school then get to washing. If you do a little a day then it should start to go down. If not then bring it all to a washateria where they do the washing. I had to do that when my washer went out and brought about 4 loads there. They were done within 4 hours, folded and packed up to bring home and they smelled so good afterwards. That's my advice and if I had the money then I would bring my clothes there every week....Good luck and hope this helps!!!

Answer 3

I have the same problem...I have a 6 year old, 2 year old, 8 month old, husband, and self to do the laundry for. What I do is...i keep hampers..one big one in me and my husbands closet and a big one in my daughters closet for their clothes. I keep a laundry sorter in the garage. I ONLY set aside 2 days for laundry. 1 day if im lucky. Mondays and tuesdays. The laundry from all week goes in the hampers in the closets and i empty on sunday into the garage sorter and begin to wash monday. My laundry doesnt pile up so much and everyone has something to wear all week. Yes..unfortunately there will be a big pile by the time you collect it but you can control the pile by setting aside laundry days and only those days to do them. Make sure everyone knows when the laundry days are. This helps me since i am a stay at home mom and i have other things to do other than laundry everyday but try to set certain days to do certain things and hopefully it all works out for you...Good luck :)

Answer 4

I have the same problem. What I've learned to do is leave my bedroom each morning with a load of laundry in my arms. I wash it, and by the time I'm dressed the wash cycle has completed. I put it in the dryer but DO NOT TURN ON until after work. That way, as soon as it's dry I can fold it, put it away while its warm so the wrinkles don't set in. Trust me. Doing one load a day is a lot easier. It doesn't build up on you. Especially for the baby.

Answer 5

Every day do a load. I know that with a husband and 3 kids I can easily do one load a day, and stay on top of it. I'm currently without a washer and dryer. I'm lucky that I live just across from my mom, so I she has been letting me use hers. I try to do a couple of loads every other day. I used to wait and try to do a "laundry day" but with small kids it just wasn't working. A good friend told me about Flylady.net, I love her system. You should check it out.
My kids are 5,6,&9, you would be suprised at how much your 8yr. old could help you with. Like putting the clothes from the washer to the dryer. It makes them feel important and helpfull.

Answer 6

Only quick and easy way would be to hire a laundry maid..lol
Serioulsly though there is no quick and easy way really,just gotta do it. If i were u i'd start with getting all of it washed dried put away in the one day, get the big nasty over and done with, then every day after that, do ya washing in 2 loads, one for darks one for lights. get it dried and put away, just do that every day, that way theres no big pile up and soon enough it will come as second nature, humans are creatures of habits after all and u just have to get yourself into the habit. If u do it everyday then theres no big OMG of a huge pile of it and your less inclined to ignore it if theres only a little big of washing. Will power girl..lol Hope that helped.

Answer 7

Well I know how you feel, been there done that and with little one´s it´s a never ending story, I normally put the washing machine on at night, so the clothes are ready to hung or straight to the dryer,if you use one. then you can put another load in straight away , depending on how many clothes you use in a day .All kids clothes get done first & towels then your clothes& your husband´s clothes if you put your washing machine on 3 times a day for the hoseholds clothes & 2 times a week for the sheet´s and other thing´s you should have less by the weekend. at least you and the machine can have a couple of days off, PS , Sure the 18 yr old can wash his or her clothes by them selves. give you a break

Answer 8

All good answers, but, did you ever think of TWO wash machines? Think about it. I knew a doctors wife that had six kids. He had built for her, a laundry room, with three washers and three dryers and a 12 foot folding table. Since she was a stay at home mom, she wound up doing neighbors clothing and paid off the debt for the room and equipment, plus some left over for her own "mad money".

Answer 9

Make a schedule or just make sure you do loads every day. Start them in the morning and finish at night if you work out of the home. I work on it while I am cooking breakfast. Finish at night when cooking dinner. Fold while you are sitting down in front of TV or just hanging out with kids. Daily helps it not build up. I made a schedule for myself. everyday clothes once a day. Dress clothes once a week, Towels 2 times a week and bed Lenin's on weekends. If you are going by a schedule you do not fill over whelmed.

Answer 10

I have four kids and my husband and I. So I can identify! I have found that if I do a load every day, or every other day from start to finish. That means folded and put away. If I dont have time to fold it, then I wait. I know its never ending!
Also, I give away clothes that we havent worn in a long time. Thats what I try to do....good luck!