Laundry for Seven
I have developed over the years a great laundry routine that saves me time.
I have a laundry chute…one of my favorite features of my “not new” house. The chute ends up in my basement smack dab next to the table I have which is right next to the washer and dryer. I have 3 big baskets for Colors, Whites and Do Not Dry-Wash Cold Clothes (usually always mine…I do not need shrinkage!).
I usually always do at least one load a day even if it is tiny. I try to never let my laundry get out of control because it is not my favorite thing to do and ends up being an overwhelming job. So straight out of the dryer, I fold and put the clothes in smaller laundry baskets, each labeled with a every family member’s name. (I found the smaller baskets at Dollar General.)
When these get full, usually by Saturday, each child has the weekly chore to bring up their basket and put away their clothes in their closet.
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I have them hang everything but socks, underwear, jeans and shorts. I have learned this helps prevents stuffing folded clothes into drawers. I have to teach the younger ones how to put everything away…but it’s worth the time savings in the long run.
When they are done hanging and putting away their clothes, they throw (and I mean throw) their little basket back down the basement stairs, so I can begin the process over again.
That’s a good idea! I never thought to fold clothes in the laundry room. I always just took the whole basket upstairs and then folded it. I’m going to have to steal that one and rearrange everything so I can add a table down there.
To add the stick family at the bottom, Go to your customize page thing. At the bottom of that big box in the middle, there is an ‘add a page element’ tab. Click on it and choose the HTML/Java script tab. And you can add it the bottom like you would pics and things on the side. Hope that makes sense!
with my laundy it should make it a laundry of 8!
-guess who
I love my house, but hate my laundry room … it is small in comparison. It was only a few months ago that I did that small laundry basket thing, but mine sit on top of my washer/dryer and I can only fit 4 (daughter 1 and 2 share, one is for small towels/washcloths, one is for daughter 3 and 4, and daughter 5 gets her own). I do like that system better and my laundry room is way neater.
This post would be a great addition to The Masked Mama’s Laundry Party Pow-Wow. (I know it sounds like a mouth full).
You have a great system and confidence too!
Awesome! Love the system. I just wish I had a laundry room big enough for baskets! Space is always a challenge Huh?
Your home looks so great! I'm off to read more! You crack me up!
Shellagh
Love your system — but how does the laundry shoot work? Do all the dirty clothes get mixed together? How do you remember whose is whose?
THIS is awesome. I am getting new baskets soon. How would you change it if you didn't have a chute.
I have a tiny (I mean tiny) laundry room. It has a washer and dryer and overhead shelves and that's it. It is also our thoroughfare to the garage from the kitchen. I LOVE YOUR SYSTEM but wonder if you have any advice for someone who has no room in the actual laundry room for baskets or folding. 🙁 New house, right?: I think that's what I will tell my husband! 🙂 I cannot stand doing laundry, partly because I just can't find a good system that won't take up the living room or part of the kitchen, etc. etc. Know what I mean? By the way, since I found your blog yesterday, I have been reading incessantly. Thank you for your great information, inspiration and advice!!!
This is making me REALLY wish I had a laundry room.
I have a garage, and it's not clean enough to fold in.
I do love a system that works though.
Thanks for sharing!
my kids are old enough now that they sort their laundry, I wash and dry and they fold and put away. Sometimes I fold but they still put it away. Makes my job so much nicer!
Read this yesterday and had to stop by again to tell you I love you. 🙂 I presented the idea to my 6 kids last night and they love the idea too (nice to get them on board rather than just declaring "this is what we're doing now!"). Bought some baskets today. Not a lot of space so some are sharing, but we're excited to get it going!
So hanging on your kids closets is that for their jammies? I usually do laundry all day Monday and I hate every second of it….its time for me to try something new! thanks for the info!
Great ideas. Each of my 4 children had their own basket, too, and knew they were responsible for getting their dirty clothes to the laundry room and taking the clean clothes back to their rooms to put away. Made things so much easier on me! I have always wanted a laundry chute–even now, when we're empty nesters. I hate lugging the overflowing laundry basket downstairs.
LOVE the idea of hanging everything! So much so that I pinned this for future reference!!! Thank you for sharing all of your tips!!!
Awesome ideas- I actually tagged your blog in a post on mine as a place to come and get great ideas on cleaning up our "homeschool bombs" that we homeschoolers so often deal with 🙂
http://real-learning-real-education.blogspot.com
This is exactly how I do my laundry! I have six girls (ranging from 16 down to 13 months). I do a little bit every day and put the clean clothes in each person's labeled basket. Love your blog, btw!!
I have a house plan drawn up for my "dream home" that we plan to build in a few years. It doesn't have a laundry chute but it has the laundry room on the same floor as the bedrooms. We have that in our current house but are moving to a different place and I'm not looking forward to lugging laundry baskets up and down the stairs!
Can't wait until we build our house and can go back to laundry room and bedrooms on the same floor 🙂
I do the same thing
dirty clothing goes down the chute
gets folded or hung in the laundry room and brought upstairs to be put away.
Using a Flipfold makes it even easier
Where did you get those sock and under-roo pockets on the doors?
they are shoe organizers…don't think you'll see this as it's a year ago but ya never know!