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Home ยป Blog ยป Laundry for Seven

Laundry for Seven

by Sarah Turner Clover Lane

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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.

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July 4, 2008 ยท 20 Comments

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  1. Anonymous says

    July 4, 2008 at 5:02 pm

    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!

    Reply
  2. Anonymous says

    July 5, 2008 at 4:39 pm

    with my laundy it should make it a laundry of 8!
    -guess who

    Reply
  3. Anonymous says

    July 20, 2008 at 2:12 pm

    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.

    Reply
  4. Anonymous says

    January 29, 2009 at 6:19 am

    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!

    Reply
  5. Ticking and Toile says

    January 6, 2010 at 4:40 pm

    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

    Reply
  6. suzanne says

    March 15, 2010 at 1:44 pm

    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?

    Reply
  7. Anonymous says

    March 15, 2010 at 6:44 pm

    THIS is awesome. I am getting new baskets soon. How would you change it if you didn't have a chute.

    Reply
  8. HAPPYHANERHOME says

    May 23, 2010 at 12:07 am

    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. ๐Ÿ™ New house, right?: I think that's what I will tell my husband! ๐Ÿ™‚ 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!!!

    Reply
  9. Hilary says

    May 27, 2010 at 6:19 pm

    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!

    Reply
  10. Cara @ Gardenview Cottage says

    May 31, 2010 at 5:02 am

    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!

    Reply
  11. Marni says

    November 30, 2011 at 5:42 am

    Read this yesterday and had to stop by again to tell you I love you. ๐Ÿ™‚ 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!

    Reply
  12. Sami Carter says

    February 14, 2012 at 2:13 am

    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!

    Reply
  13. Unknown says

    April 7, 2012 at 4:01 am

    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.

    Reply
  14. The Coopers says

    May 4, 2012 at 8:38 pm

    LOVE the idea of hanging everything! So much so that I pinned this for future reference!!! Thank you for sharing all of your tips!!!

    Reply
  15. Educating Outside The Box says

    May 8, 2012 at 11:36 pm

    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 ๐Ÿ™‚

    http://real-learning-real-education.blogspot.com

    Reply
  16. Rachel says

    May 29, 2012 at 2:36 pm

    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!!

    Reply
  17. Anonymous says

    August 18, 2012 at 2:35 am

    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 ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
  18. Kate says

    August 20, 2012 at 12:12 pm

    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

    Reply
  19. sasha says

    November 29, 2012 at 3:05 pm

    Where did you get those sock and under-roo pockets on the doors?

    Reply
    • Anonymous says

      November 21, 2013 at 3:19 am

      they are shoe organizers…don't think you'll see this as it's a year ago but ya never know!

      Reply

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Sarah Turner

When our first baby was placed in my arms I knew there was no place I wanted to be other than home with him every day. Twenty five years, and five more babies later, (six children, now ages 26-8), I still feel the same. I blog here about motherhood, how to make a house a home, easy recipes, and simple living. You can read more about me here.

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Nothing pretty, flashy, or spectacular. Just an o Nothing pretty, flashy, or spectacular.  Just an ordinary Monday morning breakfast counter after the kids leave for school.  Because ordinary gets the short hand in our culture but really it's extra special. 
It's a symbol of unselfishness, contentment, prudence and gratitude.  There is a certain peace about the ordinary.  It's the opposite of temporary-it holds the joy of contentment and gratitude and prudence all in one hand.  It's lends itself toward peace, and a settling in, not a constant search for more or less or anything.  Ordinary is authentic and good enough- in short it's a gem in disguise. ๐Ÿƒ
I love my home and I hope you do also. With all t I love my home and I hope you do also.  With all the imperfections and maintenance it requires, when I pull up and walk in I want to stay, to relax, to feel safe, for daily life to be easy, and to care for "home". I want simplicity, ease, convenience.  To me when my home is simple, without being filled to the brim of things that just take up space I love it best.  I hope if you've participated fully or even partially as time allowed in 40 Bags in 40 Days you've found that joy and pride in your home.  I plan to share more little challenges and tips as the year proceeds to trouble shoot areas and keep maintenance effortless and the house love flowing.  Daily life in our homes should bring us joy and ease while we care for our families, we should be thoughtful stewards of our money and of our time and simple living is the answer to that. 
Thank you for participating! ๐Ÿก
I think this is one of the best things about the 4 I think this is one of the best things about the 40 Bag decluttering process.  When I know what I have and have removed all that I don't, it cultivates more discretion and caution about what I bring back in.  I think there is also some realization of how much money is wasted on fads, or thoughtless purchases.  It's quite eye-opening.  I've become so much more careful, and find we all take better care of things, as do my children.
The final week of 40 Bags in 40 Days! I've tackle The final week of 40 Bags in 40 Days!  I've tackled all the areas of my home with exception of my oldest daughter's room (not the photo)- which she is excited to work on this week.
The simpler the room, the easier it is to clean an The simpler the room, the easier it is to clean and straighten up.  And then the more enjoyable it is to actually sit in that room.  It's not a hard equation, all it takes is ruthless purging-and not just little things but larger items also.  Functional furniture is the key and very few decorative pieces especially when children are in the home, makes life so much easier. 
๐Ÿƒ
As we head into the last week of the 40 Bags in 40 As we head into the last week of the 40 Bags in 40 Days Challenge I'm hearing from so many of you what a difference it has made in your appreciation of your homes, a certain contentment, and at the same time a thrill of looking in on the organized kitchen, closet and living space.  I agree!  I love purging, cleaning and organizing a space and then going back later that day just to get that wonderful sense of accomplishment.  It makes such a difference! 
๐Ÿƒ
A lighter, fresher, calmer home is the result of de-cluttering.  I even had a participant who had been planning on listing her home, start 40 Days just to get her house ready to sell, and then was so ruthless in the process and also thrilled by the results that they decided to stay put in what seemed like a new home to them.  What a savings of time, money and energy. 
๐Ÿƒ
Next week I will be talking maintenance and answer all questions! โ˜€๏ธ
Tips For Shared Kids Rooms- This bedroom has seen Tips For Shared Kids Rooms-
This bedroom has seen every configuration possible.  With kids spread out 18 years apart, I've had to be creative over the years-which I think is the key to sharing rooms.  It is all possible-I consider it a rare luxury and privilege to not have to share a room although I know that is not the norm today. 
๐Ÿƒ
I like to create a simple look with white furniture (this ends up making room transitions easier also when moving someone out and someone else in.) I also like to match bedspreads for a cohesive look. 
๐Ÿƒ
Clip on bed lights save space. 
๐Ÿƒ
A simple shared book shelf can hold a child's special books and knick knacks and if necessary can be assigned per shelf.
๐Ÿƒ
When my kids were younger I had my dad build me a large wooden roll out box for under each bed.  This held each child's toys. 
๐Ÿƒ
All clothes are kept in a closet instead of dressers to save space.
I feel like I bailed on everyone following 40 Bags I feel like I bailed on everyone following 40 Bags progress and tips.  My excuse is the stomach flu ravaging us all here in the last week with me being the last to fall and the slowest to recover.  On top of that the weekend before I tried to roller blade (don't even ask how many steps I made it) and majorly bit it.  Thankfully I think I just sprained my arm. So I've been using one arm for nursing sick children back to health, and doing whatever cleaning and cooking and straightening I can do.  Alas, last week was a wash.  We have two weeks to go.  I'd like to continue and end on a high note.  How about you?  Even a little de-cluttering counts! Spring is in the air and I can't wait to throw open my windows and let fresh clean air circulate through my fresh clean orderly home. โ˜€๏ธ๐ŸŒท๐ŸŒฑ
Especially where kids are concerned- we tend to th Especially where kids are concerned- we tend to think that the more things they have the happier and more occupied and loved they will feel.  Nothing can replace human interaction and I've found that too many toys has the reverse affect.  They cause overwhelm-just like us - we'd rather sit in an orderly space than one filled with too many things to do and too much stuff.
โ˜€๏ธ
When it comes to kids closets here are some tips-
1. Hand me downs don't all have to be received.  Or received at all.  Be choosy and keep just what they will use and need.
2. When children are presented with too many choices, tension and acrimony can exist.  Being able to open a closet with a reasonable amount of outfits can create more peace.
3. Cultivating independence in care of clothes is easier when there is less and the space is simplified and organized. 
โ˜€๏ธ
More tips coming on the blog this week.  I am moving my blog platform so I can't make any promises - it's under construction and that's exciting!
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