The Answer to My Laundry Dilemma!
Nichola posted the following comment and it revolutionized my laundry thinking! It's so simple, I'm embarrassed I'd never thought of it sooner. I have already put this into practice and our room is still laundry-free. Three days and counting!! Thanks to everyone who posted ideas and suggestions.
"I want to say that I really understand this problem. My husband helped me out on this issue and I will pass on his excellent advice that is fool-proof. Once I quit being stubborn I really got some victory in this area!
I had no problem getting the laundry washed when we married. Mountians and mountians of it. I piled it up into a mountian of clean laundry, and should have named it Neverest!!! Our bed was piled until I set up tables to fold on and then they were piled. I learned to never take it into the living room or it would be piled high wih clean mountains of laundry. "I need a shirt." "Oh, there's a clean one about half way down the mountian." Finally, I would get ambitious and decide to the top of my "Mount Neverest." I would work and sweat and fight and conquer Neverest. Aaahh. The thrill of acomplishment was great. I then got right to busy building me another mountian to conquer. I guess somewhere I had the idea that doing laundry all day was the biggest thrill I could have?
Finally, I tried the suggestion my husband had. It sounds silly and too simplistic, but how can I argue with something that really works? The rule is you finish the job you started. That means you wash, dry, fold and put away/hang up before you do another load. The job of getting a load of laundry is then completed. It will seem slow, too slow. It's not. Which is slower: taking the job all the way to the end or digging through a mountian or two of laundry to go to church, ironing each piece as you get dressed? :-) You have to take time somewhere to do the laundry, why not right when it is ready and isn't all wrinkled and clogging up your living space?
I argued with this for a long time. I thought that I just needed to do better, be more discipline or whatever. Or worse, my argument would be something along the lines of there is no solution, this is just the way it is. Wrong. I agreed to try it and wonder of wonders, sucess the first try! I tried it again. Same results. No growing mountian, only empty drawers filling up. I was amazed. How was this possible?!
Since this amazing discovery I have learned that nearly all the women that I know that are sucessful with their laundry follow this system. Amazing! *grin*
I also learned something else on this recently. Instead of folding and organizing little kids drawers, I now hang up all clothes that can be of my 3 yr old and 18 month old. Getting dressed is a snap, as is putting their clothes away. Socks, underwear, pants and shorts go in drawers, but both kid's folded clothes fit in one small chest of drawers.
Also, downsizing is a good idea. I have done that some and it has made a difference. I am wanting to do it more. You don't have to be weird to have a simple wardrobe.
On a simple laundry washing system, this is mine. I sort my laundry into coloreds, whites, jeans, towels and baby clothes. Anything that needs special washing I put seperately but I don't have many of those. When one of these catagories is full, into the washer it goes. And then into the drawers/closets.
-Nichola"
posted by Crystal Paine at 10:11 AM
5 Comments:
The problem has been solved at my house. We've divided the chores. Chris is in charge of lawn care, car maintenance, laundry and half of the cooking, and I'm responsible for house cleaning, gardening, bill paying (half my money and half of his) and archiving all paperwork, and half the cooking.
IT WORKS!
Glad you found something that works, Crystal! The advice she gave you is indeed good.
Jessica: haha, yeah, that's pretty much how it is chez moi, too, except I'm the cook. I love cooking, and he is happy to clean up the kitchen in appreciation. :)
Alice
It's become a trade and balance...He hates cleaning and I hate laundry...so that was easy, and we take turns cooking and cleaning up. I hate car maintenance and he hates dealing with bills....and so on
Good answer indeed! I was kind of pondering how to answer how we do laundry... but I guess her answer is pretty close to what I do.
I may have a basket sitting around for a bit that needs folded, but rarely mountains. I always hang up the laundry right out of the dryer (we don't dry things all the way, it cuts down on dry time and wrinkles!) and I fold things as I take them off the line. That only leaves underclothes and a few misc. items that need folded otherwise. I hang everyone's laundry in various places in the washroom while it finishes drying and then when their spot is too full I either take it to their bedroom or call them to do it.
I do love the feeling of an empty laundry room, but those days are rare. It's pretty much always a work in progress. :)
Good job, Nichola! I too, have only one dresser for the boys and find it works great!
Post a Comment
<< Home