Taming The Laundry Monster

Keeping up with the laundry can be a lot of work.

Parents complain about doing it, kids complain about not finding it and most are reluctant to help out with it.

I’m not a big fan of doing laundry but I like nice clean unwrinkled clothes in an organized closet.

I’m a big fan of order.

Early on in my decluttering journey I realized life was simpler and more pleasant if everyone had clean clothes that could be found easily.

Laundry is something I prefer to pass on to my husband as often as I can. He’s Australian and when he hangs clothing on the line it is like a work of art and I admire this ability a lot. Although I help with laundry I love to cook so the kitchen is more my domain.

When I first moved to Australia we didn’t have a dryer. I would toss clothes in bunches on the line, it would rain for a week or two and the clothes would stay there until I finally took down a soggy mess and rewash it. I never got home in time to get the clothes off the line before it rained (a common problem here). Being Canadian and in love with dryers I thought this was an insane way to do things

Then my daughter was born and the laundry we needed to do seemed to quadruple. After months of having cloth nappies draped over every piece of furniture my husband buckled and admitted if we ever wanted to sit in a chair again we need a dryer. The dryer helped but I realized I needed to get the laundry organized.

Doing laundry and I mean sorting, washing, drying, sorting, folding and putting away becomes a big task once you’ve had a family. I think the fact that most families do around 400 washes a year proves my point that getting this under control is a big tick in the time saving basket.

Common problems with laundry

It needs to get out of a hamper or off the floor to the laundry room. This alone can cause a lot of hysteria with mothers.

It needs to be done regularly or you have nothing to wear.

It needs to be folded properly or hung up or you look silly dressed in a mass of wrinkles. Leaving laundry in piles can result in hours of ironing.

It needs to be put back or you run around looking for that blouse or the matching sock.

Laundry often likes to socialize in piles around the house, hide in strange places or just simply disappear.

Clothing clutter often complicates laundry and makes it an impossible chore so if you want to get the whole clothing thing under control declutter your closet

The more people in your family the more time consuming laundry is and the better it will be when you get organized.

So as a person who feels there are better things in life here are my laundry tips and tricks to tame the laundry monster.

Laundry Design Ideas

Good design combines function with style and the laundry room is an area that needs to be clean, uncluttered and very functional.

So to keep clutter at bay and what you need easily found and at your fingertips here are a few ideas.

Design in zones.

Think about having a sorting zone for colors, whites, wet clothes. If you have the space separate light from dark colors

The washing zone needs to have storage or shelves for washing products that are used daily, kept in easy reach and space for basket for the wet clothes that may get hung out on a line or transferred to a dryer.

The dryer and drying zone can have a folding table if you have the space and extra laundry baskets at hand.

Shelves at easy to reach level can be used for products you use daily and closed cupboards for storage.

Add good lighting and ventilation.

Create space and order

The easiest way to make space is to have less in this room and create a good laundry routine that works for you. Often this room doubles as storage or clothing piles up in unmanageable amounts.

Get rid of any clutter such as cleaning products and supplies that you are never used, too old or any junk that has been dumped in this room.

Group similar items together so you can find what you need easily.

Use separate laundry bins/hampers for whites, colors and wet clothes. This seems to make getting the laundry done a lot less time consuming and easier

If you have small supplies store them in boxes or bins

Use your wall space to hang up brooms, dusters and any other cleaning supplies. Keep the floor clear.

Useful Laundry Organizers

Laundry Organizers are great for making your laundry room more efficient. They help keep clothes and products off the floor, keep surfaces clear and make zones even in the smallest laundry room.

Large bins to separate whites, colors will eliminate the need to spend time sorting

Putting small products in containers stops them creates a cleaner more organized look and makes products easier to locate.

Get a drying rack that can be put on a wall to hang those items that cannot go into the dryer

Use wall hanging units for your laundry board and cleaning products

Table or space for folding

Laundry Baskets for carrying clean clothes to rooms.

Good Laundry Habits

Laundry needs to be sorted, washed, dried, folded and sometimes ironed and if you have a family my most important laundry tip is you may find one of these needs to be done daily.

One way to organize laundry is to separate colors, whites, and wets in your laundry room with clearly marked hampers. People become color blind when it comes to laundry so clearly label them or use different colored bins.

Make it every one’s responsibility to get their clothes to the laundry room.

If you do a wash, get it dried and put away the same day if possible. So this may mean putting the wet wash in the dryer or line, emptying the line of dry clothes and folding and putting back where they belong.

Fold and put away every day even if it’s in front of the TV

Put a wash on first thing in the morning so it just has to be dried and put away after work or put a wash in overnight and dry and put away in the morning. Get into a routine.