Episode 22: Creating a Laundry Routine That Basically Runs Itself
Today I am talking about something super controversial. Which is something I never really do. This is a topic that people have some really strong opinions on, and I’m almost 100% positive that I am going to ruffle some feathers here. But here goes nothing.
Let’s talk about The Laundry.
Dun. Dun. Dun.
Okay, all jokes aside.. People really do have strong opinions on this! Just head Google, Pinterest, Facebook, Youtube….and you will find opinions on this!
When I typed in laundry routine- google gave me 79 MILLION results! I found a facebook post with over 350 comments laced with people’s laundry opinions. And Pinterest offers up pages and pages of laundry hacks to solve all your problems.
So it’s safe to say that the laundry is a pretty hot topic and ones that moms think about A LOT!
But here’s my beef with that. We are SO MUCH MORE THAN LAUNDRY! We are women with so much more to offer to the world than neatly folded laundry. Yet, this takes up so much of our time and our mental power that we could be using on things that are so much more important.
A few years ago I was SICK and tired of the laundry battle. And I was for sure on the losing side of this battle. I hated so much when I opened the lid to put in a load, only to find that I had forgotten about the load i did three days ago- which now was all mildewy and gross- so I had to re-wash it, put the new load on hold, cross my fingers that I didn’t forget about this one and cause the laundry pile to keep getting backed up.
Then there was the folding, or the not folding. The clean clothes sitting in a basket for days, getting smooshed and wrinkled, which then led to either needing to iron (who does that?), steam, or hang it up and just hope for the best.
I hated when we needed something specific, like a dress shirt, or a sports uniform and had to dig through piles to find it, it caused chaos, and it sucked. I freaking hated laundry.
So I did what any tired, overwhelmed mom would do, I went to Pinterest and I started a new board that I titled Clean Up. And I got to work pinning all the best laundry routines that Pinterest had to offer. But I didn’t stop there. I decided I was REALLY going to fix things and overhaul my whole house cleaning routines. I pinned and pinned and pinned.
And then I got super turned off. I DID NOT love the idea of my life being run and decided by what CHORE I was supposed to be doing that day. Monday- vacuum, Tuesday - bathrooms, Wednesday laundry, Thursday- Dust…...
…..BLEH.
I mean, how was i supposed to look forward to living my life when it was run by cleaning.
It seemed like I was stuck in the middle of two extremes. Either the laundry completely overwhelming me and dealing with endless piles- or dying a slow, painful death by living my life according to a cleaning routine.
In case you are new around here- here’s a few things you need to know about me.
1. I’m not TYPE A. I don’t love lists, and doing things in “order”.
2. I’m super routine resistant. The word routine or system used to make me cringe and it sounded like it took at the fun out of life.
3. I ABSOLUTELY despise EXTREMES…. So I knew there had to be another way. And I am pleased to say- there is, I found it, i’ve implemented it- and honestly I really don’t think about laundry too much anymore!
Halle-freaking-lujah
So ready to hear what I do: drumroll please……..
I do laundry every single day.
I know when you hear that you think: “ Hold the phone! I thought you didn’t want laundry running your life- and now you do it everyday.- what gives!”
Okay, I’ll break it all down for you, but first- I’m gonna tell you why I love it and then I’ll break down what it looks like, how I make it work, and how I’ve taken all the brain power out of the laundry and basically automated it.
Why I Love this Laundry System:
No more searching for “lost items”
No more rewashing loads from sitting in the washer
I don’t have to think about it
Laundry goes QUICK, QUICK QUICK
No overwhelming piles
You actually wear your clothes! Nothing is sitting in piles for days and days on end.
How my simplified laundry routine works:
Laundry gets thrown down the chute at night
8:00 AM. The anchor is breakfast. When I’m cleaning up breakfast, before we head out to school, that’s when the laundry gets thrown in. I have to pass the laundry room to get from the kitchen to the garage to leave. So it flows for me. I make it work with the natural rhythm of my day.
-*For you- think about where your laundry room is- and make an anchor that works for you and your family. If your laundry room is upstairs by all the bedrooms- throw in a load before you even go downstairs.
Next: I use the quick wash- it’s 36 minutes- and when I do that the laundry is basically done by the time I get back from school drop off. Wam Bam, thank you ma’am.
So then the “switch” anchor becomes when I get back, before I head back upstairs, I switch it over. I have to pass the laundry room to get back into my house from the garage, so I just don’t allow myself to pass the room without switching it over.
Then it’s folded and put away before the end of the day. The anchor for that has morphed, but for right now it’s after lunch. I grab the freshly dried clothes, and get everything folded and ready for my kids to put away when they get home from school.
Speaking of: What if you want to get your kids involved and taking ownership and responsibility of their laundry. For us, I do the laundry and their responsibility is just putting their stuff away. But as they grow we will adjust. Just make it work for your family.
You know that I will never say “ THIS IS THE ONLY WAY TO DO SOMETHING!” Take this and pick it apart and find what parts of this you can make work in your home.
I also always say that when starting a new habit that you need to start super small. With this you might find the urge or momentum to throw in another load, don’t do that! Just stick to the one a day, and soon enough it’s running like a well oiled machine. It’s automated and runs just like clockwork.
So if laundry has been a battle for you like it was for me, give this a try. Make it simple, make it automated……and then stop thinking about it! Give it a try and let me know what you think!
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