Since I'm spending most of the day today doing LAUNDRY as I pack my 16 year old up to go on a youth retreat with our church this weekend, and since the last few days have been deep, heavy topics, I thought it would nice to talk about something light hearted and very practical for walking in victory in daily living! Laundry, laundry, laundry!! :) Laundry is one of those things that is never going away. Whether you have little ones, kids in high school or it’s just you and your husband, this task is here to stay. That makes this chore the perfect candidate for an intervention. With a family of 6, I can tell you that this seemingly uncomplicated part of daily life in homemaking and raising a family seems to be a never-ending, losing battle that sure does defeat me! How about you?! I am definitely a huge supporter of the camp that this area of homemaking is a full time position in and of itself (and may I add that the pay very literally "stinks")! :) I don't know that I will walk in victory over the battle of laundry friends, until I'm doing it for a few less kids that I'm trusting will one day be grown and battling their OWN laundry, but I have learned a few valuable lessons and tools to help me in this area and I'll share them with you.
Over the 20+ years that I have been doing laundry, I've tried many strategies & tecniques, relied upon the advice of friends who seem to have it all together, and yes, I have even gone to workshops & lifeshops in efforts to receive the "continuing education" and training necessary for growth and mastery in my career as the keeper of my home! Some have recommended having one specific laundry day, which for my family didn't not seem to give us victory. However, at a recent lifeshop affiliated with a women's ministry at our previous church, I learned a laundry strategy that for all intense purposes has given me a slight advantage over a task that was otherwise getting the best of me!
Let's journey together to transform a dreaded chore into a thoughtless process. First things first, don’t wait until the pile erupts into a mountain. Attack it while it’s still just a pile. The following is a list of basic laundry tips I have learned and applied (most of the time):
One location for dirty laundry – lots of moms think it’s best to put a laundry hamper or basket in each child’s room, however, if you are the one collecting the laundry and washing it, now you have to go to several locations to pick it up and deliver it to the laundry room. This is added work and 1 step worth eliminating. Create one central location for dirty clothes. The bottom of a linen closet with a basket in, if you have one, in the laundry room itself in a hamper or basket are convenient and concealed areas. After baths or dressing, have each child take their dirty clothes to the basket in that designated area. This alone will save you a lot of travel time and additionally is a wonderful chore training opportunity. Children of any age once they can walk, should be able to carry a few items of clothing and place them in a basket.
Sorting – unless your kids are old enough to know the difference between lights & darks, you are probably going to be the one sorting the laundry. I certainly have even my youngest child along at my side however, watching and helping me as I sort. What better way for them to learn not only laundry sorting, but since we are also a homeschooling family, I love any chore that can become a multi-tasker and use laundry sorting as a math or colors lesson! Another idea: Why sort? A three or four section laundry sorter can give you a huge advantage, (WalMart has a nice 4 section sorter for about $35).
One load per day – now that your dirty laundry is conveniently located ideally in a laundry sorter or at least in a basket/hamper in one designated location, your job is much easier. As I mentioned in the beginning, I have tried having specific days on the schedule designated as laundry day, however the strategy that has worked best for me personally is to tackle one load each day. Typically, each morning, I rise before my children do. This alone gives me an advantage! Just having that 1 hour each day to accomplish things or just have quiet alone time before they wake is refreshing and helps me feel accomplished before I begin my day. I of course get my morning cup of java first! Priorities are priorities and this is a huge treat for me each morning, something to look forward to which makes it a little easier to get out of bed! :) I select one load each day. So if you have the laundry sorter mentioned above, then select the bin that is the fullest and wash it. If you do not yet have the laundry sorter, that's fine too. Just select the load that is most in need of washing that day. So this process for me would look like this:
(1) Start the dryer that usually has the clothes in from the day before to fluff them up. (2) While that load is fluffing in the dryer, I throw the load I have selected for that day into the washer. (3) Then I go back to the dryer and take those clothes out and either hang each item on a hanger (dress shirts, dress pants, things that need to hang), right away so they don't wrinkle which will save me more time and in essence help me walk in victory over ironing! :) The items that don't hang on a hanger, that will otherwise be folded (eventually), I lay flat in a pile on top of the dryer. That way I don't have to fold right then and they don't remain in a pile or stuffed in a basket wrinkled. This allows me to keep this morning routine of getting the laundry started quick so that I still have ample time before the kids wake to have a morning devotion, blog, enjoy my coffee, get a shower, do another chore, etc. As time allows during the day, throw the load from the washer into the dryer and grab the pile from the morning off the dryer and fold. For me, I often do that when the homeschooling one's are independently working on seatwork or when the younger one's are playing contently or napping. Whatever works best for YOU!! :)
Baskets – ideally, have a laundry basket for each member of the family. If not, in our house each family member typically has a step (on our stairway upstairs to the bedrooms). After folding the laundry, place each in its respective basket or on each family member's designated step. As they walk upstairs to their bedrooms, they know to grab their laundry off of their step or grab their basket and take to their room with them. This makes putting it all away a breeze. Even young children can carry their own laundry to their rooms. You may need to help them put it away, but having them involved in the process instills ownership and responsibility. You are also training and equipping them for the future when they have their own families to care for.
If you complete this process from start to finish before doing another load each day, you will never have a mountain of clean, unfolded laundry to dig through or a mountain of dirty laundry to wash. Once you get in the automatic habit of doing one quick load each morning and not starting another load until you have the first one folded and in baskets, you have already begun the process of Walking In Victory Over Laundry, Laundry, Laundry!! :) The bonus? Eventually, you may even get ahead of it, not have enough to start a full load and have a laundry vacation day!! :)
Over the 20+ years that I have been doing laundry, I've tried many strategies & tecniques, relied upon the advice of friends who seem to have it all together, and yes, I have even gone to workshops & lifeshops in efforts to receive the "continuing education" and training necessary for growth and mastery in my career as the keeper of my home! Some have recommended having one specific laundry day, which for my family didn't not seem to give us victory. However, at a recent lifeshop affiliated with a women's ministry at our previous church, I learned a laundry strategy that for all intense purposes has given me a slight advantage over a task that was otherwise getting the best of me!
Let's journey together to transform a dreaded chore into a thoughtless process. First things first, don’t wait until the pile erupts into a mountain. Attack it while it’s still just a pile. The following is a list of basic laundry tips I have learned and applied (most of the time):
One location for dirty laundry – lots of moms think it’s best to put a laundry hamper or basket in each child’s room, however, if you are the one collecting the laundry and washing it, now you have to go to several locations to pick it up and deliver it to the laundry room. This is added work and 1 step worth eliminating. Create one central location for dirty clothes. The bottom of a linen closet with a basket in, if you have one, in the laundry room itself in a hamper or basket are convenient and concealed areas. After baths or dressing, have each child take their dirty clothes to the basket in that designated area. This alone will save you a lot of travel time and additionally is a wonderful chore training opportunity. Children of any age once they can walk, should be able to carry a few items of clothing and place them in a basket.
Sorting – unless your kids are old enough to know the difference between lights & darks, you are probably going to be the one sorting the laundry. I certainly have even my youngest child along at my side however, watching and helping me as I sort. What better way for them to learn not only laundry sorting, but since we are also a homeschooling family, I love any chore that can become a multi-tasker and use laundry sorting as a math or colors lesson! Another idea: Why sort? A three or four section laundry sorter can give you a huge advantage, (WalMart has a nice 4 section sorter for about $35).
One load per day – now that your dirty laundry is conveniently located ideally in a laundry sorter or at least in a basket/hamper in one designated location, your job is much easier. As I mentioned in the beginning, I have tried having specific days on the schedule designated as laundry day, however the strategy that has worked best for me personally is to tackle one load each day. Typically, each morning, I rise before my children do. This alone gives me an advantage! Just having that 1 hour each day to accomplish things or just have quiet alone time before they wake is refreshing and helps me feel accomplished before I begin my day. I of course get my morning cup of java first! Priorities are priorities and this is a huge treat for me each morning, something to look forward to which makes it a little easier to get out of bed! :) I select one load each day. So if you have the laundry sorter mentioned above, then select the bin that is the fullest and wash it. If you do not yet have the laundry sorter, that's fine too. Just select the load that is most in need of washing that day. So this process for me would look like this:
(1) Start the dryer that usually has the clothes in from the day before to fluff them up. (2) While that load is fluffing in the dryer, I throw the load I have selected for that day into the washer. (3) Then I go back to the dryer and take those clothes out and either hang each item on a hanger (dress shirts, dress pants, things that need to hang), right away so they don't wrinkle which will save me more time and in essence help me walk in victory over ironing! :) The items that don't hang on a hanger, that will otherwise be folded (eventually), I lay flat in a pile on top of the dryer. That way I don't have to fold right then and they don't remain in a pile or stuffed in a basket wrinkled. This allows me to keep this morning routine of getting the laundry started quick so that I still have ample time before the kids wake to have a morning devotion, blog, enjoy my coffee, get a shower, do another chore, etc. As time allows during the day, throw the load from the washer into the dryer and grab the pile from the morning off the dryer and fold. For me, I often do that when the homeschooling one's are independently working on seatwork or when the younger one's are playing contently or napping. Whatever works best for YOU!! :)
Baskets – ideally, have a laundry basket for each member of the family. If not, in our house each family member typically has a step (on our stairway upstairs to the bedrooms). After folding the laundry, place each in its respective basket or on each family member's designated step. As they walk upstairs to their bedrooms, they know to grab their laundry off of their step or grab their basket and take to their room with them. This makes putting it all away a breeze. Even young children can carry their own laundry to their rooms. You may need to help them put it away, but having them involved in the process instills ownership and responsibility. You are also training and equipping them for the future when they have their own families to care for.
If you complete this process from start to finish before doing another load each day, you will never have a mountain of clean, unfolded laundry to dig through or a mountain of dirty laundry to wash. Once you get in the automatic habit of doing one quick load each morning and not starting another load until you have the first one folded and in baskets, you have already begun the process of Walking In Victory Over Laundry, Laundry, Laundry!! :) The bonus? Eventually, you may even get ahead of it, not have enough to start a full load and have a laundry vacation day!! :)
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