Easy Laundry
Update July 2023: Looking back at old posts is always fun. I wrote this in the fall of 2020, and this system continues to serve my family, and I hope it encourages you!
Is your laundry system working?
In most areas of life, a good system relieves overwhelm.
I came across the Fly Lady many years ago and appreciate the practice of daily contributions to keeping my home in order. This doesn’t mean everything is perfect all at once, but it means I have peace of mind knowing my home is being consistently maintained throughout the week.
With eight people living under one roof laundry could be a big deal—but it isn’t!
I spend about 10-15 minutes a day contributing to the system, including the kids' help. That’s it!
I value the sense of peace that comes from an orderly environment, but I know unwavering peace is only found by resting in Jesus—no matter the waves or laundry piles.
We are on a fighting theme this month, starting very practically by fighting laundry piles.
Here we go!
Daily
There was a short season of our marriage when I only did laundry once a week—six kids ago (they are currently ages 2-10).
Now I spend about 10-15 minutes contributing to this system six days a week.
We are in a season where our kids do most of the household chores (cue singing angels), but I’ve kept a few areas in our laundry system for myself.
As the second oldest of six children, I could stay up late if I folded laundry. I'd imagine myself in a factory—sorting and building piles of folded clothes on the window seat. I still enjoy this calming chore in small bites.
2. The System
Here's the routine that's worked since we crossed the line from average to large family:
Monday:
A child collects the laundry.
I wash 1-2 loads.
At noon I transfer clothes to the dryer, hang certain items to dry, and start a second load if needed.
Once clothes are dry, I quickly fold them into piles by the person and store them in the pull-out baskets (see picture at the end).
Folding and hanging happen in about 10 minutes.
Tuesday:
I fold clothing from the drying racks and put everything away. The older kids put away their piles.
This takes about 10 minutes when we all do our part—I like to listen to a podcast as I do this along with my other morning chores.
Wednesday:
Wash, dry, and put away bed sheets and towels (alternating levels each week).
Thursday:
Same as Monday.
Friday:
Same as Tuesday.
Saturday:
If needed, I process one extra load or wash special items—like curtains or outdoor clothing.
Select and iron our church clothes (I often do this Fridays if I have time as I'm putting clothes away).
Sunday: Rest!
That's it!
It takes just a few minutes and a good podcast throughout the week to keep laundry humming along for the eight of us.
3. Hacks
Sorting
If I have newer whites or a larger amount of light clothing, I will set these aside and put the heavy/denim items in another pile. Still, usually, I'll throw everything together—especially if the collection that day is only enough for a load. Towels and sheets are all washed on Wednesdays when I don’t wash clothing.
Re-wear
Encourage kids to re-wear ‘clean’ clothing. This saves SO much laundry! Since we homeschool, this feels appropriate, unlike some settings. If we are camping, we also save laundry by re-wearing.
Full loads
If someone wets the bed or pukes, I take the opportunity to wash all the bedding or linens in that space and check the laundry baskets so that I am always running a full load.
Stains
I spot-treat stains before the wash and especially watch for these on newer items.
Our renovated laundry room!
Laundry room before renovations
4. The space
My husband renovated our entire home before we moved in. As seen in the two pictures above, we didn’t change the general layout of the laundry space, but I did walk through my system and strategically add or change a few things to make it really functional.
A large or new laundry room is unnecessary for your laundry system to feel easy—but adding a few features may be helpful!
Here are some ideas: (as seen in the renovated photo)
Tall laundry basket: for dirty laundry (bottom left in picture). This would only overflow after camping, and then I leave the dirty laundry in bags and run loads non-stop until we are caught up.
Pull-out drying racks: I hang dry a lot of our clothing, and these racks are wonderful! The kids also hang wet snow pants on the rack over the sink between play sessions.
Pull-out baskets: for storing folded laundry until it is time to put clothes away.
Small ironing board: stored beside the dryer and used on the bamboo counter. We store a large ironing board in the basement for larger things like curtains or tablecloths.
Hanging rod and wood hangers: this extra hanging space is great for drying items like sweaters and dress shirts and helps keep their shape.
Under-sink storage: for larger cleaning products, a garbage bin and a recycle bin.
Upper cupboards: to store cleaning supplies and cloths. I use a step stool to access these.
You can compare the laundry room ‘before and after’ in the pictures above.
Our renovation company Delize Inc gives free quotes if you live in Edmonton and want to update your laundry space (shameless plug).
Life has enough ‘hard,’ so I hope fighting laundry feels ‘easy’ for you.
I would love to hear what is (or isn’t) working in your laundry system.
Share in the comments below or on social media!
