Is there any cure for the laundry blues? I hear it from moms all over. It’s the same old story. Everyone has a problem with keeping up with the laundry. If the dirty laundry is not overflowing, then the clean laundry is piled up in baskets, waiting to be folded. Well, sing those blue no more, mama. With some easy tips you could be seeing the light at the end of the hamper.
Check out my favorite tips here…
Only wash it when it’s dirty. It may sound a little too commonsensical, but I’m always surprised at the amount of laundry that most moms do on a daily basis. Here’s a clue: if you don’t have a family of professional mud wrestlers, then you probably have no need to do daily doses of laundry. Towels can be used up to a week to dry off after a bath. Blue jeans can be worn several days before they need washing. And pajamas can be worn more than one night. If it’s not dirty, don’t wash it!
Get the kids to help out. You didn’t dirty up the clothes, so there’s no need for you to do all the laundry. Kids of all ages can help out. Little ones can help sort the laundry into darks and lights. They can also help sort socks. As they get older, they should be learning how to fold simple clothes and put them away in their drawers. Just make it easy on them. All drawer fronts should be labeled (pictures for pre-readers, sight words as they get older). When they hit the double digits, they should be learning how to operate the washer and dryer. Sure, sure, it’s a lot easier to just do it yourself. But that’s not your job as a mother. We should be equipping our kids with life skills—and laundry is definitely a skill to learn!
Keep it simple, mama. If the words, “dry clean only” have not become synonymous with “avoid at all cost,” then you probably have some simplifying to do. Keep wardrobes (especially for the kids) as low maintenance as possible. Go for easy wash and wear items that don’t require ironing. And when it comes to socks, there’s no need for kids to have every color in the rainbow. That’s just more to keep up with. Go for the bargain bags of plain white socks that are easy to sort and match.
Fold it now. The reason that the laundry piles up so much is that we don’t fold it as soon as it comes out of the dryer. Most moms grossly overestimate how much time it takes to fold a load of laundry. Next time you fold, why not set a timer to see how long it actually takes you? I bet you could keep it under ten minutes! When you fold it, why not pair that activity up with something you enjoy like listening to music or maybe some motivational podcasts?
Make it a routine. Just like brushing your teeth or getting dressed, make laundry part of your daily or weekly routine. Don’t put it off. When you develop good habits, they will come back to bless you. Laundry doesn’t need to be a sob story. Instead, face it as another way of showing gratitude for how richly you and your family are blessed.
-Hannah
Hannah Keeley was once in overwhelmed mom living in a cluttered house, deep in debt, out of shape, and barely hanging on. But one day, after finding herself sobbing uncontrollably into a pile of clean laundry, she realized God has bigger and better plans for her (just like He does for each one of His children). Beginning that day, she began making changes in her life that took her from overwhelmed to overjoyed. Today, she’s helping moms do the same. Hannah, her husband, Blair, and their seven children live in Richmond, Virginia, and are having the time of their lives!
Check out Hannah’s Website Here!
