Laundry is not going away. Nor will its cycle ever be truly complete. Therefore I have simplified this family of twelve in the best way I know how.
First, we only keep the number of clothes that will fit comfortably on the racks we own. I covered this in my last post called “Stuff”.
Second, we have a family closet. If we did not have a family closet, laundry would be an aerobic activity taking all the clean items to various closets around the house. If it were a one-time event it would be no big deal, but since it is a never-ending process, I have centralized the location.
I purchased a commercial clothes rounder from an antique mall for the girls, so for them, we organize the clothes by color versus size. That way if someone is looking for a pink shirt, it is easy to find. Arranging the rack by color rather than size also makes the putting away more efficient.
I purchased a straight commercial clothes rod for the boys, but I’ve noticed their rod gets less activity than the girls’. The guys don’t’ perform a fashion show in front of the full-length mirror each morning like their pretty siblings. They figure if it fits, it must look great, so their rod is smaller. Smaller rod= fewer clothes to wash, dry, fold and put away…Works for me!
My husband cleared a spot in the garage for our family closet, since the garage is right off the laundry room. The racks are set up close to the outdoor freezers, so I can put away clothes and grab dinner in one trip. I’m ALL about killing two birds with one stone!
This family closet is awesome because it keeps our clothes manageable. When the clothes come out of the drier, they are hung and placed by color on the appropriate rack in no time flat. I’m sure I’ll change the system in the future, but at this stage in our family, this system is as simplified as it can get.
A family closet works great for this crew. What is your system?
Laundry Mom~Terri♥
