There are a few things we can always count on in life beyond death and taxes…like laundry. Today we’ll tackle that continuously growing stack of dirty clothes. We have found a routine that works for our large family and takes the hassle out of moving clothes from dirty, to clean, to drawers.

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The Day Laundry Changed Forever at Our House

“Time for a laundry folding party!” I hollered through the house. Eventually the kids gathered. “Everyone needs to fold one basket today,” I said. “Fold and be sure to sort into piles for each family member.”

I gave each child a laundry bin of clean clothes. The reactions varied from giggles to exasperation as the kids looked around and noticed that all of the baskets had different amounts of clothes in them. Amid the protests from those with fuller baskets, I simply repeated my instructions.

The kids began folding and sorting. Wait. Slowly, one by one, each realized that there was no sorting going on. The clothes in each basket were already sorted for each child. After all the “This is not fair!” talk, the Little with the fullest basket kept tight lips. The message was clear.

More clothes into the dirty laundry pile means more work coming out.

This day changed laundry at our house forever.

Now, every child folds their own clothes each week and the benefits have been amazing. Keep reading to see why this is so awesome.

It is important to find routines that work for your family. These may change over time and as your family dynamic evolves. However, routines are always beneficial. Experiment until you find what works for you. This post has all kinds of helpful information about routines in general, specific tips for different household tasks, and implementing cleaning routines so they work in your family. For now, here’s the laundry routine that is working for our family.

The 5 Tip Laundry Routine

1.  Clean Stains as You Go

Throughout the week, I spray, spot, or scrub stains as quickly as I can. (Here is my favorite stain remover.) In the laundry room, we hang the treated clothes, wet rags, or anything else that might mildew. We use the edge of our deep sink for hanging, but this type of foldable laundry rack is also a huge help in the laundry room.

Most stains are easiest to treat fresh. Trying my best to clean stains as we go cuts down on a lot of time spent scrubbing, rewashing, or alternately having stained clothes. If I don’t have time to completely clean a stain, even spraying and leaving is helpful compared to letting the stain set.

2. Complete Laundry Once a Week

On Thursday, I make the morning announcement, “Laundry to the basement.” The kids each take their dirty laundry from the bedroom to the laundry room.

I sort everything (white, casual/delicate, and normal), as I put the first load in the washing machine. We average three or four loads per week. Throughout the day, I rotate the clothes through the washer and dryer, leaving the clean clothes in baskets outside of the laundry room. That way if I am interrupted or have to finish the next day, people know that the bins in the laundry room are dirty and outside are clean. This only takes me a few minutes several times throughout the day that I squeeze in between errands or other activities.

Benefits of Weekly Loads

While some suggest doing a daily load, I have found I much prefer the weekly wash for three reasons.

First, our weekly routine keeps our piles manageable. We can only wear so much in a typical week. Large loads are more intimidating, especially when it comes to folding and putting away, and often lead to procrastination. Another tip for simplifying laundry in general is to limit the amount of clothes we have. It’s a bit of a foolproof timer. If we start running out of socks or underwear, I have put off the wash too long.

Second, the weekly routine makes it is easier to locate needed clothes. I have been there when a child asks, “Where is my purple shirt?!” A frantic search ensues through bedrooms, dirty clothes bins, and piles of clean clothes in the laundry room. We eliminate this scenario by having all the clothes go through the wash cycle at the same time.

Third, and the biggest deal for me, by the end of the day, I have the mental satisfaction that all the laundry (besides the clothes on our backs) is done for a week. This is a great morale booster. I don’t feel like I am doing laundry all the time or that it constantly needs to be on my mind. It’s a great big checkmark on that to-do list!

3. Involve the Kids in Meaningful Ways

After washing all the laundry, I sort the clothes while folding my own. We have one basket for each child. As I explained, the kids are responsible for folding and putting away their own laundry. This needs to be completed before they can play on Saturdays.

One of my core beliefs is that work is a necessary and beneficial part of life. Therefore, beyond the awesome reasons I mention below, I generally strive to teach my children from a young age that they are capable, contributing members of our family. Each family member is expected to participate in keeping our home clean and running smoothly. For specifics on teaching your kids to be good workers, read The Five E’s of Teaching Kids to Work.

When we share the work, it is really manageable and hassle free for each of us.

4. Hold Kids Accountable for their Own Dirty Laundry

As I narrated earlier, our kids now fold and put away all of their own laundry. We have tried sharing all the loads, having one person be in charge for the week, or having mom fold and kids put away. I love where we’ve ended up.

Five Reasons this System is Awesome

• No more arguing.

  • This is the most important advantage for me since changing our routine. Yes, I appreciate a clean home, but more importantly, I appreciate a peaceful home.
  • The kids used to notice that some made more work than others when it came to dirty clothes. We share a lot of the load (bad pun intended;) ) when it comes to cleaning the house. (I can’t worry about who flicked what on the bathroom mirror after all.) However, laundry is an easy one to make things feel extremely fair and cut one battle out completely. I no longer hear complaints about who made the biggest mess or who does the most work.

• Automatically lessens the work.

  • As soon as kids realized they were going to have to fold and put away their own clothes, clean clothes stopped finding their way into the wash. We eliminated that try it on, toss it on the floor, then eventually pick it up and call it dirty routine. At least for most of us. For those who insist on washing more, they are doing the extra work and nobody else minds.
  • Also, honest revelation here: beyond socks and underwear which always have daily changes, if it doesn’t look dirty or smell dirty, we don’t call it dirty. This does mean we inspect the boys before they leave the house as sometimes they skimp toward the less work over clean side of the spectrum. However, the amount of laundry is totally worth the occasional, “Sorry, that shirt is actually dirty. Go change.”

• More flexibility.

  • While I wash once a week, sometimes the kids are ready to fold at different times. This allows each to fold and put away clothes on a little bit more flexible schedule. Although it does need to be finished before playing on Saturday.

• Teaches Accountability.

  • What a simple way to show kids that we are each responsible for our own actions. If I put more clothes into the wash, then I have more clothes to fold and put away coming out of the wash. It may seem a small thing, but the lesson carries over to bigger areas of life.

• Fewer mismatched socks.

  • The nemesis for all matching sock people! Folding your own laundry at our house includes looking through the mismatched sock box for pairs. While it’s not enough motivation for all the kids, knowing that they need to find their own matches has led several children to fold socks together when they take socks off.

5. The Most Important Laundry Tip

For several months, we were without access to a washing machine. I found myself washing clothes by hand for five. The clothes always came out a bit musty still; I must not have been very good at it. I have such respect for my grandmother and all those who lived in the age before automatic agitation.

However, let me tell you the blessing those months have become for my life now. Every time I put my clothes in the washing machine, pour in some soap, push a few buttons, and walk away, I smile a big, broad, authentic smile. “Look at me,” I tell myself. “I’m getting the laundry done.” I pat myself on the back and move through my day with gratitude.

Laundry may feel intimidating, especially as we put it off and the pile looms larger and larger. Add several kids into the equation and the task can become truly daunting.

However, anyone can take care of a few articles of clothing. It doesn’t take that long, and it’s really not that hard. Therefore, the most important tip is while you complete your weekly laundry, do so with a grateful heart that you’re not doing it by hand. 🙂

Of course, there will be weeks where laundry doesn’t happen, or the loads multiply as sick children whip through clothes and bedding. When these times come, consider singing the Laundry Theme Song to help you power through. However, setting a weekly routine for yourself that involves the kids will truly take the day to day hassle out of laundry. I hope this leaves you more time and energy for the things that matter most.

What laundry tips and routines work for your family? Share in the comments.

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