thedifferentmomblogThis 3 day weekend had me thinking of something I wanted to share with you all. I know how much everyone dreads laundry. I have people tell me all the time, how their laundry is piles high. Or how they have clean clothes stacked up on their dinning room table or couch. No judging from me! Nope! Not here, because I’ve been there. So let me offer a few tips to help make laundry day a little easier. I know it has made my life easier.
I’m a single mother who works full time, has a son that plays basketball, a daughter who plays sports, and is in honor choir, and both are active in our church youth programs. I’m also a mompreneur, I own my own business, a blogger, and course instructor. Oh and I volunteer at my church. So trust what I say!
Does this image look familiar? If it does, that’s probably why you’re reading this article. You’re tired of it looking like this. And that’s why I’m here to help. We can do this together. I’m going to walk you through it all. You got this! You’re a boss!
**I do share affiliate links to products I love and use. If you make a purchase from some of the links, I will receive a commission. We do appreciate you for your support**
Take it from this single mama of three! I’ve been a single mama for over 15 years, I had to do something to keep from being overwhelmed or wanting to pull my hair out.
Here we go!
The number one thing that has helped me with the ever present chore of laundry is…
Have set or designated laundry days
And stick to those days. It makes for less of a pile, less of a hassle, and in turn, less stress. Below are my days to do one or two loads of laundry on that set day, and it’s done. That’s it. No letting it sit in the dryer or baskets for days, cutting down on the days it will take to fold, iron, and put away the laundry.
If your children are old enough, teach them how to separate clothes (i.e. brights, darks, or whites). It helps a ton. I have mine separate theirs. Put them in the laundry room on the “assigned” day and that’s it.
When they are finished drying them. I fold them, or I ask them to help me. When it’s time to put them away, they put their own laundry away.
We organize our closets so they learned early where to put their clothes once they are folded.
Yep! I color coordinate my clothes, and have designated spots for everything. No, it’s not crazy, it’s streamlining and organization. It helps keep stress down. You want help managing your time and day, right? Well trust me on this.
My Set Laundry Days
- Monday: Brights
- Tuesday: Darks
- Wednesday: Whites (unless we’re running behind for church. Yes, people this happens and IT’S OK! Don’t let anyone convince you that you are terrible, or unorganized if you don’t get your laundry done, not even yourself! Speak life over yourself, and just know you can and will succeed)
- Thursday: Off day unless we don’t do whites on Wednesday
- Friday: Off day
- Saturday: linens and towels. This day seems to be the most because of bed sheets and towels are big LOL. See my thoughts below on what can make them seem a little more enjoyable to wash
- Sunday: Jeans
You can assign whatever days work best for you. But seriously, trust me it cuts down on doing 3+ loads of laundry every day, and then waiting to put them away. Or letting them pile up. The next thing you know, you’re overwhelmed by the piles that have accumulated…clean and/or dirty.
Routine is key to a lot of things in our lives, and I firmly believe a laundry routine helps. We don’t have a new high capacity front loader washer. It’s not necessary in my opinion. Remember, I’m only doing at most 2 loads a day, so it’s not necessary in my house. Do your load or 2 and call the laundry day done. But, I do know some people use it for the comforters they wash, so I do understand that.
Time management is key to laundry day
One of my secrets in my time management method is to streamline your tasks/chores. And that is what I have done with my laundry schedule. It’s not OCD or crazy, it has proven to help me and countless others.
If you think you are still struggling, or just don’t know where to begin, I offer a free time management course, and introduce you to my proven time management method. You can check out the course here.
This leads me to a big thief or big sore thumb in laundry day.
Fold your laundry that same day
I know this sounds simple, but it is a task that I used to despise. I could easily put them in the washer and drawer. But that’s where I would stop LOL. I would let them sit in the dryer until it was time for the next load to go into the dryer, and then the previous ones would sit in a basket. I was terrible at this. This is why I did set days.
Where there are at most 2 loads of laundry to wash, dry, and put away. Once you hear the dryer buzz (finish), go grab them, sit in front of the T.V. if you can and fold your clothes. I know this isn’t always possible, but once you get the chance, do it. Don’t put it off.
Set a schedule and stick to it. Create that habit of your routine. The discipline of a schedule helps tremendously.
Putting the clothes away
Once they’re folded, if your children are old enough, have them put their laundry away. Teach your children how to fold. Don’t stress about this part if you don’t have to. That’s just unnecessary added stress. Pre-teens and teenagers are capable of folding laundry with you. Teach them and have them help. Show them ahead of time of course on how you want them to put their clothes away.
Remember what I said about streamlining and color coordinating our clothes? We color coordinate the ones we hang up so they’re easier to find. Our t-shirts have a designated spot. We also have spots for jeans, tights/shorts, and every other article of clothing. It helps a ton! And yet, here we go again…if you’re only doing at most 2 loads that day, it won’t take long at all.
Scentsy! For those difficult laundry days
The above picture is the Scentsy Laundry Bundle. There are a variety of AMAZING scents you can choose from that will make your laundry smell wonderful!!! I especially love the way my sheets and towels smell afterwards. There are over 16 scents available in the laundry liquid (pictured in the back). There’s enough liquid in the bottle to do 50 medium loads of laundry for only $16!!! Start here to build your laundry collection https://jocelyncook.scentsy.us/shop/c/4441/view-all-laundry
The washer whiffs are my absolute favorite products from the laundry collection. These things are a must have. They are the best product out there compared to the others in my opinion. The tubs come in two available sizes, 16 oz and 48 oz. Sprinkle a scoop full of your favorite scent in the bottom of your washer before you add your clothes. You’ll thank me later. My favorite part is how my linens (Saturday laundry) smell. Your towels and sheets will smell like this for about 10 days if not longer. Mine do for sure.
The dryer disks come in a pack of 2 and will last for up to 15 loads. The lasting smell these will give your clothes just makes my heart smile 🙂 These also come in 16 amazing scents as well. A little trick for the dryer disks, when they’re not in use, put them in your tub of washer whiffs for a lasting scent.
All of these Scentsy laundry products make laundry a little more bearable and worth the purchase. Your family will enjoy them, you will get all kinds of compliments, most of all, you will truly appreciate them. I have a teenage male basketball player that lives in this house, those Scentsy laundry products are a MUST HAVE! If you have a teenage boy, you’re gonna want them. Give them a try. If you want a sample, contact me, and I will ship you a sample.
Above all, don’t stress, mama!
Laundry day doesn’t have to be stressful. Get organized. Stick to your routine/schedule the best you can, and learn to streamline your chore.
Just like anyone else, I have days where I don’t feel well. There are times, I’m not in the mood. We all get behind. Don’t let that discourage you.
Taking a few days off doesn’t mean you’re lazy or not a hard worker. It simply means you need a break. I tell people all the time, listen to your body and your mind. If it says slow down, by all means slow down. Once you’re able, you get back on that schedule and start where you left off. Like I said before, don’t let anyone tell you, you’re bad if you don’t get your laundry done according to THEIR schedule.
I want this to help YOU! I know it has been beyond useful and beneficial for this busy single mom.
