20 Ways to Stay on Top of the Laundry

It’s not always easy keeping up with housework, especially with kids around. When it comes to the laundry, you may end up getting overwhelmed by the sheer repetitive nature of having to sort, wash and fold clothing ALL the time. So here are some tips to make life easier:

1. Put dirty clothes straight in the laundry. Having baskets in bedrooms is likely to lead to more mess, so make sure all dirty clothes go straight to the laundry.
2. Get the big items done first. That pile of washing (or folding) may look huge but getting all the big items like sheets and towels done will help shrink it faster and make the rest look easier to do.
3. Sort straight away. As soon as clothes go into the laundry, sort them into appropriate piles. This is even easier if you have separate baskets for each person or type of item.
4. Turn them inside out before washing. Save work at the start so you don’t need to do as much turning and fixing at the end of the process.
5. Start early. Put a load of washing on in the morning before you leave for work, and dry/fold it that evening.
6. Wash your clothes less often. Not every pair of jeans needs to be washed straight after use. Teach your kids about wearing clothes for longer instead of changing multiple times each day.
7. Spot clean. Spot cleaning your clothes if you stain them, using a damp cloth, means less changes.
8. Hang them out in order. Have a big family? Hang each person’s washing on a different section of the line so it’s easier to keep track of.
9. If you’re not going to fold it, lay flat. Instead of throwing it in the basket, lay each item flat on top of the next, so that when you start folding, your clothes are flattened, not wrinkled.
10. Use hangers. Putting clothing straight on hangers when you take it off the line is a good way to stop it getting messed up and you can put it straight into the closet.
11. Do something else at the same time. Watch TV or dance to some music (bonus points for exercise) while sorting or folding clothes.
12. Ask the kids to help. It’s a great way for kids to learn responsibility – ask them to put away their own clothes. You can offer pocket money for completion.
13. Hang a line on the wall for lonely socks. Don’t have a pair? Peg socks without a partner to a line on the wall so you can easily see them when you find a match.
14. Hand wash in the shower. Have delicates to wash? Hand wash in the shower and hang them out immediately.
15. Create a routine “laundry day”. Do 2-3 loads that day.
16. Use a time delay. If your machine has a time delay option, use it – set it up to turn on before you wake, so by the time you are up and dressed it is done and can be hung out.
17. Fill the machine. Do a little, more often – Instead of throwing clothes into a basket, put them straight into the machine. As soon as it’s full, turn it on. When it’s finished, complete the cycle – dry, fold/hang and put away.
18. Make it a game. Hold a competition to see which child can sort the clothes the fastest.
19. Add a right now basket. Are there uniforms that need washing straight away? Designate a basket for washing that needs to be done sooner rather than later.
20. Do a clean out. Keep forgetting to throw out those undies with holes? Every 3 months, do a clean out and chuck all the clothes you don’t need.