LAUNDRY ORGANIZATION: Do you ever have that overwhelming sense that something needs to change? As we address how our homes function, we are likely to encounter areas that aren’t functioning well. This past week I’ve been working through some solutions to the constant nagging problem of laundry. If you can relate, I am here to offer you some laundry organization ideas to help manage the necessary burden of laundry and help tame the laundry beast.
LAUNDRY ORGANIZATION
Laundry has been a constant necessity since the beginning of time. Now, thanks to the invention of modern washers and dryers, we SHOULD be less burdened than ever. However, as a society, we are busier than ever.
I have a family of five, and for us to have clean clothes daily and not become overwhelmed, I have to do one load of laundry daily. Better laundry organization techniques and modern laundry supplies will make this process more streamlined.
Each day I go throughout my home to gather up all of the dirty laundry. We have a shared laundry basket for the kids upstairs, a hamper in our closet, and still dirty clothes are often on bathroom floors, draped over chairs, etc.
You know the drill if you have kids. We reuse towels (which is great for the environment and your budget) so that minimizes the laundry burden if you hang towels after each use. I knew I needed to explore some laundry organization ideas, so I turned to Pinterest.
I read article after article about laundry hacks, laundry room ideas, and laundry room organization. Everyone seems to have a different solution. Some are good, and some are not so good.
I even read how one mom never folds clothes. She says all of her clothes get washed, dried, and thrown into the basket unfolded. She then sorts and puts them away once a week. For her this works, but I have my doubts. I fear I would be ironing clothes constantly if I neglect to fold them before they wrinkle.
Another laundry organization solution I found suggested that the laundry baskets themselves were to blame. She found that switching out her oversized laundry hampers to laundry baskets created the perfect fix for her family. She says that once her basket was full, it created just the right size for one load of laundry. This makes sense to me, as well.
One family even created a huge family closet in their large laundry room, so clean clothes can get put away immediately. I would love to have a space that large, but I’m afraid for most of us, that laundry organization idea isn’t practical. Also, maybe your own laundry room doubles as a basement or garage.
What are some of the laundry mistakes people make?
Laundry mistakes are common, and they can lead to damaged clothing, wasted time and energy, or unsatisfactory results. Here are some common laundry mistakes people make:
- Overloading the washing machine: Overloading the machine can prevent clothes from getting properly cleaned and rinsed. It can also strain the machine and reduce its lifespan.
- Using the wrong water temperature: Using the wrong water temperature can affect the cleanliness of your clothes. Hot water is best for whites and heavily soiled items, while cold water is more energy-efficient and suitable for most colors and delicate fabrics.
- Mixing colors: Washing dark and light colors together can lead to color bleeding and staining. Always separate your laundry into whites, darks, and lights.
- Skipping the garment care labels: Ignoring the care labels on your clothes can result in damage or shrinkage. Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions for washing and drying.
- Using too much detergent: Excess detergent can leave a soapy residue on clothes and contribute to detergent buildup in your machine. Use the recommended amount based on your machine’s capacity and the laundry load.
- Not sorting by fabric type: Different fabrics require different care. Mixing delicate fabrics with rougher ones can cause damage to the delicate items.
- Leaving items in the washer too long: Leaving wet clothes in the washing machine for an extended period can lead to mold and mildew growth, resulting in unpleasant odors and potential damage to the garments.
- Overdrying clothes: Overdrying can cause shrinkage, damage, and excess wear and tear on your clothes. Set your dryer to the appropriate heat level and duration based on the fabric type.
- Not emptying pockets: Forgetting to check and empty pockets can lead to items like tissues, pens, or coins causing damage to both your clothes and the washing machine.
- Neglecting lint filters: Failing to clean the lint filter in your dryer can reduce its efficiency and pose a fire hazard.
- Using fabric softener excessively: Using too much fabric softener can leave a residue on clothing and reduce their absorbency, particularly with towels and sportswear.
- Scrubbing stains too vigorously: Aggressive scrubbing can cause more harm than good, as it can push stains deeper into the fabric. It’s better to blot and treat stains gently.
- Using bleach incorrectly: Improper use of bleach can damage fabrics and discolor clothing. Always dilute bleach according to the instructions and be cautious when using it.
- Not cleaning the washing machine: Over time, washing machines can develop mold and mildew. Periodically clean the drum and run a maintenance cycle to prevent this.
- Ignoring zippers and fasteners: Unzipped zippers or loose fasteners can snag and damage other clothes in the wash.
To avoid these common laundry mistakes, always read care labels, separate your laundry properly, use the right detergents and additives, and follow the manufacturer’s guidelines for your appliances.
Bonus: Need some visual inspiration? Here is an excellent video with some great tips. Loving her basket system to maximize space! If you have the space to do this, it helps to label laundry baskets for each person or room. This way family members can pitch in and find items easily. Check it out below.
My favorite laundry solution is one I am currently using successfully, at least it is going well this first entire week. My laundry organization system looks like this.
1. Wash, dry, fold, and put away one load of laundry a day.
2. Do NOT neglect to put the clean clothes away each day, no matter how tired you are.
3. Do NOT start a new load of laundry unless the dryer is empty and the clean, folded clothes are put away.
That’s it. Sounds simple, right? But here is why it works for me. To throw the clothes in the washer has never been difficult. Putting the wet clothes in the dryer poses no problem either. For me, it has been the folding and putting away that has been the issue that causes overwhelm.
I have been know to just pull clean clothes out of my piles of folded laundry and just put them on. We do not iron clothes before hanging them, either. We iron them the night before we plan to wear them. To make this easy, I keep my iron and ironing board in our closet, where we use it. Not all laundry related tools belong in the laundry room. Ironing boards work best for us stored in the closet with the clothes. I also have a garment steamer I use. You can read more about the fabric steamer I use here.
Also, the home we live in now has one of the smallest laundry rooms I’ve ever seen. Maybe you can relate as you may have a laundry closet rather than a laundry room. If so, laundry space is definitely an issue you’ll have to address.
You may lack the space to hang clothes to dry. If you have to hang something to drip dry, you can do so by hanging the dripping wet garment over the washer with the top lid open to catch the drips. If you have a front loading washer, you may have to hang the garments that need to drip dry in your shower.
Practical storage solutions can make such a difference in making your laundry area look more pleasant and yet still serve a purpose. If you have open shelves, select some containers to hold your cleaning supplies. Don’t overload them with heavy items. You want to have easy access to your daily supplies, so keep those in one place. Look at vertical space too, and try to maximize every area. You may not have a folding station. Just choose a large, flat surface near the laundry area.
How you wash is also something to consider. I usually clean whites and wash towels about once a week. The colorful bath towels are thrown in with the darks and colors. I wash everything on cold except the whites. If your cleaning products are of good quality, everything will still get clean and fresh using cold water. Also, we rarely need to do dry cleaning as we choose fabrics and clothes that can be washed at home.
If I am disciplined to wash, dry, and put away one load of laundry a day, I can manage laundry with ease. If I miss one day, I get overwhelmed. Simply seeing the laundry piling up is overwhelming. Every weekday is laundry day for me, and this laundry organization solution is working for us, now.
Bonus tip: If you share a home with anyone, even young children, make sure you are sharing this responsibility with them. It trains children up to be disciplined and trains little ones to take ownership of their own possessions. Obviously, keep your cleaning supplies out of the reach of small children. As they get older, teach them to be responsible for their own laundry.
I hope you have found this information beneficial. If you enjoy reading this type of material and need some cleaning and decluttering inspiration, be sure to subscribe for blog post updates. I am always looking for better solutions to support a more organized home. You’ll find lots of cleaning hacks and organization tips on my website.
You can get the complete digital printable copy of the Year Long Thorough Declutter Series Calendar and Checklists here. The printable digital download is delivered to your email. It includes 25 pages of printable calendar pages and checklists to help you declutter every room in your home.
2022 update: The year long thorough declutter series is on video now. You can subscribe via youtube through the video shown in this post below.
Struggling with the daily housekeeping chores? Check out my ebook on this topic, entitled Make Over Your Homemaking. Use this link to get it at a discounted price.
Need to deep clean? I have lists for you to guide you along.
My How to Deep Clean Your Kitchen list can be found here.
My How to Deep Clean Your Bathroom list can be found here.
My How to Deep Clean Your Kids’ Rooms list can be found here.
My How to Deep Clean Your Living Room list can be found here.
My How to Deep Clean Your Bedroom list can be found here.
Also, to keep up the general housework, you may need to create a daily housekeeping schedule that suits your specific needs. To do so, I have created a helpful series you can read here.
Need to Declutter Every room? I have declutter checklists for every room and every space in your home to guide you along below.
Also, you can get the complete digital printable copy of the Year Long Thorough Declutter Series Calendar and Checklists here. The printable digital download is delivered to your email. It includes 25 pages of printable calendar pages and checklists to help you declutter every room in your home. You can find that here.
How to Declutter the Guest Room or Your Kid’s Room checklist can be found here.
How to Declutter Your Laundry Room and Patio checklist can be found here.
How to Declutter Your Coat Closet/Hall Closet/Linen Closet checklist can be found here.
How to Declutter Your Home Office checklist can be found here.
How to Declutter Your Attic checklist can be found here.
How to Declutter Your Garage checklist can be found here.
How to Declutter Your Living Room checklist can be found here.
How to Declutter Your Kitchen Checklist can be found here.
How to Declutter Your Entry/Foyer/Mudroom checklist can be found here.
How to Declutter Your Clothing checklist can be found here.
How to Declutter Your Bedroom checklist can be found here.
How to Declutter Your Bathroom checklist can be found here.
Happy Decluttering!
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Need to declutter? Sign up for the Year Long Thorough Declutter Series. You can do so by leaving a comment below. We declutter 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week. You’ll have the weekends free to spend time with your loved ones. We work on one room per month. Currently, at the time of this post, we are working on the living room. You can sign up here.
Happy Organizing!
New to deemiddleton.com and don’t know where to start? I recommend going in this order:
Step 1: Check out this post on the 1st step you should take to get organized. If you don’t have a calendar, you can grab my free weekly printable calendar page here. It is in my shopify store, but it is totally free, so you won’t be prompted to put in any payment information. It is a free download and will be delivered straight to your email.
Also, you can get the complete digital printable copy of the Year Long Thorough Declutter Series Calendar and Checklists here. The printable digital download is delivered to your email. It includes 25 pages of printable calendar pages and checklists to help you declutter every room in your home. You can sign up here.
Step 2: Create a daily Housekeeping Schedule. You can use this series to start to set up your own schedule. You can also use this simplified weekly schedule.If you often ask: What is the fastest way to clean a dirty house? Or, if you struggle to get organized and have tried and failed time and again, you can likely find out which of these 11 reasons cause you to fail to get organized.
Step 3: How do you remove clutter?.…Sign up for the Declutter Series and get your entire home decluttered in just 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week.”Declutter Your Home” checklists are provided in each email.
Step 4: What is the fastest way to clean a dirty house? Use a timer and use the Deep Cleaning Checklists above. They will help you get your home sparkling after you’ve decluttered.
Interested in becoming a full-time blogger like me? Check out my blogging series. At the top of every page on my blog, you’ll find a drop down menu. Just select the BLOGGING category.
Check out the most popular posts on deemiddleton.com:
14 Things That Make Your Home Look Cluttered
How to Create a Daily Housekeeping Schedule
How to Clean House When You Are Completely Overwhelmed By Clutter
What is Preventing You From Getting Organized?
Also, check out a great post on decluttering over here from becomingminimalist.com. Joshua Becker has some great tips on decluttering and minimalism.
For further reading, check out the fly lady here. She has some great cleaning and kitchen decluttering ideas plus excellent organization tips to get you started.
I hope you have benefitted from my post on Laundry Organization. Leave a comment below to subscribe to my daily declutter task email series.
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