Laundry, laundry and more laundry! It piles up quickly in our home - with 6 of us, 1 in cloth diapers and a 2 year old daughter that thinks she is a fashion show and likes to change her clothes frequently during the day. And then if she changes her clothes she insists that her underwear have to match the new outfit so there is more laundry!
Typically I wash the kids shirts together and then do a load of pants and shorts. I like dry all their shirts, shorts and pants because I have found that putting them in the dryer shrinks them even the good brands and with 4 kids I need to pass down the hand me downs. I can't afford for the clothes to fit smaller than they are labeled! Plus it's good for the planet!
With their clothes being mixed together I was folding them and putting them in 1 basket and then putting them away in their rooms. I decided to make life easier.
I bought a laundry basket for everyone in our home at The Dollar Store and I took a silver Sharpie and labeled each person's name on their own basket so that for instance after I have folded my 6 year olds clothes he can bring them in his room and but them away himself, same for my 4 year old. Before I had 1 basket with all their clothes combined and then I had to sort after folding them and I was putting their clothes away. Now they have their own baskets and they can put their own clothes away! And for my 2 little ones, everything is separated and easier to put away!
It has made my life easier! All for only a few dollars!
What are your laundry tips for big and small families?
I've found that reducing the amount of clothing we have in general really helps. I'm working on getting everyone (but the baby) down to 2 everyday, 1 "grubby", 1 errand day, and 1-2 Sunday outfits. With less to choose from they are/will be more careful with their clothes and generate less laundry.
ReplyDeleteWith 7 children ages 11 and under I still only have to do 2 loads every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday! Of course I still have the cloth diapers, towels, sheets, rags etc to do....
Good idea! I will keep this idea tucked away for the future.:)
ReplyDeleteDrea
babiesnbargains.blogspot.com
Here's what I'm planning to do at our new home where I'll have the right space for it: No more dressers for the kids. Hang everything, and have a family closet. I'll hang a bar at kid height and have sections for each child's clothing. Underneath each person's section, I'll have a laundry basket for each child. The ones I have stack pretty nicely for moving to the laundry room on wash days.And they have wheels for the kids to move around easily. Above the hanging clothes, I'll have bins for sock and undies.
ReplyDeletePajamas are worn until their are dirty, other clothes are worn and put back away unless dirty. Sheets are stored in each child's room so I can free up the linen closet for other things and can have them at hand when I need to do sheets. Towels are stored in the bathroom. Makes less walking for me. :)
On wash days, I'll ask the kids to bring their baskets, wash, dry and take them to the family closet to hang. That way I have only one stop for all the clothing, no more messy dresser drawers, and more space in their rooms for other things. We have morning and afternoon routines, and part of that is making sure their clothing is tidy and where it's supposed to be. Keeps from getting too messy that way.
I can't wait until my boys do more of their own laundry! I have three in cloth. Sometimes I just ignore the laundry and hope it will go away...
ReplyDeleteI did this a while ago with my kids but I really need to get replacement baskets because ours are getting old. It really works well!
ReplyDeleteBuy all the same socks for each kid. This way, there is no exact matching necessary--any two (for each child) will go together. Note: This does not necessarily reduce the occurrence of an "odd sock."
ReplyDeleteI want to know what it is with little girls who think they need to change their clothes a dozen times a day?! Our daughter does the same thing. She always has the biggest pile of laundry! I am so happy now that it's getting warmer I can start hanging stuff on the line again...it cuts down on our electric bill SO much!! We have 6 in our house too, including a messy 2 year old :)
ReplyDeleteWhat a great way to get your children involved in helping to keep the house clean and to learn to keep their own things neat and tidy. I am sure having them help put their things away really helps you!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea. This would make life so much easier! Thank you for this!!
ReplyDeleteWe only wash large, full loads. Thanks for the tips!
ReplyDeleteGreat tips! I don't have a big family but I really need to implement a system like this in my household.
ReplyDeleteI do not like laundry..it's one of those never ending jobs! yuck! So my biggest tip is to not get behind..:) My kids also have there own basket..it doesn't make laundry go away but keeps the rooms clean LOL:)
ReplyDeleteThis is a great idea! I have a small family. My son has his hamper and we have one for whites and one for colored clothes.
ReplyDeleteI have six kids. I find that a wash or two must be done everyday. If you let it pile up, it will be a hard task to get caught up.
ReplyDeleteWe don't have a big family, but seem to have plenty of laundry! I have a laundry basket in my toddlers room and all her stuff is washed together. For my husband and I, I bought mesh laundry bags at the dollar store for each category. ie warm water - gentle cycle. This way the laundry is already sorted for me when it comes time to wash it.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea!! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeletewow great tip thank you =}
ReplyDeleteSOOO many great tips.
ReplyDeleteWhat do we do? I wash together the clothes that go in the same room and sort into baskets similiar to what you do. I do use collapsable folding baskets so they can be stored when not in use (as if)
We ahve sever allergies so I DO wach pjs after every use and wash bedding often. I had three in cloth diapers at once too--I didnt fold or put away just loaded them all into the washer and then washed while the kid slept and then just took clean ones out and put them on (either out of a basket or the dryer)There is just so much time.
When I had a few small children who went to bedx early. I did all the laundry one day and then folded it all while I watched tv and they slept--NOW I keep the washer going during awake hours and dont let my older boys do their own because I would be heartbroken without my washer. I cant chance them breaking it.
These are good ideas. I will try these in my home.
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