Bringing joy back to laundry!
Some people genuinely find joy in laundry—the sense of renewal, the feel of crisp linens, and the fresh, clean scent that comes with it. Then their are some that regularly rely on the refresh dryer button when they have left their clothes in the dryer a little too long. No shame, we have all been there!
Here are a few ways families, not just adults, have tackled the laundry dilemma. The key, especially with kids, is consistency. This keeps the laundry from piling up and ensures that everyone in the family plays an active role.
One load of laundry a day, start a load on delay in the morning if you are gone and switch to dryer when you get home. Family can help fold and put away after dinner. (Even the youngest of kids can fold, it might not be pretty - but with time it will get better).
Assign laundry days. Give each family member a specific day to do their laundry. Variations includes a family member starting a load in the morning, if a parent works from home they may help by switching to dryer and the family member folds at night.
Create designated days for extra laundry, towels on Tuesday, sheets on Saturday, bath mats on Monday. Put it on your calendar (whiteboard) - keep the schedule in front of the family.
Teenagers (13+) do their own laundry on their own terms….they will quickly figure it out when their favorite sweatshirt is never clean!
Folding! Let’s be honest, the worst part is folding and putting away, right?? Fold as you take out of the dryer, don’t start a new load until the last is folded (and put away), enlist family to help (even the youngest can sort). To infuse a bit more joy - Binge watch a show or podcast, call a friend, listen to your favorite music. Do something to make it more joyful.
Laundry Jail…do family members leave their clothes on the floor (repeatably…how hard is it???). You might want to slowly introduce Laundry Jail. If you find it on the floor, it goes into jail for a pre-determined amount of time. This only works if you are consistent and don’t back down when their favorite t-shirt is in jail!
Need help establishing a routine, let’s chat! 🩷
P.S. - Don’t forget to clean your dryer vent. Not the lint trap! The vent that goes from your dryer to the outside of your home.
