Fluff and Fold -- As a Family

Did you know that the majority of homeowners (9 out of 10) spend more time in their laundry rooms, than in their dining rooms? And yet, doing the laundry is one of the most dreaded household tasks. Find me someone who loves to sort, wash, and fold, and I will find you someone who clearly needs to get out more.

That being said, doing the laundry can be much easier and take up much less time with just a few easy steps. Try some of the tips below and see just how much less stressful getting the whites clean and removing the grass stains can be.

There are three things to focus on to make getting the wash done simpler and easier:

1. Chaos is better when shared
2. Invest in the right set up
3. Make laundry a game

Chaos Is Better When Shared

According to our research at Buttoned Up, over three-quarters of women say they are solely responsible for organizing their families. Doing the laundry is no exception. One of the barriers to delegating and getting help from others in the family is letting go of control. While this may not be easy at first, it is worth it and with a little practice, you can free up some time for yourself.

One of my favorite tricks is to have in each person’s room (or bathroom) three laundry hampers. One is for whites, one is for darks, and the other is for dry cleaning. While this may seem like a lot of hampers, by doing this, you have just delegated the first step to the laundry, sorting.

Remember that the “carrot” is another great way to get help from others in the family when it comes to laundry. I have a chore chart, and when anyone (including my husband) chips in to wash, dry, or fold, they get a point. When they get 3 points they can turn them in for extra TV time, and 30-minutes-later bedtime. These are easy and encourage laundry to be a family affair.

Invest in The Right Setup

Remember that I said you spend more time in the laundry room than in the dining room? You need to invest the time (and a little money) to make sure this area works for you and not the other way around.

Shelving is an absolute must when it comes to organizing the laundry room. Having a place to keep everything you need (e.g. detergent, stain treater, and dryer sheets) saves you time and energy. You want your tools within reach when you need them. If you have the space, think about installing a long countertop space which can be used for pre-treating and folding.

There are a few other things that should be musts for laundry room:

• Trash Can: for lint, dry cleaning bags, etc….
• Lost/Found Box: put everything from pockets (e.g. coins, papers, business cards) and pants in this area and let people claim their items.
• Cord Bulletin Board: Post laundry instructions or notes here so they are in front of you when you need them.

Make Laundry a Game

One game that is a huge hit in the Rockmore household is called Commercial Fold. Once a week when we are all together watching TV, we take the time during commercial breaks to fold our laundry. You would be amazed at how much we can get done in just a few two minutes and two seconds breaks. In the course of an hour of Dancing With the Stars, your laundry for the week can be folded and ready to be put away.

Another game we play is when we try to see who can put their clothes away the quickest. We set a stop watch and who ever gets done the quickest gets to pick the TV show we watch that night. Hint: The kids pick up quickly that if they have fewer dirty clothes during the week, they will have few clothes to put away and thus a real advantage to winning this one.

So these are just a few things that you can do right now to make doing the laundry easier and save you time in the process. I would love to hear what tricks and shortcuts you use to make this chore (and I do mean chore) bearable. I can always use more help!

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