My Laundry System {organize}

I get asked all the time what my laundry system is since I have three boys {{‘cuz you know I have a lot of laundry}}.  I learned early on that if I wanted my men to have clean clothes in their drawers when they needed them, and a mama that was happy {{me}}, I needed to find a system that worked for all of us.  Creating a laundry system that works for your family is actually one of the smartest moves you can make as a care giver.   Make a routine with a reward at the end and laundry won’t even seem like the Herculean task that it can if you let it get out of hand.  Here’s my system, why it works, and my reward!  This post is brought to you by Tide HE & Maytag Powerwash, the intelligent laundry choice  {I’m all about smart choices}.

My Laundry System:

My laundry system has always been to bust my buns to get it all done on Monday.  When my boys were toddlers, I would start my 1st load at 7:00am and stay up folding until 10:00pm.  I’ve always immediately put any any shirts or pants that needed to be hung up on a hanger directly from the dryer on a rod in laundry room.  But, then I’ve always taken the rest of the clothes and piled them up on a couch {or bed} in front of a TV.  Once all of the clothes have been washed and dried,  I sit down and fold them while watching a movie.

How my laundry system has evolved:

Now that my boys are older, I have the same system, with an exception.  My boys get to help {snicker}.  My kids bring dirty clothes into the laundry room on Sunday night.  After I fold the clothes on Monday night while {{watching a movie}}, the boys take their baskets of folded clothes into their rooms and put them away.  They also hang up the clothes I’ve put on the hangers in the laundry room.  I always have to double check their work {‘cuz they’re teenagers} so as I’m putting the linens away I quickly peek into their rooms to make sure everything was actually put away.

Socks:

Having all boys, matching socks every week took up way too much of my time.  So for the past few years, my older 2 boys wear the same socks.  There’s only 1 type of sock for both boys which makes matching quick and easy.  Any lost matches go into the laundry room in a “lost sock” bin.  When the bin fills up, I take the time to match them back up again.

To save time getting everyone into the car, I keep all my boys socks in the laundry room where I also keep all of their shoes. This way dirty shoes don’t make it into the house {yeah right}, we always know where their shoes are so they aren’t lost {whatever}, and when we’re rushing into the car they only have to go to one place instead of running back upstairs to grab their socks in order to put on their shoes.  {this actually does happen in our home. HA!}

The older 2 boys share a sock bin since they wear the same socks and I put my youngest son’s socks inside his shoe bin, for my convenience.

The perks of this system:

This system works for me, because I no longer have to walk up and down the stairs, which saves me energy and time to actually get the laundry finished in one day.  It also takes away a lot of stress for me since the only thing I have to do on Monday’s is to fill and empty the machines.  It’s quick and do-able for my busy Monday’s.

I always treat myself to a fun movie on Monday nights when the kids are in bed while folding the laundry.  I LOVE movies, so it’s something that I look forward to and a reward that makes the work worth it.

The rest of the week is free of laundry stress, knowing that everyone will have enough underpants, the uniforms will be clean and in place when the boys need them, and that we will always have something clean to wear.  This has given me more energy to focus on creating moments that matter for my family.  It makes Monday’s a little intense, but it makes the rest of the week a breeze.

Free Printable Labels:

Since I want you to be able to set up a system that works for you and your family and spend more time creating moments that matter, I’ve got your back with these free printable oval labels. Simply print out as many as you need to organize your laundry room so that your routine is easy-peasy and you can spend more time doing the things you really want to!  {{wink}}

 Print Free File Here:  Download

Brought to you by Tide HE & Maytag Powerwash, the intelligent laundry choice. Designed to work together for optimum stain removal, Tide HE and Maytag Powerwash offer a powerful clean with less detergent in only one wash. Learn how to get more out of your home’s laundry system at HGTV.com.