My Laundry Woes -- how to reduce the mountain? - Page 2

[CrunchyChristianMama]

I would definitely find a different system for nighttime bedwetting woes. Once a week seems really often to have to wash all the sheets and comforters. Would using (and only having to wash) a pair of cloth trainers be a solution for you there?

I also second the idea of just re-hanging up DD's dresses. If you can't visibily tell they are dirty and they don't stink, then they may as well be clean! Also, I would maybe find a different way to store them so that she can learn to put them away herself after she gets them all out.

[Juvysen]

I don't know if this will help or not, but what worked for us was getting a new washer - our old washer died and we went w/a higher capacity front loader. the loads are *so* much bigger now, i find myself not getting as far behind, even though now we have so much more laundry because of the cloth diapers and the new baby...

Of course, it's not much help if you already have a high capacity washer...

[ParisApril]

Ugh laundry

Occasionally I have to remind my family DH, DD and DS that just because you wear something once does not automatically make that item dirty! I have also recently implemented spot cleaning on some clothes. Like jeans that were just washed but have a tiny spill on them I just quickly spot clean it.

My DS(4) wears Mother-ease bedwetter pants to sleep in. He has been potty trained since he was 16 months old however he almost always pees at night and I will not wash his bedding every single day. We bought 4 pairs I just rinse them and then wash them with our regular laundry.

https://usshop.motherease.com/shopdi...edwetter+Pants

When I bring in the laundry from the line I fold it on my bed and I call in the kids to put their stuff away when I'm done folding.

[kevinsgirl]

I'm learning a lot from this!

My best advice is to do a load (totally to put away stage) every day. It's not nearly as daunting that way, and I don't feel like I'm behind.

Also, I'm a smeller If I find something I don't know if it's clean or dirty, I smell it to decide. I've seen my girls doing this now. (Don't know if that's bad or good)

If there aren't any visible stains/dirt I have the kids put them in the drawers again. If something clean slips into the laundry, I just fold it and put it in the clean basket.

And all of the advice of enlisting the help of your family s up

Can you get Carhartts or some sort of coveralls? My husband (farmer in IA, cold, dirty job in winter) has two pairs and we only wash them every two weeks or so. Maybe you'd have to wash your son's stuff a little more often than that, but it might help to just let his outer layer be dirty?

[Kivgaen]

Originally Posted by Juvysen

Of course, it's not much help if you already have a high capacity washer...

I do have a high capacity washer, but what I don't have is a high capacity dryer and I don't have a clothes line either (but maybe I'll install one when we do our deck this year?).

I have an indoor drying rack that I can squeeze about 2 loads onto, but that's about it. So usually what happens is the dryer is running all weekend (when I remember about it) and I get maybe 3-4 loads done total. Unless I set my watch to remind me every 45 minutes to turn on the dryer, I always lose track of the laundry and stuff is always sitting around either wet in the washer or half wet in the dryer

[Juvysen]

Originally Posted by Kivgaen

I do have a high capacity washer, but what I don't have is a high capacity dryer and I don't have a clothes line either (but maybe I'll install one when we do our deck this year?).

I have an indoor drying rack that I can squeeze about 2 loads onto, but that's about it. So usually what happens is the dryer is running all weekend (when I remember about it) and I get maybe 3-4 loads done total. Unless I set my watch to remind me every 45 minutes to turn on the dryer, I always lose track of the laundry and stuff is always sitting around either wet in the washer or half wet in the dryer

nak
my dryer just died, so I'm in the same place atm... but I guess what helped on the dryer side was that mine had a moisture sensor so it would just go until everything was dry. The fast spin on the new front loader washer made them pretty dry when they came out, too...

[daytripper75]

Some of the things that I do that haven't been mentioned so far are:

I make my dh do his own laundry. He is picky as all get out about his clothing and I never seem to do it right...so he needs to do it.

I have a lamper for every room. It's basically a tall laundry basket. When something is dirty it goes in, when it is full it goes down to be washed. Everything gets put away right away because I need the lamper for the next days dirty clothes.

[berry987]

Oh, yes, laundry...YOU again. It's ongoing here, too. But, I do have a couple of tips that have seemed to make a difference.

First, downsize the amount of clothes everyone has. Especially the kids. I was great at this over the winter and each kid had 4 pairs of jeans, 5 or so long sleeve shirts, a couple of sweaters and 5 pairs of PJs (I have all boys so maybe it's simpler). I had to do laundry more often to keep clothes in their drawers, but I *should* be doing laundry every day, so it just kept me on top of it. And it was impossible for it to get too out of control because there was just not much stuff. Now that spring has hit and I got a new pile of hand me downs and haven't really downsized I notice the laundry piles are much bigger. They are more likely to make costume changes throughout the day when they have many options and I'm more likely to let it pile up because there are still clothes in their drawers.

The other thing I try to do (w/out much success at the moment) is do a load every day. Put it in first thing in the morning, switch it over before heading out for the day, fold in the afternoon. This only works if you are already caught up on laundry.

Oh, and we have a 5 yo bedwetter, too. I put crib pads down on top of his sheet so I, in theory, only have to wash those. But he is a very active sleeper so half the time the crib pads are balled up at his feet and his sheets are covered in pee

[Kivgaen]

Thanks for all the replies, everyone. I know I haven't commented on any one in particular yet, but am absorbing all of the information and slowly processing everything that has been said...

I've started a laundry log (an idea from my personal organizer) and have recorded the current state of things today:

May 7th, 2010:
Load#4 from yesterday, whites, dry, ready to be folded and put away
Load#5 from yesterday, colours, dry, ready to be folded, sorted and put away
Load#6 from yesterday -- still wet in dryer. Turned on for an extra 25 min
Load#1 for today -- colours -- in wash

I started instilling the idea into my kids this morning that clothes can be worn more than once before they need to be washed again. I had my son bring me the clothes that were on the floor of his room. He must have had about 10 items on the floor, half of which were still "clean", so that's one step in the right direction! Half-way through the process, DS was smelling his clothes, and pulled out a few pretty funky ones and said "it's stinky"... I haven't heard him identify a clean item yet so I think I may need to change fabric softeners or detergents so that we can find that obvious and unmistakable "clean" smell. DD started to get into it too, so if I keep it up and get her to smell a funky article and then smell a clean one, I can get her to start to recognize the smell of clean too.

[Kivgaen]

Originally Posted by berry987

Oh, yes, laundry...YOU again.

Hmm... Have I posted about laundry too many times?? It is an ongoing problem for me, which I haven't found all the answers to yet.

[Kivgaen]

I've started a laundry log... (I think I mentioned that before?)...

In the past 12 days, I've recorded 23 loads of laundry that I've done, and there's STILL laundry that's covering the laundry room floor, filling the laundry bins, etc. 8 loads of those 23 have been sheets and bedding, from DS or DD...

I've made a new rule: no food/drink an hour before bedtime.

[busymama77]

For us:

Towels: we use them for one week and then they are tossesd in the hamper. For DS#1, it's two weeks as he doesn't take a bath every night. And DS#2, he uses our towels when he takes a bath, which again, isn't every night.

My clothes: For capris and jeans, I try and wear them once more before tossing them in to the hamper same for button up shirts.

DH's clothes: He does the same thing with his pants and shirts. If it's t-shirts, workout clothes, etc., they go to the hamper to be washed.

DS's clothes: I just purged quite a bit of his stuff and he still has a ton leftover. He gets dirty at preschool, but with the amount of clothes that he currently has, we wash maybe once every week and a half?

Everything else, like bath rugs, door mats, our washcloths in the kitchen (we're a paper towel free house), those are every two weeks or as needed.

It makes a big difference and it's not like I'm washing EVERYDAY - maybe twice a week, tops!

[riaketty]

Originally Posted by HappyMommy2

There are some things that you can't fix (like the bedding and karate outfits). Other things, the family can help make your life easier.

You should ask your DH to hang up towels. Make sure there are lots of hooks in the bathroom. It simply isn't fair to give you loads more work by using a towel only once, plus it isn't great for Mother Earth!

Make sure there are lots of hooks at your level, and at the kids' level, in the kids rooms. This is where we put "can wear again" items. Teach your daughter not to throw clothes on the floor. She can hang them on hooks if she can't work the hangers.

Good luck mama!

We have tons of clothes too .... and I consider decluttering... but it is sure nice to sometimes go a week without doing laundry!!! Tough call!

Brilliant!

[FoxintheSnow]

My kid still wets the bed so I have him wear pullups every night. If they are dry in the morning he reuses them. He didn't want to at first but when I said he'd be handling his wet sheets he changed his mind.