It's Time For A "Laundry Reset"
- Shiffy ClearSpace
- Jul 19
- 4 min read
Updated: Oct 26
Laundry Day Reimagined
There was a time in my life when taking care of laundry was the bane of my existence. No matter how responsible and consistent I was, the hamper seemed to always be full, and there was another dreadful pile of clean clothes that needed to be folded-even when I swore I just folded and put away 5 loads! Honestly, I just felt like giving up on laundry folding altogether.
So...I'd push all the clean laundry off my bed and onto the floor, telling myself that tomorrow would be the day. Tomorrow came. I picked up all the clean and wrinkled laundry and put it on the bed because if it's on the bed, then you can't get back in the bed without having taken care of it, right? Wrong. The next night, I'd do the same thing.
Sometimes this craziness would go on for multiple nights
I felt like I spent an entire week moving laundry from the floor to the bed to the floor again. My room looked messy 80% of the time, and usually by the time the laundry got folded and put where it needed to go, it was time to do more laundry. And once my little ones were born, the number of loads increased significantly. I'd just stare at the huge piles with my jaw on the floor; how can clothes * this * small take up so much of my hamper???
Laundry was truly the bane of my existence, and I couldn't figure it out. I tried doing one load a day, I tried having a designated laundry day, I tried just doing a load for each person in the family on a different day to cut back on sorting....I tried every trick I heard about from friends or books, or social media, but none of the systems worked for me.
Does anyone out there loathe laundry as much as I do? Have any of you spent days moving laundry from the floor to the couch to the floor? Or left baskets of clean laundry sitting somewhere in your house until your family is digging through the baskets to find underwear and socks for days on end?
How to Make Doing Laundry More Manageable
I searched for a while on how to make my least favorite chore more manageable. And finally, just when you'd think nothing could get resolved here, I found this system has saved my sanity!
When sorting out the clean laundry, each of my family members has a designated clean laundry basket where the clean clothes go. Everyone knows that they are expected to put their things away and return the basket to the laundry room. No more weeks of laundry piling up on my bed and then the floor...and then my bed....and then the floor before finally sorting and putting away. I love finding systems that work!
And the added perk? If it doesn't get done the first day it's out of the dryer, it's not even that noticeable. I mean, yes, there is clearly a basket with clean clothes hanging out, but it's not this huge pile looming over our heads and taking up real estate.
So, how should you implement this system?
Laundry Tip 1
Get enough laundry baskets for each family member. You can get laundry baskets that stack so they don't take up much room, or the collapsible kind, so that they fold thin and can be placed empty against the wall, on a shelf, or in a cabinet behind closed doors. Feel free to purchase an extra one for guests.
Laundry Tip 2
Find a guilty pleasure. Is there a podcast you've been dying to listen to? A show that your husband is not interested in watching with you? Or do you just want to catch up on a series you're behind? You can watch anything on an iPad, computer, or even a phone if you don't have a TV.
Laundry Tip 3
Line up the baskets and sort them in the laundry room. Use the top of the dryer as your folding table if you don't have one. For me, when my laundry was in a basket and moved to a new location, the desire to fold disappeared. I had already washed the clothes, dried them, and put them in a basket... wasn't that enough?
Folding and sorting the clothes in the laundry room right out of the dryer and then putting them in clean laundry baskets has been a game-changer. Hanging the clothes that easily wrinkle as soon as they come out of the dryer is a great way to save time on ironing or steaming.
Some systems take years of tweaking, but it is so important that you find what works for you. When you do, it feels like a weight is lifted from your shoulders, and life can be lived with a little more intention. Do you already have a system that works for you? Share with the rest of us in the comments below. I'd love to hear from you! Let me know if you try this system and if it works for you!
Looking for organizing product recommendations?
Check below for products that can help you get started!
And if you're looking for a truly unique gift, why not give the gift of stress-free organizing? It’s a thoughtful and timeless gesture anyone would appreciate!
Unlock Your Organizational Toolbox
Streamline Your Space, Simplify Your Schedule,
and Stay Organized Year-Round with Our Helpful Resources
Shiffy is the founder of ClearSpace by Shiffy LLC, a Professional Home Organizing Business in South Florida, servicing Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach Counties. She loves creating systems out of chaos and is known for her attention to detail, and ensuring that each project is customized and streamlined to fit the customer's lifestyle. Her projects are easy to maintain long term, bringing function to any space. She shares her tips and tricks on Instagram @clearspacebyshiffy
Comments