Laundry Routines

Laundry is one of those never-ending daunting household chores that can quickly pile up and feel overwhelming if not managed properly. Having a structured laundry routine not only keeps your home organized but also ensures that everyone in your family has clean clothes, fresh linens, and helps have a stress-free environment. An article from Molly Maids published in 2022 says on average, households do about 5–7 loads of laundry per week, totaling roughly 300 loads per year. However, this number varies based on family size and lifestyle. Families with children may do 8–12 loads weekly, while smaller households might only do 3–5 loads. I mean back in the day when more women were domestic engineers doing laundry daily was part of their at home jobs, but combine that today with approximately 78% of women working outside the home, having an established set routine, can ensure laundry never becomes overwhelming, regardless of your household size. I have had a laundry routine for my family of 5 for several years. Although at times it's human nature to get off track by having a system in place we can quickly get back on track. Implementing a laundry system that works for your household will help maintain a sense of order. Let's talk about how to establish a routine and system below. Keep in mind though that when it comes to systems you want what is functional for your family based around your needs and schedules. This is an example of what works for my family of 5 including 2 teenage boys and a routine/system created for a client.

Set a Laundry Schedule

One of the easiest ways to manage laundry efficiently is by assigning specific laundry days. I personally do not want to be doing laundry every day. Which by having a system/routine frees up more time at home for other important tasks or family time. So instead of waiting for clothes to overflow from the hamper, setting a routine ensures a manageable workload and prevents last-minute laundry emergencies, although sometimes those are unavoidable. Consider something similar to the following schedules:

• Monday: Linens and towels (1-2 loads)

• Tuesday: Off

• Wednesday: Clothes (3-5 loads) My boys are definitely separate loads as I have a hard time telling their clothes apart but I can combine my daughter's load with one of my sons and I can also combine mine and my husband's since I just did laundry on Sunday and don't have an overload.

• Thursday: Off

• Friday: Off

• Saturday: Off

• Sunday: Clothes (Same as Weds)

This type of schedule keeps laundry from becoming a daily task that you dread. I should mention I wash, dry and fold the same day. Part of my kids chores are to put away their clean folded laundry but again what works for one family might not work for another for various reasons. See below for another schedule that could be small loads every day if your schedule permits:

• Monday & Thursday: Clothes for adults

• Tuesday: Kids clothes

• Wednesday: Linens and towels

• Friday: Delicates and specialty items

• Saturday: Kids clothes

• Sunday: Off

A few other tips to consider. Do your kids play sports? You must take into consideration their schedules. Depending on how often that sport is played and how many uniforms your child has could also affect your schedule. Also I highly suggest taking advantage of the delayed start feature most washing machines have. Throw in the load in the morning before leaving for work or other obligations and set the delayed start to start an hour before you get home. This way your clothes are freshly washed and ready to get tossed in the dryer. Sometimes keeping track of which clothes belong to whom can be a challenge when you have multiple children of the same gender and age/size. A simple yet effective solution is assigning different brands, patterns, or colors for each child’s undergarments, socks, and even basic clothing items. This allows you to combine loads but then makes sorting laundry easier and prevents mix-ups when putting clothes away.

Create a System That Works for Your Family

A good laundry system starts with organization. Instead of having one communal hamper where everything gets tossed together, consider separate hampers located in each bedroom to streamline the sorting process, to allow for a cleaner bedroom floor and also allows each family member to contribute to the task.

• A hamper for each person – This makes it easier to wash, dry, and and fold clean clothes without unnecessary sorting which takes up more time.

• A separate hamper in the laundry room or centrally located for linens and towels – Washing these separately keeps them fresh and prevents lint from getting onto clothing.

• Have extra baskets for easy transport – Use laundry baskets for clean clothes so that once clothes are folded, they can be easily distributed.

• Make it a habit & get family involved – Set reminders or integrate laundry time into your daily or weekly routine to keep things running smoothly and inform your family of this routine so they are aware. If it's laundry day, hampers should be carried to the laundry room by each child ready to wash!

  
  

  

  I love using vertical space! Here is one idea for a system to help. One centrally located basket for sheets, one for towels and if you have pets one for dirty pet towels and cleaning rags. The floor basket is for clean freshly dried laundry.

Having a well-structured laundry routine takes the chaos out of an essential household task. By implementing a set schedule, creating a system including using designated hampers, organizing clothing by family member, and creating a habit you can turn laundry from a dreaded chore into a simple, manageable part of your routine. Start small, make adjustments as needed, and enjoy the benefits of a cleaner, more organized home!