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Considering I didn’t even know how to do my own laundry when I went to college and my husband had to teach me everything he knew about laundry when we got married, it is sometimes hilarious to me that I talk so much about laundry in my job and have so much advice on the subject. I promise I don’t bring it up at dinner parties, not even when I hear friends’ complaining about it, but when I am asked for advice, I’m ready. Laundry is such an important system to have running well because one thing is true for all of us … laundry happens. And then happens again. And again and again, for the rest of forever.

And maybe it is the ever-presence of laundry that makes it feel so monstrous to some. Laundry is the most common complaint I hear from frustrated homemakers. So I’m here today to tell you once and for all how to kill the laundry monster! Kill the beast! (Channelling the vibe of the townspeople in Beauty and the Beast raising their torches! Kill the beast!)

I’ve shared so many laundry tips through the years and I’ve even shared my own laundry schedule before, but today I want to put it all together. I’m going to start at the beginning and guide you step by step through how to make laundry easy. I’m compiling my best tips in one place!

Create A Laundry Schedule

No more being surprised by an empty underwear drawer. A laundry schedule makes what load goes next predictable. Not having to think through what’s most urgent and just completing loads at an even tempo makes laundry less overwhelming. A schedule also usually means smaller loads, which became faster to deal with because you’re not building up excessively large loads. If you’re only washing and cleaning the towels you use in a week instead of using every towel in your house before you clean towels, the extra-large load feels like an obstacle while the normal size load feels achievable.

This is how laundry becomes a steady thing instead of the endless vicious cycle of running out of clothes or towels and then washing a load so large that it’s daunting to put away. A mountain of anything would feel daunting, but a mountain of laundry feels extra daunting. A load of towels that I can fold in 10 minutes while I talk to my kids or watch tv? That sounds much better!

How To Create A Laundry Schedule

1. Group your laundry by categories, very specific categories. Common categories include adult clothes, children’s clothes, towels, bedding, kitchen cloths, and cleaning laundry. I break my groups down even further to towels from my bathroom and towels from my kids bathroom. Separating towels into different groups is going to be based on what towels you want to wash and put away together – totally your preference. Managing smaller and more specific piles makes laundry feel so much easier and more achievable. Even though I wash my delicates separate from my normal clothes, I still count it as one category for my schedule, but different loads on the day. On my laundry day, I know “Mary’s Laundry” on my list means two loads. Make a list of all your different laundry categories.
2. Figure out a laundry schedule that works for you. Take your list of categories and spread it out over a week. There are different ways to accomplish this. I personally like washing bedding on Saturdays while my husband is available to help me make the bed. I like each person in my family to have their own day. I’ve had phases where I spread different towel loads out throughout the week and phases where I have a towel day. You decide what works for you!

Sample Laundry Schedule 1 (extra simple, 2 people)

• Monday – Towels (bath/ cleaning/ kitchen cloths)
• Tuesday – Clothes (kid or adult)
• Wednesday – NONE
• Thursday – Towels (bath/ cleaning/ kitchen cloths)
• Friday – Clothes (kid or adult)
• Saturday – Bedding (rotate beds)

Sample Laundry Schedule 2 (6 people, 2 parents + 4 kids)

To do laundry for a family of 6, it was best to each have our own day, especially when me and my teen girls like to hang a lot of our clothes to dry and the laundry room drying rack is limited. Most days I also needed to wash a load of towels too, but just one, which was completely do-able. Once teens, my kids are responsible for doing their laundry on their laundry day.

• Monday – Clothes (Kid #1)
• Monday – Towels (kitchen cloths)
• Tuesday – Clothes (Kid #2)
• Tuesday – Towels (kids bathrooms)
• Wednesday – Clothes (Kid #3)
• Wednesday – Towels (cleaning cloths)
• Thursday – Clothes (Kid #4)
• Thursday – Towels (kitchen cloths again)
• Friday – Clothes (mine)
• Friday – Towels (parents’ bathroom)
• Saturday – Clothes (my husband’s)
• Saturday – Bedding (rotate kids/ parents)

Sample Laundry Schedule 3 – (3 people, 2 parents + 1 kid)

We use this laundry schedule when my 3 oldest are at college. Right now they’re home for the summer, so we’ve adapted, but we’ll resume this in the fall. I’m kind of enjoying a towel laundry day in this season. It feels good to tweak the schedule whenever it feels stale.

• Monday – Towels (kitchen cloths)
• Tuesday – Towels (parents’ bathroom)
• Tuesday – Towels (other bathrooms)
• Tuesday – Towels (cleaning cloths)
• Wednesday – NONE
• Thursday – Clothes (mine)
• Thursday – Towel (kitchen cloths again)
• Friday – Clothes (my husband’s)
• Saturday – Bedding (rotate kids/ parents)
• Saturday – Clothes (Kid #1)

Want to print a pretty copy of your Laundry & Cleaning Schedule? You can download this *editable* version here!

Tips For Keeping Laundry Simple

Set A Timer

When I start a load of laundry, I’ll often set a timer on my phone for an estimate time to move the laundry over. This simple practice keeps me from having to re-wash clothes that sit too long in the washer and start smelling! This was an important tip to my kids as they went off to college and started using laundromats in their apartment complexes. Clothes left behind too long at a laundromat might be on the floor when you finally remember. It’s good to start having kids practice sooner than later!

Use Only One Laundry Basket

Only let yourself have 1 single laundry basket. Having just 1 laundry basket helps inspire you to put away every load of clean clothes before the next load comes out of the dryer. Maintaining a Laundry Routine is impossible without follow-through, which includes actually putting away the clean laundry! 

Keep To The Schedule (even when you want to quit)

When you have your first off day, you’ll be attempted to give up. Change is hard, but it’s worth it to keep going. Remember why you started. That laundry is going to have to get done eventually – why not do it in a less stressful way? Don’t let the laundry monster take up residence in your laundry mountain again. Give yourself a few weeks to work out the kinks in your schedule and make tweaks where needed. Expect yourself to do it imperfectly, especially at first, but have faith that following the schedule imperfectly is still way better than the alternative.  With time, you’ll be amazed at how you’ll start to rely on your schedule and the freedom it gives you. It is 100% possible to live without laundry drama. Laundry is not something that I ever dread because I’ve simplified it into little chunks that don’t feel impossible! Keep going – it’s worth it!

All Laundry Should Be Put Away At The End Of The Day

End each day with all clean laundry put away if possible. Give yourself the gift of a clean slate with laundry every day. Set the goal and try. It might not be feasible all the time, but most of the time is good enough.

Extra Laundry Tips

Kid Clothes Laundry

I wrote about my kid’s laundry system during my first year of blogging and it continues to be one of the most popular posts on my blog. I get consistent feedback that this system alone is killing the laundry monster for so many of you! Instead of giving away the details here, I’m going to let you read the original description. I used this method for YEARS until my kids have grown and taken over their own laundry (that they do on their laundry day). I cannot endorse this method strongly enough!!! Read about The Easiest Way to Do Kid’s Laundry …

Tips for Adult Laundry

I use hanging laundry bags in my closet – one for normal clothes and one for whites/delicates. When it’s my laundry day, I can just grab a bag and take it to the wash – no sorting required. These small simple things save so much time in the long run! My husband has separate hanging bags on his side of the closet and the system works for him too. Remember – smaller loads make for much easier laundry!! It’s not “efficient” to put all your clothes in one enormous load! It might feel like it, but I think it’s the least efficient use of your time and energy.

Kitchen Laundry

During the week I put dirty kitchen rags (dish cloths and dish towels) in a bucket out of the way. I wash the bucket of rags on the sanitize cycle twice a week, before they have a chance to get yucky. I go through several rags a day because I grab a fresh one all the time. And I mean all the time, several times a day. I think I was traumatized by how many rancid smelling kitchen cloths I’ve come across in my life. Is the thing that smells like death supposed to be making your counters and dishes clean??? Yuck!! 

Avoid Mold/Mildew In Your Upright Washer

I use a washing machine hook to keep my washing machine door slightly ajar when it’s not in use. It’s a simple magnet and pulls easily in and out of place. The airflow stops the growth of mold and mildew, but keeps the door out of the way. I highly recommend using one, especially if your laundry room is a high traffic area!

Shop My Cleaning Must Haves On Amazon (find the hook, color catchers, & more)

Use Laundry Detergent That’s Safe!

The reason I started using Shaklee cleaning products years ago was actually because of my kids’ sensitive skin and eczema. My daughters’ skin improved almost immediately when I switched to the detergent and the clothes felt cleaner too. It’s been over 15 years and I’m not ever going back. I sent some for my girls to use at college. When my oldest ran out of detergent during her sophomore year, she bought some detergent for sensitive skin at the grocery store. When she came home for Christmas break, she told me that she thought her clothes were stained but just doing her laundry at home did the trick! Like I said… 15 years and never want to switch. Safe enough for a newborn, but powerful enough for tough laundry.

Shop Shaklee Laundry Detergent & Other Cleaners (like the Nature bright laundry add-in)

[picture of my laundry shelf]

Color Catchers

I probably use too many color catchers, even when I don’t need to because I just feel better knowing my colors are protected. Sometimes I find myself adding one to a load of whites and I’ll stop myself. 😂 Color Catchers are made to absorb the excess dye floating around in the water. They’re not strong enough to mix brand new dark wash jeans and a white shirt – I’d still wash dark items like that several times with color catchers and like colors. But it’s not often I run into that combo, so a majority of the time my color catchers keep my clothes looking bright.

Shop My Cleaning Must Haves On Amazon (find the hook, color catchers, & more)

Kill the Laundry Monster once and for all!!!!!

Once you have a schedule, you get to put laundry on autopilot! I promise there are people who live without laundry drama. It doesn’t have to be your normal. Join us!

Goodness, I always enjoy a good discussion of laundry. I may have a sickness.

From my home to yours,
Mary

Originally published February 10, 2015.