Thanks for being understanding yesterday. I was nervous to post my Master Bedroom Saga Finale, but so far (as of 1:51 9:36 p.m. Central Time on Tuesday), all comments have been encouraging.
When I “finished” last Thursday, I was still ignoring the Pile O’ Blankets just inside the door.
Even though I couldn’t walk a straight path from the door to the bed.
Slobs are pretty adept at creative walking patterns.
Anyway, Thursday afternoon and evening, I began psyching myself up to spend Friday at the laundromat. Several of you had suggested it, and it was a great idea for getting all my big ol’ blankets done in one fell swoop. I even had plans of editing the video while I was there, using my handy-dandy new earbuds so I wouldn’t disturb my fellow launderers.
Really, I had convinced myself that I was going to get dressed Friday morning and go find a laundromat.
Then Friday morning happened.
And I just wasn’t feeling it. The thought of getting dressed (even in laundromat-suitable clothing) put me in a bad mood.
Okay, fine. I mostly didn’t want to put on a certain . . . ahem . . . foundational garment that early in the morning. There you go. Now you know TMI about my work-at-home habits.
It’s not that I’m anti-laundromat. I made some of my best teenage memories at one. For real. When I worked at a summer camp out in the boonies, they’d take us into town to do our laundry on Saturdays. You were only supposed to go every other week at the most, but I somehow managed to wiggle my way into that van every single week. I LOVED hanging out with my friends for those two or three hours.
This was the only picture I could find that had washers/dryers in it, and it’s of the BOYS on camp staff.
I was 17, which pretty much explains that.
But Friday morning, as I talked myself out of (and back into and then back out of) going, I thought . . . “Ummm, while I’m arguing with myself over this, I guess I could run at least one load of blankets here at home.”
And then, once I actually unearthed the pile, I realized it was only five blankets. And one was technically a throw for the couch.
The pile just seemed big and daunting because there were also several sets of sheets. In fact, this probably explains why I couldn’t find ANY of the sheets for our pull-out couch the last time we needed them.
Mmm-hmmm.
ANYway . . . once I realized there were only TWO loads of blankets, I was determined to knock out those two loads on Friday.
My whole motivation was my desire to justify my decision to not go to the laundromat.
And I did it. Two extra loads of laundry, and I was caught up. After months of stepping over/around that huge pile of “blankets.”
Two loads.
Two easy loads, done in one day (if you don’t count the extra day of blankets spread out all over the furniture while they finished drying completely.)
Yep, this was one of those why-exactly-didn’t-I-do-this-months-ago?? tasks.
I added the sheets to Monday’s Laundry Day (which I’m still working on today/Tuesday). For some reason I love doing loads of sheets. They dry so fast, and even though they’re not easy to fold, you can fold a whole load so quickly since a “whole load” is only about seven or eight items.
I know. I just said I love doing loads of sheets after admitting that there had been multiple sets piled on my bedroom floor for who-knows-how-long.
I don’t understand it either.
Do you go to a laundromat regularly? Do you go to wash blankets? How long are you usually there?
This made me literally laugh out loud. I’m glad I’m not the only one who avoids the foundational garment, especially in humid, summertime heat. But on the plus side,at least you realized you didn’t need to go out before taking the time, and energy, of putting on said garment. 😉
PS When my family goes to the beach, my mom and I go to the Laundromat on the morning of our last day. We wash out all the sand and don’t have to worry about tracking it back home. Biggest plus is that all our clothes are clean. No more worry about half dried towels or mildew!
I go a)if the washer breaks down, b)to wash huge blankets, c) in hot weather because they have a/c and we don’t, or d)all of the above + I want that zen-like feeling of clean scents, huge clutter-free tables, and white noise.
PS How could you not LOVE the laundromat? ?? 😉
Unfortunately we frequent the laundrymat on a weekly basis. We are a family of 5 in an apartment with no washing machine. So if we want clean clothing we need to make one day laundry day and take everything there.
I used to go to the laundry mat, and it was the hi-light of my week (sadly). We lived in an apartment and had no choice, but I LOVED getting a weeks worth of laundry (one was a messy, potty training toddler so there were TONS of clothes) done in 2 hours. Nobody but me went at 7:00 on a Monday night so I had all the washers and dryers to myself. I’d load them all up and away I went. The best part was I’d take my daughter and we would have so much fun playing tag and reading and singing … oh, yeah, and splitting a snack. 🙂
my question would be, do you need those blankets if you went x amnt of months without them…? If it is cause the one season ended and the need ended..keep, and what did you do when you couldnt find the sheets when you needed them.
i have a blanket and sheet issue..i keep TONS of them…hubby washes the bedding and literaly does from strip to back on in a day on all beds….i INSIST on extra sets due to sicknesses..so our new limit is 2 sets per bed, PLUS a flannel or fleece set. ONE comforter and 2 blanets…if someone gets ill on the comforter we can still extra blankets from others, or the blankets we keep for couches (which are a whole nother issue..sigh)
also we now keep all bedding in that rooms closet so that i can no londer deal with the disaster of a laundry closet PLUS all sheets are kept in the pillow case, even if i think it looks hideous…at least they are all toghether.
see you aren’t the only one with issues…
and bravo on having your room one hour clean-up-able. mine isn’t there AGAIN…sigh..it’s really the catch all and that has to end…more decluttering on the list..
I do not go to the laundry mat. I cram my comforter into my machines and make it work!
Isn’t it funny how we avoid something because it seems like such a mammoth task but then it turns out to be no big deal? I hate when I do that.
Patty, I totally agree with you.
I’ve been thinking, for about a year, of starting a blog about — wait for it — procrastination. I’m world class in this event, obviously.
Elaine
I used the laundromat when my washer broke and I needed to save up for couple months for a new one.
I sorted all the clothes out at home, and put each load in a pillow case. I loaded up several washers at once, and sometimes one or two of the bigger machines that wash three loads at once and only cost 50¢ more. It takes 30 minutes for most of the washers to run.
The first time I went I found out it cost more to dry clothes than wash them and took longer too. My dryer still worked so after the first time I didn’t bother trying to dry anything. I put all the clothes in laundry baskets and carted it home to dry. It was all done by the end of the day, just like any regular laundry day.
I was in and out of the laundromat with 6 or 7 loads of laundry in under 45 minutes if I could get all the machines I wanted right off, and I almost always could. The later you go, the more likely you’ll have to wait to put in some of your loads.
I go when our washer is out or when something has happened and I have an insane amount of laundry……you know the feeling just to much to do. I scoped out the laundry mats in my area, when I was out doing other things . I found the cleanest one (some of them I would be afraid to wash my clothes! Then asked when their least busiest time was, (sometimes you have to call so write down the name. So if I have to go I know when its not busy. I can usually take up as many washers and dryers as I need. Usually only there for long enough to wash and dry as its all done at the same time. Sometimes I will fold everything there, sometimes do it when I get home depending on how busy it is. Also, when you are checking to find one see whats around, sometimes a nice little restraunt etc. Grab lunch or a cup of tea, take a book and relax. When I was in college the laundry mat was attached to a bar with a pool table, didnt mind to much doing laundry:) and sometimes I would even study.
I have found that if I pull the blanket out, unroll the ball it made of itself in the dryer, roll it up the other way and put it back in for half of a cycle, it dries all the way without needing to shroud the furniture. 🙂 And, yes – I’m also curious as to whether the season had changed, or if you really need those blankets that lived on the floor for so long. I’m assuming you made do with a larger set for the sofa bed when you couldn’t find the sheets for it – been there, done that! I started storing the sheets for the sofa bed IN the sofa, which worked well – until the amount of crumbs in the couch made me shudder at the thought of using them!
You know what I’m doing today, even before I saw this post? Tackling the pile of random sheets and blankets in the hasn’t-been-used-in-9-months baby bassinet, after finishing a major master bedroom clean out about a month ago (which was, for the record, a hell of a task). I’m glad you post this stuff! It helps me remember those long-ignored corners of my house.
Do I go? NO.
Do I go to wash blankets? NO.
Do I throw my blankets over my furniture to dry? NO. (that was a freebie)
But I DO use a folding wooden drying rack now…right next to my wood burning stove (in the winter time and when it’s raining I hang them on a line in the MUD ROOM. Other wise they hang outside to dry.
Now, your just wondering if I even OWN A WASHER? AND!!! if I live in the woods FAR,FAR AWAY from CIVILIZATION– hee-hee-hee! Pat
I made sure to get a w/d set large enough to do comforters. My parents owned 2!! laundromats when I was a kid/early teen. I spent WAY too much time there not for the sole purpose of washing clothes. That said, I went to the ‘mat when I was waiting for the replacement dryer motor (which I installed myself!) and when I waiting for the replacement washer timer (the same! Yay, me!).
i don’t have a machine. i live in a building. i have to go to the laundromat. i like watching tnt on the flatscreen tv. sometimes when everyone is going nuts i escape by saying i have to do laundry. my husband would rather watch the kids than deal with the laundromat
I can fit any of my blankets/comforters in my own washing machine, so I don’t go to the laundromat. Went a few years back when my ex-MIL’s washer was broken for months on end because she was looking for the perfectly priced replacement. Used to go every two weeks when I first moved out and didn’t have laundry facilities in my apartment.
Procrastinating can be one of my biggest motivators, doing stuff I usually wouldn’t want to do just so I can avoid doing the thing I’m supposed to be. Weird how that works.
I go to the laundromat to wash my Ruggables (awesome!!!!) & some big stuff like blankets/washable quilts if I’ve got a stack. I’m that reader on septic system who has to be careful not overloading it.