We had a busy, fun weekend. I posted early Saturday morning, but then never sat down to post again. But I did do most of my tasks this weekend. I cleaned and swept the kitchen both days, picked up the main areas on both days, and cleaned the main bathroom, vacuumed and probably a few more things. I didn’t wipe down the bathrooms at night, or fully complete any laundry.
Laundry is making me crazy. I’m definitely not ready to give up on the one-load-a-day-thing, but it’s just not going well. Laundry is a walk-away-and-then-remember-to-come-back task. This is what makes it hard for me. I’d much rather work like crazy on something for an uninterrupted amount of time than work for that same amount of time spread out over several hours. But until they invent a Jetson–esque washer and dryer (and I can afford one) I have to adjust.
So, for my task this week, I’m going to tweak my laundry routine.
I’m going to put a load into the washer as part of my evening routine, and then start the washer immediately when I get up in the morning. It will be done by the time I get home from dropping off the kids, and I can put it in the dryer, and I can get it folded by the time I go to bed that night.
Whew. That sounds complicated, but I’m hoping it won’t be. I just have to remember to start the washing machine as soon as I get up. Maybe I can use a sharpie to write START THE WASHER on my comforter, so I’ll see it when I make the bed. Or maybe I can open my laundry room door, which is right next to my bedroom door so that I’ll walk right into it when I leave my room to go to the kitchen. Except that hubby gets up before me, and if he ran into it . . . he might wake me up.
I’ll keep you posted on how this goes. I’m trying to keep from getting discouraged that laundry has been a such a difficult thing to conquer. It has been better. Even just the fact that I’m trying to do a load a day means that it stays much more under control.
deanna says
I am also a recovering slob. My laundry room is in the basement. The best way I have found to remember to switch loads of laundry and get clothes out of the dryer before they wrinkle is to set a timer. As soon as I get back upstairs, I set the timer for 1 hour. When it goes off, I know it is time for another trip. Hope that helps.
Kristy K. James says
I’ve always hated doing laundry. In fact, if it weren’t for the fact that it has to be hauled from the house to the car, then to the laundromat…and back again…I’d just pack it all up and get it completely done in less than three hours every week. And so that leaves me with my washer and dryer. Maybe one day I’ll get to the point where I do a load a day like you’re doing. Can’t wait until I get to the place where I find out how long it took for it to become a habit for you.
Ti Anderson says
I know that this is an old post but they actually do make washer/dryer combos! Push some buttons and it will go through both the wash and dry cycles 🙂 I definitely want one some day! I think it would be perfect for those of us with slob brains. One less step means one less thing we can forget 🙂
http://www.lg.com/us/washer-dryer-combos/lg-WM3455HW-washer-dryer-combo
Michelle says
I despise doing laundry. My problem is that we live in an apartment that does not have onsite laundry facilities. That means I have to load it in the car, drive across town, unload it, wash, dry, fold, load it back into the car, drive home, unload it. A total pain in the backside. That’s not even mentioning the waste of time since I can’t leave the laundromat while it is washing/drying. And by the time I get home, I’m disgusted and tired and frustrated and so totally not in the mood to put it all away.
I put off doing laundry until we are completely out of clothing. We have been living here for over 10 years and in this length of time we have been buying more and more clothes just to keep me from having to make that horrendous trip to the laundromat. That makes putting the clean clothing away even harder because now there isn’t enough room in the dressers and closet for all the clothing we own. So, I end up with clean laundry sitting in baskets and bags piled in the bottom of the closet. That pile has now spread out to completely block the doorway to the closet. I have a nice-size walk-in closet that I can’t even get close to.
2014 is my year to get a handle on the mess that is my apartment. That means I need to get a handle on the laundry. UGH! Just thinking about it scares me.
Luckily, I found your site. You have given me my first glimmer of hope. To get a handle on the laundry, first I need to declutter our clothing. That means getting rid of stuff until it will all fit in the “containers” I have, the dresser and the closet. Then I need a routine where I do laundry once a week, whether it needs it or not. I’m the master of excuses when it comes to doing laundry. “Oh, there isn’t enough to make it worth it to load it and drive to the laundromat” too quickly turns into “Oh no, there is so much it just seems so overwhelming and I can’t face doing it.”
Following your journey from the beginning has given me ideas on how to tackle my laundry problem. Thank you for writing this blog. It has been a Godsend for me.
Mercedes says
can u get a portable washer and dryer? I have a set bc of the hardship of going to the laundry room/Laundromat with 3 little children. they are expensive new but affordable used on craigslist. it has been a huge deal to us to have them, even if I can just do half as much bc they’re smaller than regular sized w/d. I don’t even know if we’re allowed to have them but without it it would be way too tough.
Leila says
Just found your site yesterday & I’ve been reading ever since – love it! Yep, I’m totally procrastinating! I need a routine for a working mom. I like the method you used to find yours, so I’ll follow & hopefully come up with something. I have no problems with the quick tidy but I never seem to get around to decluttering or doing the time-consuming stuff & the dust bunnies under the furniture are getting out of hand!
I haven’t read it all yet but had to comment on laundry. Back when the kids were small, I used to do laundry every morning. Before work. I think I was crazy but it did keep it under control, sort of. I leave much earlier now & don’t do this any more so I need a new routine. Back then I always had a load in the dryer & one in the washer. I would start the dryer for 20 mins as soon as I got up, go have my coffee, go back & get the warm dryer load folded, throw the washer load in the dryer, and start a new washer load. I didn’t mind leaving that load wet for 24 hours until the next day, I never found it smelly. Probably all the bleach. Plus, if it did get a little funky, I’m always quite happy to rewash – another way to procrastinate! I also ironed whatever I needed for work that day. I know, crazy. Now I only iron in a clear emergency – weddings & funerals, usually. I stopped buying clothes that need ironing, that helped a lot. I also use the oven timer as a reminder for just about everything. I might ignore it but I can’t say later that I forgot about it! I like the idea of having a lot less to wash, that should cut back on the big ugly pile in the basement. I just need to be more ruthless about getting rid of stuff. I toss anything that’s ripped as soon as I see it, having learned that I’m not likely to fix it, and I keep a bin beside the washer for anything that can go to charity. It does get used, thankfully, and if the bags ride around in my truck for a month waiting to be dropped off, oh well, I get there eventually! Now I’m off to stick a load in the washer & continue reading…
Laura says
I’ve been a fan for a long time but am just now reading all your posts from the beginning.
First, you have done an amazing job of turning big, scary “monster tasks” into bite-sized manageable tasks. That all by itself is a huge inspiration. So THANK YOU for giving me hope.
Second, please pardon me if you’ve already covered this in a more recent post. Why do you load the washing machine at night, but start it in the morning? I regularly start a load before I go to bed, then move it to the dryer in the morning. (Now, if only I could get into a habit of putting it all away instead of sitting in baskets for days that turn into weeks…) Just wondering if I’m missing something that is obvious to everyone else.
Dana White says
I have no idea, honestly. I do know that the once a day, no matter how I tried it, never worked! And I tried so many ways!
Diana says
Two suggestions (for those still looking for YOUR way):
When I was young and single, I lived in a city with several wash & fold laundromats, where for $1/lb they wash, dry and fold your clothes and wrap them up in plastic with dryer sheets so they smell nice. It was the best! HAHAHAH!!
Buuuuut once I had a house with a washer & dryer, I started washing my things on a schedule, Monday is sheets & towels, Tuesday is Hubby’s clothes, Wednesday is my clothes, etc. I start the wash first thing in the morning and then go to work, first thing when I get home is transfer to the dryer, When the dryer buzzer goes off, I pull out the clothes and put them away hot so I don’t have to iron, OR at least deliver to the recipients closet. Instead of sorting by colors, I sort by owner/location. I wash everything on delicate and cold water (except sheets and towels- mine are all white anyway) and new darks get washed in warm water separately the first time to prevent dye incidents. There’s also a few white cotton blouses I wash with the sheets, because I love them and don’t want them to get dingy. But it’s so much easier to put away laundry when the entire load belongs in one place- Hubby’s closet, or linen closet, etc. Otherwise I have piles of clean laundry sorted on my sofa, and then my animals or children destroy them.
It’s all about what works for you. I don’t know anyone else who does laundry like this, but it keeps my sheets clean, I never run out of towels or underwear, and my pants are (mostly) free of cat hair.