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Do you ever feel like you are drowning in laundry?  I know that with 2 boys, a husband plus myself I feel like I am never done with our laundry.  Over the years I have tried different systems to see which felt more manageable and I want to share with you what works best for me.  Yes, I still do laundry often but rarely do I feel like it’s out of control.  Of course there are the exceptions like when we go on vacation or someone isn’t feeling well, especially if that someone is me. 🙂

What works for me may not be what works for you.  It is important to take into account work schedules and personal preference.  Some people prefer to pick a laundry day and get it all done in one day.  I prefer to do a load a day and sometimes, especially on the weekends, I will skip a day.  I find that this method works best for me and it doesn’t allow laundry to accumulate.  I will place a load in the washer in the morning and I will complete that entire load, meaning washing, drying, folding and putting away.  I resist the urge to put another load in the washer because I know that I won’t have time to complete a second load, meaning it would stay in the washer or dryer waiting for me.  I prefer to finish one load in it’s entirety.

Also, I use one detergent for the entire family.  Although detergent can’t treat or prevent allergies, I do have one son whose skin can be sensitive, so I choose the same hypoallergenic detergent for all of us – all® free clear detergent is 100% free of perfumes and dyes of any kind.

Here are my tips for keeping laundry under control:

1.  Keep it pretty

This may sound silly because laundry is laundry, right?  Well, I find that if I am doing laundry in a neat and cute space, I am more likely to want to do it.  At the very least, it makes a mundane task more pleasant.  Organizing doesn’t have to be expensive.  I used the same type of plastic baskets to organize my laundry room and I placed a metal label on each one naming the contents.

You can’t tell in the picture but this laundry closet is in a dark area of the house.  With the green walls and the bright white bins, laundry time is not dreaded.

2.  Keep it practical

Just because the area is pretty, doesn’t mean that usefulness goes out the window.  If you have a bunch of little items for stain removal, consider placing them all inside a canister so that the laundry room remains organized.  Also, one of my favorite tips is to add a little trash can for disposing of lint.

3.  Maximize your space

I wish I had a large laundry room but instead I have a closet.  I have used all the vertical space on the side walls to add function and to decorate my space.  Here is a book about housekeeping tips, including laundry tips.  You will also notice a pair of scissors and a little bucket (from the dollar section) with clothespins.  The other metal piece is part of a clothesline that I sometimes use inside the closet.  I mean it when I say that I use every inch!

4.  Separate laundry by colors but not as much as you think

I would not wash a white shirt with a red pair of pants.  However, if an item has been washed many times and does not bleed, colors can easily be included in the same load as lighter colors – maybe not white, but you get the idea.  The only item that I like to wash completely on their own are towels.  Because of their texture I notice that they can make clothing pill faster.

Also, if you have the space, consider placing 2 hampers in each bedroom so that everyone can already keep their clothing sorted, which makes washing easier.

I purchased this large container of all® free clear detergent at Sam’s Club because it is such a good value!  However, I will probably transfer the detergent to a smaller container for ease of use.

This will last us over a month!

Of course if you use it this way, it is also convenient.  I do follow the directions for use on the packaging as to not over use the product by putting too much product in one load.

A little tip –  this detergent also comes in the form of all® free clear Mighty Pacs®.  If you follow my Instagram, you know that a couple of weeks ago we stayed in a cabin in NC.  They had a washer and dryer in the cabin and I took a few of the pacs with me.  I was able to do laundry everyday and basically came back home with a suitcase full of clean clothes.  Pretty. Awesome.

5. Maintain your space with a little Spring Cleaning

Although your laundry room’s primary role is to clean items, it can get pretty dirty.   Extend the spring cleaning into the laundry area.  Detergent bottles get full of residue, as do the trays that hold them.  Canisters gather dust.   The washer and dryer also get dirty.  It is important to keep the washer clean so that it keeps doing a good job keeping the family’s gear in top shape.

There are lots of other tips that I can share with you (and I will very soon) but these are the top 5.  We all have to do laundry and the task is never 100% complete (well, maybe for 10 minutes or so) – why not make a space that gets so much use both pretty and functional?  Do you have any laundry tips that you can share with me?  Are you a “laundry day” kind of person or “a-load-a-day” like me?

For more ideas and laundry tips, you can visit the laundry hub here.