I am really, really good at getting the laundry done and folded. Really good. HOWEVER, I simply can not figure out how to put it away! HELP! Baskets of neatly folded clean laundry are overtaking my bedroom. As we root through them to find what we need, they become messy, unfolded baskets of somewhat-clean laundry overflowing onto the floor. (I'm really embarassed about this!)
Does anyone have a miracle system for getting everyone's clean laundry to their rooms and then putting it away?
16 comments:
Sorry no miracle system. After folding the clean clothes, they all go back to the master bedroom. I sort them out on our bed into a pile for each person. I take the older kids' clothes into their room & ask them to put them away. I have to check to make sure this is done every so often. I put away the little kids' clothes. Hubby puts away his own stack. I put away mine.
Good luck!
Ronda
We live out of the baskets. I have one for every bedroom and they actually get left in the laundry room. I hang most things up, so it is mostly undergarments, pajamas and socks. I hang shirts, pants, even shorts. They don't get wrinkled hanging. Everything else can stay in the baskets.
If only there WERE a miracle! I do laundry every day (we have eight kids, so it's a must). As I fold, I make a stack for each child, in order. Before they can leave/eat dinner/play (depending on what day it is) I have them take their pile to their room and put it away. This works for the 12yr. old on down to the 3 yr old. Then I just put away mine and the Coach's and my oldest daughter puts the baby's away. Since we do it daily, the piles aren't big, and it's motivation for them to not get so many clothes dirty when they know they will have a big pile, if they do!
I think you are doing GREAT to get it all washed and folded! That was a challenge for me with three kids!
Take care!
I feel your pain (as does my living room floor and couch today with laundry everywhere). I've found it most helpful to do my laundry in the most public/annoying place for me so that I'm motivated to get it done and put away. Not so great when someone stops by and there's no where to sit.
Well, guess I should get off the computer and put it away:)
I found myself doing this too. I finally got rid of some of the laundry baskets so that it was no longer possible to have say, six baskets of clean, folded clothes at the top of the stairs. I now have just three, one for each child and one to share with hubby. Also, I've kind of made it a rule that I don't do laundry unless there are empty baskets to put it in. Good luck!
its horrible but I do it too. Here's my two options, first I could just create a closet in the laundry room that has shelves and dressers for everyone like hte Duggers do. But that won't work for us. So I make my family help me. MY husband can't handle living out of baskets so if I ask, he'll help put away. And my three year old can help. He doesn't always want to. But he can so he has to. And So I have to have help otherwise it happens every three weeks when I have help. So now I just recruit help so maybe it cam get done regularly.
Having my 8 yr old help me, does the trick!
I fold and put away the large things (like sheets, big towels)...and if it's something that goes in my closet or dh's closet - I do that too. The rest she is able to do.
It has been a big help!
Here are a few ideas:
1)Don't put them in baskets. Fold them at the table/on your bed/on a countertop and then put them immediately away.
2) Instead of making one huge pile of folded clothes, sort them by family member so you can just grab a stack at a time and head straight to their dresser.
3) Those who are old enough should be responsible for their own piles.
4)Make sure you are constantly getting rid of things that are stained, don't fit, or are damaged beyond repair. The less you ahve, the less you have to put away.
Hope these tips help. :)
My "miracle" was to keep as much of the clothes in the laundry room as possible. We have a family closet!
http://milehimama.blogspot.com/2007/09/wmfw-family-closet.html
Otherwise, I found I did much better with MEDIUM sized loads than SUPERSIZED loads. Somehow it was less overwhelming for me to put away three or 4 medium loads than one or two giant loads. I was better at doing it immediately.
No help here, though I have enjoyed reading what works for others. I too have the same problem, Kathy: i is folded and clean, but sitting in a basket waiting to be put away!
Here's what works for me. I separate clothes into each person's pile. (There are six of us.) Then I have a pile of whites I do together. And of course towels are their own load too. But I do each person's laundry separate. Yes, sometimes there is a small load. But that doesn't take long to dry, fold and put away. And since it is going to the same person, putting away is easy. Laundry is a pain, really, no matter how you look at it!
I fold the laundry on my son's bed instead of mine--that way I'm pretty much forced to put it away or risk him and his baby sister pulling everything off and scattering it around the house! Also, having good storage systems in place is key. I use an armoire with baskets for my baby's clothes--one each for jammies, outfits, separates, tights....I hang all my son's sweaters and sweatshirts so they don't take up room in his small dresser. I keep all the extra hangers in the laundry room so I can hang items straight out of the dryer--makes the load to fold that much smaller! If something's not working, tweak your method until you discover what's easiest for you to accomplish every time. For instance, my husband has at least 200 tshirts. I drove myself crazy trying to keep up with folding them all perfectly (and he'd often rumple my neat stacks searching for a shirt.) Now I hang them on one side of my daughter's closet.
This may not help. But I put away laundry as each load comes out of the dryer. I dont even fold it right then. I divide it up into 2 baskets, which is easy for me. I have a boy (who wears mostly dark colors) and a girl (who wears mostly light colors)....so I use one basket for them per load, then one basket for hubs and me. I throw everything in there, take it to the respective room, and fold it as I put it away. I just do it in that moment. It actually takes less time than it seems it would!
I hate putting laundry away. One thing that helps me is not mixing daughter's clothes with ours. That way, the entire load is hers. I don't have to sort and put the clothes away in separate rooms. Try having a hamper for each kid and see if this helps. Use the collapsable mesh hampers with handles. Take the whole hamper with you to the laundry room.
It's so cool that you can get it folded! I have four kids and a LOT of laundry. Clean and just piled in baskets. Some days it makes me want to just throw all the clothes away and have them wear over and over what is currently on their bodies. If I ever do get it on hangers (cause there is no dresser space) than putting it away is no problem?? Weird how some people struggle one way and others another. The ways that force you to do what you don't want to I have found to be the best motivators. For example folding it on your son's bed - great idea! Good Luck and if all else fails remember that those children who keep you from getting all the jobs done when and how you want them are the real job anyway. Sit on the floor and play with them. And smile.
I'm the youngest of 7 and my Mom's big thing was that we didn't have alot of clothes. I only have 1 son, but he has 3-4 pairs of pants/shirts/sweaters, but plenty of extra underwear and outdoor clothes. Basically, if his clothes are washed - his drawers are empty. Maybe you just don't have a place to put things away? Same goes for my clothes and DH - we just don't have tons of clothes. Mom used to put folded laundry on the couch and everyone had to put their own clothes away - and no one could sit on the couch until everyone had done so!
Good luck!
Cheers!
Evelyn
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