Confession: I HATE folding laundry!
Picture this: I have three children ages five and under. Two of them use cloth diapers. I also have a husband who wears a ridiculous number of outfits each day. Our family uses washcloths instead of baby wipes and paper towels. I do an average of two loads of laundry a day. Ever since I had some moldy laundry a few years ago, I have been really good about keeping up with the washing… it’s the folding I don’t do so well with.
Here’s what it looks like at my house if I don’t fold laundry for a day or two. Oh, and there are actually two more loads that didn’t make it into the picture. Oops…
I went ahead and brought my clean stuff downstairs to get the nice natural afternoon light for my photo. Usually, it resides upstairs in my secret pile of shame. I figured that I was probably not the only one with a pile of shame, so I posted this picture on Facebook in hopes of getting some suggestions from other moms who might be more on top of their folding than I am.
I learned that I am *definitely* not the only one who lets the laundry pile up. Some like it clean, some like it, well, dirty…
There were lots of great laundry suggestions including separating each family member’s items, washing one load a day, and using lingerie bags to avoid lost socks (which I totally plan on trying in another life when I have enough head space to remember to buy a lingerie bag). There are also some brave souls who do their laundry all in one day. Good for you! If there was a day with 187 hours in it then I would probably do that, too!
Here are some of my favorite suggestions for dealing with the laundry folding pile of shame:
- Netflix ‘n fold. Just like it sounds! The parents’ version of Netflix ‘n chill. Wait until the kids are in bed, pop on your most recent binge-worthy show, and fold away. If you’re not into TV, one mom suggested listening to audiobooks while doing this extremely fun task.
- Use child labor. Okay, not funny. But for real, if your kids are old enough you can definitely get them to help out! I have actually been doing my own laundry since the 2nd grade and I plan on using this method once the kiddos are a little bigger. Children as young as 6 or 7 years old are capable of washing and drying clothes, “folding” them, and putting them away.
- Don’t separate your darks and lights. Did I really just say that? YES. Many of us (*ahem* not me) have been known to combine darks and lights in order to avoid having to wait for a full load. Although let’s be honest, even if I didn’t combine my darks and lights I would probably NEVER have to wait for a full load.
- When all else fails… hide it upstairs. I like to put my unfolded pile of laundry shame in the walk-in closet and shut the door. Please don’t come over to my house unannounced and open it. You might get hurt when it falls on you.
