Do you have a laundry routine that works for you? Do you need a routine but can’t quite figure out where to begin? A laundry routine is certainly not a one-size-fits-all issue. We have varying sizes of families, different ages of children (if any at all) and different levels of ability. What works for one home won’t work for another.
So how do you figure out the routine that will work for your family?
The best way to start the process of a real, do-able laundry routine is to ask yourself the following questions. If you really want to get a laundry routine in place that you can stick with, take some time to genuinely think about your answers.
As you’re getting started, keep this in mind:
The goal of any laundry routine is to get you out of crisis mode and into maintenance mode.
Crisis mode in any situation is never pleasant, but it seems even more unpleasant when you don’t have any clean underwear. Ask yourself these questions to start putting your routine in place today.
Who is the Chief Laundry Washer in our home?
Maybe you are the main laundry washer or maybe it’s your husband. Or maybe you want it to be your husband or an older child.
Determine who that chief laundry washer is and make sure they know their task. If you expect your husband to be the main washer of the clothes but he does not know it, that is a sure-fire set up for disaster!
If you live in a home with several people, especially children who are old enough to help, have a family meeting about the laundry and see who would be willing to take it on as a full-time job. You may be surprised that someone is willing to be the Laundry Leader.
How often am I willing to do laundry?
Are you available to wash clothes every day? Twice a week? Only once a week? Maybe you have to drag all of your clothes to the Laundromat and you can only wash clothes once every two weeks. Even if you have an in-home washer and dryer you might not have time to wash clothes every day.
Regardless of the answer, be realistic with yourself. If the answer really is only once a week, claim it and then move on.
What changes do I need to make to put a laundry routine in place?
Do you need to spend some quality time teaching your children how to sort clothes and fold them properly? Are there items you need to purchase (laundry baskets, laundry sorters)? Do you need some accountability to stick with your routine?
Deciding what you need to succeed is half of the battle. Figure out what those things are and then put them in place.
These are just a few questions to help you start thinking through your Laundry Life. Once you can put a laundry routine in place, you can easily slide into maintenance mode in the laundry department. And that’s a great place to be!
Do you have a laundry routine in place? If not, what is preventing you from establishing one?
