Laundry. You sort, you wash, you fold, you blink ? and the pile of dirty clothes has grown all over again. Laundry is a fact of life, but approaching the task in an organized way can make it more manageable.
Preparation is Half the Battle
If you have a large family (or lots of clothes!), sorting the laundry can be a daunting task all on its own. Sorting as you go not only ends the need for this part of the project, but also may encourage you to do laundry more often because it's all sorted and ready to go! Use a multi-compartmented hamper or several laundry baskets and as you throw in your dirty clothes just drop them in the appropriate section (even kids as young as pre-schoolers can learn to do this -- make it fun for them, give them a small reward (an extra 15 minutes of TV? staying up 10 minutes later?) each time they get everything in the right spot!)
Toss items that need dry cleaning into a special basket or bag as soon as you take it off. This way, when you are ready to go to the cleaners you can just grab them, rather than having to hunt for them in all the dirty laundry (ugh!)
Make a habit of always keeping a spare of laundry detergent, dryer sheets and whatever else you use regularly. That way you never have to drop everything and run to the store to complete your laundry (or use that as a reason to not complete the laundry...)
Put Away the Clean Clothes in a Flash!
Keep hangers and a folding hanging rack near the dryer. Save steps by putting hanging items directly on hangers rather than folding and toting them first. As you fold clean laundry, place items in baskets by person to simplify the process of putting it all away. Get everyone in on the act. Even small children can help put away some of their own clothes -- socks, underwear, etc. Older kids can put it all away. If you share the burden, it's not so overwhelming.
We know it's hard, but go through your drawers and closets and purge things that are never worn. Putting laundry away is much faster and more pleasant if you don't have to struggle to cram the clothes into an overstuffed space.
Set a side a small drawer or basket for socks that have lost their mate in the wash. Sooner or later the other sock will turn up and the pair can be put away with all the others.
Other Laundry Tips
Consider sprucing up and organizing the laundry area. A clean and well-organized space makes any task more enjoyable. Schedule set laundry days and stick to them. It's amazing how much more you can get done when you have a schedule.
Short of inventing disposable clothes, laundry is here to stay, but these tips should make it quicker and a little more manageable and you will never have a morning with nothing to wear.
Copyright 2004 Bridget Messino
About the author: Bridget Messino is a Professional Organizer and co-owner of Clutter Free Living, Inc. Her work frequently appears on many Internet sites and on her own organizing site clutter free living as well as in her monthly Home Organizing Newsletter How to Be Clutter Free. Subscribe to the FREE monthly e-newsletter by sending a blank e-mail to clutter free living
affordable house cleaning Park Ridge ..Are you overwhelmed by clutter wherever you turn? Here are... Read More
Time has flown. It's been six months since you came... Read More
The Productive Environment Scorecard?Read the statements below and rate your... Read More
It may seem far-fetched, but by organizing your desk, your... Read More
3-Step Clean Sweep Program 1 -... Read More
1. The Law of the 1st StepA good first step... Read More
Studies show that 80 percent of what we use comes... Read More
Feeling Overwhelmed and Unorganized? - How to Use Index Cards... Read More
Laundry. You sort, you wash, you fold, you blink ?... Read More
What does "quality of life" mean to you? If you... Read More
How do you know if you need to clean out?... Read More
Obviously, productivity involves producing. Producing widgets, events, reports, sales. The... Read More
A lot of us grew up with Mom taking care... Read More
One of my mother-in-law's many oft-quoted and wise declarations was... Read More
Have you ever felt so discouraged, your life so out-of-control,... Read More
A daily journal will save you time, reduce stress and... Read More
If you look at any major organisation, there is this... Read More
1. Sink to their level. Get on your knees in... Read More
Spring is here and its time to sweep away the... Read More
You start each week with great intentions. You are determined... Read More
What do your storage spaces look like? Do you know... Read More
Clutter is postponed decisions?. Here are some suggestions to simplify... Read More
When the things in your home start crowding in around... Read More
One of the most basic ways to find papers when... Read More
In part 1, we discussed a system you could use... Read More
affordable house cleaning Mundelein ..When the things in your home start crowding in around... Read More
Use these 35 sanity savers this year to help you... Read More
Decide When And Where To StartDecide when and where to... Read More
In many of the companies I have worked in, there... Read More
What method do you currently use to organize your family?... Read More
One of the most basic ways to find papers when... Read More
Getting and staying organized is critical to achieving your goals.... Read More
Chances are, most of you have a lot you need... Read More
The word "compartmentalize" means to separate into distinct parts. I... Read More
How to do keep track of all you have to... Read More
Each area of your home has a symbolic meaning with... Read More
Have you ever heard that having a cluttered home can... Read More
We are in a society where people are applauded for... Read More
Balance- what a popular topic these days! Finding a work-life... Read More
One of the hardest things for most individuals working from... Read More
I recently had a conversation with a friend about clutter.... Read More
The true definition of an organization is one that is... Read More
Spring is here and the garage door is open. This... Read More
I have a huge white board in my home office,... Read More
3-Step Clean Sweep Program 1 -... Read More
In most homes, paper causes clutter. And it seems to... Read More
I talk about the mail a lot in my newsletter,... Read More
Parenting is always a challenge, but particularly so if your... Read More
Are stacks of papers, mail, newspapers, and growing "to do"... Read More
1. Sink to their level. Get on your knees in... Read More
Get Organized - Organization |