How good are you at putting laundry away??

[Grendalynn]

As I sit here, I realize that I am reallybad at folding and putting laundry away. don't get me wrong, its clean. And usually folded. But am realy bad at puting the "piles" away once they are delivered to the rightful rooms. Not sure why - if it reverts back to childhood and I would trade the laundry chore for dishes or setting/clearing the table anyday, than have to shuffle and fold laundry. Then put it away!!? TORTURE!!

I work 30+ hours a week, but try to do at least 2 loads of laundry each night. I have 3 kids, a husband who requires "work cloths" (he works on tractor trailers most days or something else equeally dirty) as well as regular weekend, evening cloths, my cloths, we reuse towels every few days, and most mornings I will pick my boys outfits out of the clean, unfolded cloths to help depelet my "work load" ... I am curious to know if there are any others out there with the same "problem"?? I am otherwise a very clean and orderly person, I swear!!

 

[letthewookiewin]

I am the same way. The only difference is that I work from home, and my DH just doesn't get why it's sitting is piles on top of the dryer, or hanging on the rod above the machines. I just keep telling him, that as long as he has clean clothes to wear, I don't want to hear any complaints. As soon as I get all my work stuff more organized ( I just started working from home), I will get the laundry more organized. Once I get the house organized, I'm going to get the DS's to help me and they will earn Disney Dollars.

 

[disneymarie]

With the Holidays here it is really upsetting, but I know I can never catch up.
The laundry is done.
I have the house to clean and did not even put up the tree yet. But, I have been severly depressed and trying to act OK so the family is not upset.

I am not ordinarily an organized housekeeper, things are clean, just not always in their place or put away. Clutter always to part with....

My older daughter passed away this year and it is so difficult to normally get into holidays, but Christmas, her favorite is coming far to soon.
I only have a few days left to get rid of the laundry, clean and shop.

I will get it done, wish others would pitch in....
Like was said it is washed and clean....
dianne

 

[hddanis]

Yes, we deal with Mount Laundry here as well. No problems washing and drying, but folding and putting away rarely happens. It all gets piled up on the couch in the family room...just waiting to be folded..and waiting and waiting.

Maybe I'll tackle it today..maybe...

 

[ksumn1]

My DH works on power lines, and I have a job with a uniform, so we wash clothes every day. I HATE folding laundry, mostly because it takes forever because I'm so picky. We take work clothes out and I try to at least seperate them by person. Then on Thursday or Friday (DH's days off) he takes them all and dumps them together in a big pile in the corner of our bedroom. I can't stand that. If they're in the baskets, I can dela with it, but I hate everything piled together. Usually DH get tired of looking at it after about a week or so and folds them all. But he's in Kansa working on power restoration, so I bit the bullet and folded clothes all day Thursday. I told him it's part of his Christmas gift.

And I'm also a neat freak about everything BUT laundry. Weird, huh?

 

[DisneyBrat]

I am a laundry procrastinator.. I hate it hate it hate it...... But I decided to try a new method of getting it done. I sort all piles then put each of them in a seperate laundry basket. All I have to do then is grab a basket and wash it. We have 3 kids and each child has a basket for their folded clothes. I then give each boy his basket to put away. It has been ALOT LESS stressful on me with getting help to put it away. Hope this little tip helps.. I really can relate to the mounds of laundry. I had even thought about getting rid of half our clothes so they can't mount up If I only have a weeks supply then I HAVE to do laundry more often was my theory... Sounds good in theory Merry Christmas all!!!!

Lew

 

[thewesterberg]

I'm with you all on this one! I can usually get them washed. Folded, that's another matter. Then, once I get them folded they sit in the basket for a week. Finally, they'll get put away. I always tell myself the next time I do laundry, I'll be better about it and just get it done. Hasn't worked yet, though!

And don't get me started on sorting socks... BLECH!!

 

[hddanis]

And don't get me started on sorting socks... BLECH!!

WAIT A MINUTE!!!! I'm supposed to SORT them??? Sheesh..now somebody tells me. Ours all stay in a basket and we dig thru each day hoping to find some that are actually close to matching.

 

[EnchantedPrincess]

I hate doing laundry especially folding and putting them away as well. I used to have it done and then it sits on the couch for couple days before it gets folded and put away. Now when I do laundry, I fold each load as soon as I gets them out of the dryer (otherwise, it will not get done) and then once folded, I take that load and put them away right away...and I do the same with each load. Ocassionally, I still let things slip and laundry gets pile up but it has really help since I just make myself fold and put them away immediately.

 

[brandylouwho]

Sounds like our house. It is usually washed in a timely manner, sometimes folded and almost never put away until there are no baskets left. Maybe if we throw out the baskets and only keep one or two it will prompt us to put it away more often.

I don't even mind putting the laundry away, it is just carrying it upstairs, and finding a time when at least one of the kids is self-entertaining. DH and I both work full time away from home and when we get home in the evenings we usually tag team the kids. Somebody is always in need of something. So, the laundry gets pushed aside for a day or two or three.

I am glad to hear that I am not the only one with this problem.

 

[malibuconlee]

I manage to fold and hang my laundry, but putting it away is another story. I have baskets to put away today, but keep putting it off. I mean I'm going to be packing most of it in a couple of days anyway, right? Why put it away?

The socks, I HATE matching up socks. In high school when it was just me, mom and sis we did the laundry basket by the dryer thing too where you go in when you need a pair of socks and try to find matching ones out of the pile.

 

[Thats_for_Shore]

Oh gosh, I am soooooooooooooooooooooo glad I saw this thread!!

This makes me feel a whole lot better about my laundry "situation."

Socks? Heck no. Put them away? You'll be lucky if they end up in the right room. Fold them? Ha! A lot of the time, I'll just pull whatever I need straight out of the dryer and put it on.

 

[ljhmom]

I'm so happy I'm not the only one who hates to put laundry away, we have an oversized chair that is now called the laundry chair because after the clothes are washed and folded the get put on the chair instead of being taken upstairs an put away.

 

[momz]

wow, reading this really makes me feel better!!!! i feel like i'm always trying to "catch up" with something at my house and laundry is a big one!! I can never seem to be get the hamper empty. there have been times i just pack it all into trash bags and head to the laundro-mat to wash them all up at once. then within a week or two, i'm right back where i started, dirty clothes spilling out everywhere. and my daughter (6) changes at least 3 times a day, invaribly the discarded clothes are on the floor. i'll even find clean clothes that she's tossed on the floor as she looks through her dresser for "just the right thing". i'm lucky in some ways though. my husband will wash and dry clothes, but he won't fold them, or put them away...oh well, at least their clean.

 

[graygables]

I used to have a terrible time with laundry, too. I watched neat enough to realize that I have to come up with something that WORKS for ME and my organizing "style" regardless of what anyone else thinks is normal.

We finally re-did our laundry room with wardrobes for each child/me right there. Now the laundry goes straight from the dryer to the hanger/closet or folded right into the proper basket (I use the metal Elfa drawer/baskets on the wardrobe shelves). Socks are matched as they come out of the dryer and popped into their basket. The only thing I use laundry baskets for anymore is towels. I have a hamper in the laundry room and another in the girl bathroom and DDs are responsible for getting their clothes into one or the other. I have recently started washing each DD''s laundry seperately and each is required to put it away from the dryer to try to teach them some responsibility in that area.

I did stop doing hubby's laundry for various reasons so he's responsible for his own (but has to make sure that his laundry won't interfere with mine or DDs or, more importantly, my tie-dye business.)

I used to be really good about putting a load in every night after tucking DDs in, but I've slacked off and tend to have a couple of full hampers before I get to it.

ETA: the other thing that made a HUGE difference was limiting the amount of clothes we had. DDs have 5 outfits, 2 dresses, and 3 or 4 sets of play clothes. If they were in public school, I'd probably up the number of outfits to 10, but since we homeschool, we don't have to deal with the peer pressure over clothes.

 

[Camno's Mama]

I am so glad that someone started this thread! For me, laundry is overwhelming. Housekeeping, in general, is overwhelming! I do anything to procrastinate...I have always been like that. I'll start cleaning, and then one of the boys looks so adorable that I have to go cuddle with him. Or, I suddenly feel the overwhelming urge to bake something. Or I decide that I have to get out of the house with the kids and then, oops, the day is gone!

I don't know how people keep really clean houses. I am in complete awe of that! Almost everyone I know have those houses where you can stop by any time, and it looks awesome. They say it doesn't always, but I'm not sure I believe them. Anytime someone stops by my house, I'm constantly apologizing to them. It's clean, but messy, you know? I do the important things like the bathroom and vacuum and clean the kitchen, etc, but it never looks like it. I do clean all the time, but I never really accomplish anything. So, I'm just not that motivated to make it sparkle by bedtime each night. Ahhh...why does it make you feel so bad about yourself!

This thread was just what I needed to hear!

 

[Grendalynn]

And I'm also a neat freak about everything BUT laundry. Weird, huh?

I am the same way!! I cannot go to bed at night w/o my house being picked up, everything in place, counters wiped down and blah blah blah. But Laundry?? Forget - i think was an underpaid, overworked wash maid back in another life or something, because I avoid it like the plague!!??

WAIT A MINUTE!!!! I'm supposed to SORT them??? Sheesh..now somebody tells me. Ours all stay in a basket and we dig thru each day hoping to find some that are actually close to matching.

I swear our washer or dryer EATS socks!?!? As a kid we had a sock basket, and we were lucky to find a matching, or close to matching pair. I thing the thing to do is to buy all white socks, all the same brand/style. But in my house, the boys feet sizes are all different!!

I hate doing laundry especially folding and putting them away as well. I used to have it done and then it sits on the couch for couple days before it gets folded and put away. Now when I do laundry, I fold each load as soon as I gets them out of the dryer (otherwise, it will not get done) and then once folded, I take that load and put them away right away...and I do the same with each load. Ocassionally, I still let things slip and laundry gets pile up but it has really help since I just make myself fold and put them away immediately.

I was really good about doing this - folding right away, as it came out of the dryer. But its the delivering to the right rooms and then putting them away IN THE DRAWS that is challenging for me!!?? Let alone cleaning out all the cloths that dont fit anymore!! I do it, then they sit in a big tub in their room for months!! I that that is a whole other thread in itself!!??

wow, reading this really makes me feel better!!!! i feel like i'm always trying to "catch up" with something at my house and laundry is a big one!! I can never seem to be get the hamper empty.

I thank God when my older sister comes to visit - she is the queen of laundry. She will wash and fold all of our cloths when she comes home for a visit. she isnt married and has no kids, she doesnt realize what an amazing thing it is that she does for us! Although I still have to put it away and that is not so successful!!

and my daughter (6) changes at least 3 times a day, invaribly the discarded clothes are on the floor. i'll even find clean clothes that she's tossed on the floor as she looks through her dresser for "just the right thing". i'm lucky in some ways though. my husband will wash and dry clothes, but he won't fold them, or put them away...oh well, at least their clean.

Thank goodness I have boys - my niece does this same thing!! We call her Reba as she has 2-3 "costume" changes a day!! Yikes! My mother would have "killed" us had all 5 of us girls done that growing up!! Yes, my DH will also pump the laundry through on the weekend. HE thinks he is being helpful and cant understand why i get so stressed out when there is an even bigger mound of laundry to contend with. He got sick of me complaining about it - he stopped doing it - thought he was being helpful - and he was! He just doesnt understand how much of a pian to me it is to fold it all! HE will be glad to know I now have a support group for Laundry Avoiders Annonomus!!

 

[graygables]

Another thing...consider looking into www.flylady.net. Some find her overwhelming, but there is a LOT of solid, practical advice there, too, for anyone who feels out of control of their household.

 

[disneymarie]

Oh gosh, I am soooooooooooooooooooooo glad I saw this thread!!

This makes me feel a whole lot better about my laundry "situation."

Socks? Heck no. Put them away? You'll be lucky if they end up in the right room. Fold them? Ha! A lot of the time, I'll just pull whatever I need straight out of the dryer and put it on.

I am so glad for this thread. I had such a blow out on Saturday for the Christmas party and the socks did not match I pulled out of the sort basket...one navy one black.....

What does anyone do to control the clothes kids out grow? I use to do a yard sale then take to the flea market, then to donations....
THEN a big idea to Ebay, brought out 4 rubbermaid containers of little girls infant to size 8 and end up at a consignment shop with them piking over for NEW condition things?????

I did Ebay, new and nearly new coats. But now to part with many outfits,
Many Disney gently worn outfits I hate to donate.....Keep saying some little girl would love them even worn,

Now I have my older daughter that passed away clothes, I am so bothered to go through them, far tooo difficult....There is TONS of them too.
I get no offers of help either except to get rid of the "stuff". to get rid of the clutter, to get a dumpster...

I do have motivation to sit and fold to put away today the two huge baskets here, because you all don;t judge and feel so nonjudgmental toward a folks that have Laundy overwhelmness issues.
Hugs to all have a good day, laundry or not.
dianne

 

[memymomonica]

OK, here is how I make it all a little easier. I like doing laundry. It is just that darn putting it away! My DD has a basket. I will fold her stuff at the dryer and hang what needs to be hung. There is a rod that tucks away near her door at her height. It is her job to hang and put away all of her clothes. She is 10, but has been doing it for years. I then have a basket for my hubby. I fold all his clothes and they go in the basket. It is his job to put his clothes away and hang what he want hung. I then put my folded stuff in a basket and hang mine. I now only have mine to put up. It still only gets actually in the closet and drawers about every 10 days. Oh well. Does close count?