Laundry Day!

Laundry. Every homemaker's nemesis. It takes a lot of time and you can feel like you never get anywhere. The pile turns from dirty clothes to clean clothes that need folded and then haunt you until you put them away. While I try not to complain about these tangible artifacts of God's graces, it can be easy to wallow in self-pity when your laundry room seems more like a mountainous growth protruding from the rest of your house.

To help me feel a little less overwhelmed by this continuous task, I took some inspiration from the always inspirational Nony the Slob and have implemented a laundry day. For the past few weeks, each Monday I wash every last dirty item in the house from clothes to linens to towels. I set timers so I do not forget to switch the laundry over (a usual fault of mine resulting in many rewashed loads in the past) and the moment those timers go off, I drop anything I am doing and head to the laundry room. I fold clothes and put them away immediately. The entire day is devoted to getting it all done, no matter how daunting the task may seem first thing in the morning.

Since children will be children, we can hardly make it an entire week without needing to do more laundry, so each Thursday I will do one or two basic loads, still setting timers and following through on folding and putting away. After the busy laundry day on Monday, Thursday seems like a breeze.

By implementing this routine, I no longer feel haunted by my laundry. It has cut down on the amount of loads I need to do since I am no longer rewashing forgotten clothes. I do not feel as though the laundry is overtaking me anymore. Now I feel like it is another obstacle I have conquered and it feels great to be so accomplished every week.

I recommend giving laundry day a try. The first week or two will seem overwhelming until you can catch up on your mountain but once you conquer it, laundry day will get easier and easier. Adjust the days to fit your schedule and switch up the amount of bonus loads you may need throughout the week. Once you figure out a routine that works for you, you will feel great and never have to think twice about doing the laundry.

How often do you find yourself trapped in the laundry room tackling a mountain? Have you ever implemented a laundry day?

For more great homemaking tips, check out: Far Above Rubies, Growing Home, A Bowl Full of Lemons, Time Warp Wife and 5 Minutes for Mom.