Don’t Like Doing Laundry? Don’t Procrastinate!
I have never taken a poll, but if I did, I would bet the house that laundry is one of the things that people dread the most. Laundry is a relatively easy task. Divide clothing, throw it in the washer, throw it in the dryer, pull it out, fold it, or hang it up and put it away. That’s it. It sounds pretty easy. So why do people despise doing laundry so much? Let’s dive into the world of laundry and see if we can figure it out.
Less is More
The less you have, the less you have to manage. Less stuff means fewer loads of laundry, more space to adequately put that laundry away, and less amount of time you have to focus on laundry. Here are the areas to consider when your goal is less laundry.
Too Many Clothes
The rule of thumb I share with my clients is that if you can go more than two weeks without doing any laundry/dry cleaning, then you have too many clothes. Actually, not doing laundry is sometimes why people have so many clothes in the first place—not doing laundry until you have nothing clean left and no money, time, or room for more turns a relatively menial weekly task into something somewhat monumental. It is a heck of a lot easier to do a week’s worth of laundry than several months.
Too Many Towels
My son thinks our home is a hotel and wants a fresh towel daily. I’ve tried to break him of this but to no avail. It is ok. He is just one person. But if everyone in the home used a bath towel a day and laundry was not completed for several weeks, you are looking at a serious amount of extra, unnecessary laundry.
Too Many Sets of Sheets
People love to buy sheets. I find a ton of extra storage in linen closets when I help people pare down the number of sheets they use and only keep the amount they need.
Too Many Blankets
I am even guilty of this. We often have too many blankets, and I constantly donate excess ones to local nonprofits. I blame Costco for this one.
Too Many Dish Towels
I have eight and rarely / as in never/ run out. I have helped clients sort through hundreds.
Too Many Cleaning Rags
Not every scrap of cloth, clothing, holes with socks, and stained underwear needs to be kept as a rag.
So add all these categories together, and we now have an overwhelming amount of laundry to do, laundry rooms so jammed-packed you can barely get to the washer and dryer, and not enough space to store everything once it is cleaned. There has to be a better way!
There is! Here is my rule of thumb for laundry.
Bath towels – two per person – wash once a week – keep on hooks in the bathroom, so there is no storing necessary
Hand towels – two per bathroom – one hanging and one as a backup, rotate and wash once a week
Sheets – two sets per bed – changed and laundered one time per week
Blankets – No more than what the person sleeping in the bed need to feel comfortable. Wash these at least once per month and ensure they are the first thing laundered since there is no backup.
Seasonal sheets and blankets – heavier blankets and flannel sheets, same as above
Throws – no more than one per person per space where they are used
Guest Room – one set of everything per bed and one set of towels and wash clothes per estimated guest – can also double as a backup if you are doing laundry and someone needs to shower.
Kitchen Towels – One per day and no more than 10 per week. Adjust as necessary but try to wash these every couple of days or they can get moldy.
Cleaning Towels – How often you clean determines how much you need. Cleaning these towels at least one time per week and preferably after you use them will help you determine how many you need.
Junk Towels – These are typically one and done and used for cleaning up pet stains, wiping paws, cleaning up after a large spill or minor flooding, used for human or animal waste, and not a big deal if they need to be tossed.
Fewer Clothes and Weekly Loads Equals Less Laundry
Following these rules alone and doing laundry every week will considerably reduce the laundry and storage clutter.
Try it and tell me what you think.