My daughter asked me to help her put her clothes away. She was getting dressed by herself at age 2, so she knew where her clothes were in the drawers. Putting clothes away, though, was hard for her. I agreed to help and was stressed about what I found! Her drawers were a mess! All the time I was putting in to folding the kids’ clothes was going to waste. I changed my laundry system and these laundry organization tips to save time have made all the difference for me. They are teaching my kids to be more responsible too.
Laundry Organization Tips: Sorting and Folding
I was spending hours every week folding all of my family’s clothes. I would place them into separate baskets so the kids could then put their folded clothes away. Like I mentioned, if they can dress themselves, they know where the shirts and pants go. Despite this, my children tried to make it seem like putting clothes away was so challenging.
The task of laundry is one we spend so much time on-every mom talks about the never-ending laundry piles. My laundry systems have evolved as my kids have gotten older…and their clothes have gotten bigger!
One thing that we do not realized when our kiddos are little is that as they grow, their laundry gets bigger and so do our laundry loads.
It is ok though. As the kids grow they can do more to help.
These laundry organization tips to save time have helped me actually cut hours off of the time I am spending on laundry each week. That makes more time for coffee in the morning or quiet time after the kids go to bed. 😊
Tip 1: Labeled hampers so the kids can sort on their own
I asked some fellow moms what their laundry systems looked like. They were a wealth of knowledge and shared their ideas. They also shared some ideas from Pinterest. I tailored all of these ideas to fit my family and our budget.
It started with the hamper system. I stopped using a hamper in each bedroom and went to labeled hampers.
Sorting the laundry every Monday morning was taking a lot of time and led to piles of sorted clothes all over our upstairs hallway. The kids would play around them with their friends. It was not ok with me to have the piles all over.
I switched to pre-sorting. I bought laundry hampers like these and 2 packs of these luggage tags. Each hamper was labeled with words and colors to help the kids sort their clothes right away when they changed.
The additional benefit of this system was that I could see when I had full loads of laundry to wash. Some weeks I could even skip some loads which saved me time.
With everyone sorting their clothes, my sorting time was eliminated. I used plastic hampers so that if we had any wet clothes they could hang right over the edge. Piling wet clothes into the hamper leads to mildew smell, so we air dry everything if it is not going right into the washer.
(You can use Purification essential oil to eliminate any odors in the laundry. Read more here.)
Tip 2: I stopped folding clothes
My kids have a different idea of clean and organized than I do. When I would help them put their clothes away, their drawers were always in a state of mess. Clothes were mixed up, nothing was folded.
I could not tell where to put anything! So I stopped folding the kids clothes.
I switched to sorting the clean clothes into the kids baskets. They then put their clothes away. They choose whether they fold or not. I save time from folding all the clothes.
I still fold my clothes and my husband’s clothes. Doing a couple of loads per day, this is really quick. My kids have to step up to put their clothes away as they choose, but I do not have to stress about their drawers. It has been great!
It took the kids a couple of weeks to stop complaining about the new system, but they have all adjusted. I love this new system of laundry organization tips to save time!
Laundry Organization Tips: Laundry Room Decor
Every time we move thanks to military life I have to adjust to a new home. It is always my goal to decorate it in order to be a sanctuary for my family-that includes spaces for me too.
I made some DIY laundry room decor that I have been putting up in our homes for 10 years now. I find that adding some fun decoration to the laundry room brightens the space. Might as well look pretty if I have to spend a lot of time there, right?
I am still finishing up the décor of our current laundry room. What do you think I should add above the shelf? Have you added any fun décor to your laundry room space?
I created a highlight with even more laundry room organization and time saving tips over on my Instagram page. Follow me there and check them out.
These laundry organization tips to save time have made more time for me. Quality time with my kids and time to recharge are priceless.
This system has given me more time.
I am grateful for getting to spend my days with my kids and help them learn to be responsible citizens. It takes time and it is so worth it!
Is your laundry system working well for you? What tips from this post will you be using to help save time on laundry each week?
Enjoy your time at home!
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