shirt: j crew // jeans: citizens of humanity // shoes: cole haan // bag: cult gaia // sunglasses: warby parker // necklace: maya brenner // bracelets: david yurman (here, here and here) // ring: david yurman
Filed under things I never thought I’d write about…my laundry routine. It’s a common question in the Facebook groups I’m in. I have a laundry routine that works well for us and thought it might help someone else too!
If you have no interest in reading about someone’s laundry routine, you can enjoy this cute outfit that’s become a go to of mine this spring season. I bought this J Crew top on a whim and it’s turned out to be a favorite.
Now onto my laundry routine. Keep in mind I’m washing clothes for a family of four. I wash bedding for the kids and towels every week and our bedding every other week (or sometimes longer). We typically have 3 loads of clothing + towels and sheets.
Once a Week
A common debate is whether to do laundry once a week or a load every day or two. I am firmly in the once a week camp. I would much rather focus on it once than have the task hanging over my head every day. Of course, there are weeks that I need to adjust. If we’re going out of town or someone is sick, I will do laundry more than once a week.
Be Consistent
Since I stay at home, our laundry is done on Monday. It’s such a routine that if I start a load of wash, Lawson asks if it’s Monday. If I didn’t stay at home, I’d switch this to Sunday.
Prep the Night Before
The night before, I gather and sort our dirty clothing. I put the first load into the washing machine so all I have to do is add soap and turn it on in the morning. I also bring empty hangers to the laundry room so they’re ready for the next day.
Hang Clothes Immediately
I like to hang dry most of our shirts and pants. I’ll put them in the dryer on a low setting for 20 minutes and then put shirts on the empty hangers I gathered the night before. Hanging our shirts immediately has eliminated the step of laying them out or folding and then bringing them to our bedrooms to be hung. I swear it’s made me more efficient. Pants go on a drying rack.
Fold As You Go
I fold each load as soon as it comes out of the dryer (unless we’re rushing out the door to school, gymnastics, etc.). It never feels too overwhelming that I want to put it off. The only exception is socks. I throw all the socks on the floor and the kids match them for me once all the laundry is finished.
Same Day Put Away
Jim and I each have a plastic bin that I put our clean clothes into and leave on the steps to go upstairs. We each have to carry up our own. This is a recent change that I was very excited to implement. Before I put the clean clothes on the steps and we’d have to take them up in multiple trips. When I announced it to Jim, he laughed quite hard. I thought I caught him rolling his eyes, but I’m not 100% sure.
And that’s it! Do you do laundry once a week or daily? Is my routine completely ridiculous and obsessive??!
You may also like how I stay organized.
photos by ana of rosemary & rye