I've been doing laundry for over 30 years. I have learned that I love bleach and I hate folding, but I never realized I had a laundry system until our family laundry routine started to change. Since my children were young, we had five stacking laundry baskets each labeled (Supplies, Whites, Colors, Lights and Darks). Then as the girls got older, each daughter started doing her own laundry and the baskets were placed in a corner. I keep going to the laundry room and hate the mess. Items on the floor, baskets filled with laundry that I have no idea is clean or dirty.
Yesterday, my Sassy One gifted me with a reorganization of our laundry room. Yes, there were happy tears. It is beautiful! She placed extra pillows in bins, moved furniture into place. Mind you my laundry room is in the furthest, darkest corner of our unfinished basement. It's NOT pretty! As we toured the fresh space, IT HIT ME! We always had baskets that were dedicated for dirty clothes and those for clean clothes. For the last few years, my frustration was over the mental anguish caused by looking at a basket full of clothes and not knowing if it was clean or dirty. In my opinion, when there is more than one persona using a space, it needs a system. We put the stacking laundry basket system for dirty clothes back in place mostly for towels and laundry not associated with a specific person because each of our people do their own laundry or it's their weekly chore. Now when I see a laundry basket I will know if it is dirty or clean. Looking at a space with fresh eyes can bring fresh solutions.
Here are a few more helpful Hiebert laundry tips. 1. If you want your clothing item air dried, it goes into a mesh bag. That way anyone moving laundry from washer to dryer will not accidentally dry your clothing and ruin it FOREVER. 2. Because I hate folding laundry, I take the basket of clean clothes directly to my bedroom and put each item away as I fold it. Seems silly, but I will leave a basket of folded laundry sitting for a week, but putting it away as I fold or hang makes the difference for me. I'm weird, it's okay. 3. Each of our daughters have dedicated laundry days. Yes, we still have some verbal scuffles but for the most part, everyone abides by the schedule. 4. Make it cute! My laundry may be in my basement with cement walls with pipes coming our of them, but I made a cute sign to hang from the rafters that says "Laundry Today or Naked Tomorrow". It makes me giggle..every time!