Dr Phil always asks this question (without the word “laundry”) and I love it.

I always say it doesn’t matter how people make something look on the blogs or in magazines or on TV, or even closer to home, if your friends and family do things a certain way.

It doesn’t mean it will work for you and your family.

Case in point – my overflowing laundry basket.

You all know I hate laundry more than any other chore so imagine how I was twitching when I saw this.

We have to have our laundry basket open otherwise it just doesn’t work for us.

I don’t want to throw the lid away because I may actually use it closed some day (or will I?) so I keep the lid under a dresser in our bedroom.

Recently I had this dresser painted so the lid found its way back onto the basket and this happened.

a mountain of laundry

another angle doesn’t make it look any better

I lifted some of the clothes from the top – ah, there’s the lid

pushed the laundry all down – would you believe that huge pile is all in there?

All that to say – even I need reminders to take my own advice sometimes

I was reminded that bad habits creep in so quietly – you have to be on high alert to keep your home organised!

Do you have open or closed laundry bins? And…. how are they working for you?

You all know how I feel about laundry, right?

Yip, still hate it.

One thing I do that does help save time is this:  I hang the clothes straight onto hangers and then onto the washing line.

Most things don’t really need ironing so they can go straight into the wardrobes once dry.

Eureka – no folding!

Yes, it’s true. I really hate doing the laundry. I think it’s because it’s never DONE! And I like things DONE and ticked off the list.

I actually have a friend who told me once that she finds doing laundry therapeutic. I can’t fathom this at all but maybe you also love doing the laundry and can relate.

Before the babies arrived I did 2 – 3 loads once a week, usually on a Friday, depending on whether it was hot or cold around these parts. In winter the laundry seems to pile up quicker because we’re wearing thicker clothes and layers, lots of layers

Of course, now that the babies are here, we have to do 3 – 4 loads of baby laundry every week, in addition to our 2 – 3 loads. They also spit on me all the time despite using burp cloths so that’s increased our laundry too!

Fun times!

So here’s what I now do:

Preparation

1. I have two big laundry baskets in my laundry, a tiny room just off my kitchen. One is for colours and one for whites. One of these baskets equals a full load in the machine so when the basket is full, I do a load, no matter what day of the week it is
2. We have a laundry basket in our bedroom which I empty every 1 – 2 days.
3. When I empty the bedroom laundry basket, I separate into the colours and whites piles there and then.
4. I keep stain remover, washing powder and fabric softener, right where I use it – next to the washing machine – so that it’s not a big schlep actually doing the laundry.
5. Most times, I get the machine ready before the time by filling the washing powder and fabric softener drawers, and setting the dial ready to start. We also have a leaking tap and I hate wasting water so I put a bucket underneath the leak.

Actual doing

1. When one of those baskets is full, all I have to do is toss the laundry into the machine and turn on the tap.
2. If I’m feeling extra clever, I load the machine in the evenings and leave a note for Dion to turn on the machine in the mornings when he wakes.

Drying

1. If the weather’s good, which it is 90% of the time in Johannesburg, I like to hang the laundry outside to dry because the air does the job quicker and it saves me money by not having to use the tumble dryer.
2. I hang shirts and tops straight onto hangers and hang the hangers on the washing line. It’s quicker than using clothes pegs and easier to bring in quickly if rain threatens as it does during summer time afternoons.

Ironing

1. I think if there’s anything worse than doing laundry in the machine, it must be the ironing. I absolutely can’t stand it. I’ve been known to wear every single thing in my wardrobe rather than get out the iron and iron something.
2. We have a cleaning lady, Precious, who cleans the house and does our ironing once a week. Heaven! I would do without eating out but I will not do without Precious

Babies

The babies have a nanny to look after them and part of her responsibilities is to do their laundry while they nap. Aren’t I clever?

Do you love or hate doing the laundry?

If you’re one of those people who love doing the laundry, please share your tips with the rest of us

P.S. This is in response to Michelle from British Columbia who wanted to know how to keep the laundry monster at bay

Get your home organised in 12 weeks

Lovely – order restored!

Here in South Africa, it is common to have a cleaning lady. My cleaning lady, Bea, comes in every Monday and for the most part, does an excellent job.

I have been known to say that I will do without food before I do without Bea! That’s how much I hate ironing.

The thing is I could explain to her what goes where but when I get home, she would still put things wherever she found a place.

So I’d end up running around the house looking for my gym shorts, or whatever, because Bea put things where she wanted to.

Until I made these tags for the laundry piles…

One tag says Gym clothes, one says Sleeping clothes, another says Leave this pile on the bed – I’ll pack away.

I took an A4 sheet of cardboard, cut it into 4, and then bent the bits in two.

Since I’ve started doing this, there has been no problems whatsoever. Bea packs everything away in the correct places, and I do the difficult-to-describe-to-someone-else places.

This works for me and now I have no more stress!

For more great tips, go visit Shannon over at Rocks in my Dryer.

Stain remover, washing powder, fabric softener and the iron

I love hooks to maximise space – dust pan and brush, peg bag (clothespins); standing – broom, ironing board and spare laundry basket (when things get out of hand)