LaundryDilemma

The Laundry Dilemma - Or Is It?
Copyright © 2006 Andrea Simanson
All Rights Reserved

It's unusual to find moms who like to do laundry. It's the chore that never ends and only seems to grow. As soon as you put away the clean laundry, dirty laundry magically appears. Even before you put the clean stuff away, the dirty laundry is piling up in the closet. It's a vicious cycle.

Time after time, I've been frustrated doing laundry. I've told people that laundry is my least favorite chore. I've complained about the chore. I've even just plain avoided the responsibility for a week at a time (come on, what mom hasn't avoided doing laundry?!).

As I have contemplated my attitude about laundry, I've discovered that "doing laundry" is not necessarily the problem for me. Throwing a load of clothes into the washer is not a problem. It's actually kind of fun. Switching the laundry from the washer to the dryer is not a problem. That part is easy. It's not even folding the laundry that I dislike. The real problem, I've discovered, is the clutter I face when travel around our home to put the laundry away. Putting laundry away should only take a few minutes, but for me it can be a daunting task that grows into an unmanageable project, and then into a bad attitude that gets translated into "Oh, laundry is my least favorite chore."

Is it really a laundry dilemma? I think not for the majority of us. The real problem is more likely a clutter issue. Clutter in drawers and clutter in closets. Clutter in husband's and children's drawers and closets.
Too many clothes + not enough space = clutter. Even my smart 11-year old son crams clothes into an already cram-packed dresser. Why is that? Because we don't step back and identify the real problem. Most people go through this unconscious dilemma and instead of dealing with the real issue, chalk it up to disliking doing laundry.

If the real problem is clutter, let's deal with the clutter, so we can start enjoying doing our laundry. Following are a few tips to get started:

1. Take time to store off-season clothes in a separate location.
Box them up and put them in a storage room or a different room away from your bedroom.

2. Make room in your drawers and closets for your clothes.
Do you have nine t-shirts, but only wear three of them? Get rid of the extra six.

3. Organize your dresser drawers.
For example, in a three-drawer dresser, use one drawer for underclothing, one drawer for shirts, and the other drawer for pants. Or, try storing your clothes pre-sorted into outfits.

4. Clean out your closet.
Is your closet so stuffed with clothes that you have to re-iron a shirt or blouse before wearing it? If the issue is too many clothes, purge some of them. If the issue is space, consider putting some of the clothes in a closet elsewhere in your home. Make room so that clothes hang freely.

As you identify and eliminate the clutter in your drawers and closets, you might find that laundry will be more doable and even enjoyable.

Andrea Simanson is a wife and mother of three children, and the website and ezine editor of Successful Family Chores - Putting FUN and ENERGY into everyday tasks. For a regular dose of family organizational ideas and chore tips, sign up for her free bi-monthly newsletter by clicking here.