We tried, but we're sorry: We can't make laundry day go away. But we do think it can be much less painful than you might be making it. To prove our theory, we asked experts in the trenches (some very clever homekeeping bloggers) for their best advice on making laundry less of a burden.
1. If you find laundry to be a slog, either do it way more frequently, or way less often.
Let us explain: When we asked bloggers what their laundry routine was, they were sharply divided on one thing: Whether it's better to do a little laundry every day, or a ton of laundry once a week. "With a busy family of five, I find that if I do one load per day, it makes things much easier and not so overwhelming," says Margo at Joyful Homemaking.
That strategy is a smart way to go, but some people, like Steph from Modern Parents Messy Kids, can be frustrated that the laundry is never really done. "When I dedicate a whole day to laundry, and I know that it's my main task for that day, she says. "My scattered brain knows that my focus is on laundry, and that's what I work on. I love to actually see the bottom of the laundry bins."
So, if laundry is getting you down, we say throw out the script, and try whichever strategy you aren't using right now. You might be surprised how much happier it makes you.
2. Don't think of it as "laundry day" at all.
"As a mom, there are days I miss watching TV, diving into a good book, or listening to my favorite podcast," says Kim at Thifty Little Mom. "That's why I secretly look forward to laundry day. With streaming media, audiobooks, and podcasts available on demand, I can get my fill while washing, ironing, and putting away clothes."
3. Invest in divided hampers.
Sorting laundry can be a tedious task, so it pays to find ways to encourage your crew do it automatically.
"If possible, each family member (or bedroom) should have a divided hamper," says Steph at Modern Parents Messy Kids. "Darks go in one section, and lights in the other right from the get-go. That way, when it gets to the laundry room, the work has been done for you."
4. Try a "right away" bin.
If you've been caught on game day without a clean uniform for your little soccer star try this tip: "Consider having a 'please wash me first' basket, where each family member can deposit their most pressing laundry," says Steph at Modern Parents Messy Kids. "Be clear about the sanctity of the basket — only true priority items belong."
5. Give each family member a socks-only mesh bag.
Laura at Better in Bulk uses this genius move to eliminate the missing-sock blues and endless sorting and matching:
"Buy each person in your family a simple mesh lingerie bag," she says. "Once a week or so, gather the bags, zip them up, and throw them in the washer and dryer with a normal load of laundry. When they are dry, each person gets their sock bag back and folds and puts them away. No more sorting though to figure out whose are whose, and no mismatched pairs!"
6. Fold fast.
"My number one tip is to fold the clothes right out of the dryer," says Anna at the cleaning and organizing blog Ask Anna. "I used to pile all the clothes up and fold them in the evenings, but I found that half the time they wouldn't get folded, and I'd have big piles laying around. That drove me nuts! It's more efficient to fold the clothes as you take them out of the dryer, and it will prevent your clothes from getting super wrinkly."
7. Or, don't fold at all.
"One of my favorite laundry hacks for my family is rolling shirts rather than folding them," says Jodi at Meaningful Mama. "I find that it saves on space and helps to keep drawers tidier. My kids can more easily get a top view of all of their shirts rather than digging through a stack of folded clothes."
8. Use color-coding to get kids involved.
There's something about assigning family members a color that just helps get the job done, no matter the chore. Erin at The Humbled Homemaker assigned her young daughters each a colored bin and places their clean clothes inside.
"This way, the kids are able to put their own laundry away," she says. "Right now, they usually ask me before they do it, but I'm hoping that one day they'll just take the initiative."
TELL US: What's your best laundry day trick?
NEXT: 5 Big Mistakes You're Making Washing Your Jeans »
Photos: Getty, Courtesy of The Humbled Homemaker
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