Twenty what, you ask?
Twenty laundry baskets. That's how many it takes for me to do my laundry. Are they technically called laundry hampers? Oh well, soft shell tortillas aren't called tacos and a Suburban isn't a van, but that's never stopped me from using my very own vernacular.
You may think I am over compensating for my lack of true laundry talent. And I may have an entire summer of unsorted socks that would agree with you. Well, I did have an entire summer's worth before Peter kindly matched them up the other day. My plan was to ignore the pile and continue wearing sandals until my toes froze off.
Want to know why any
3 are for the kids' bedrooms (one per room). Yes,they're mostly for looks. I'm not sure I've ever found dirty clothes in them. Empty chip wrappers, lost library books, and the shirt I've washed 10 times without seeing worn once- this is what I find in these laundry baskets.
+
6 are for sorting dirty laundry: 2 darks, reds, lights, whites, and blue jeans. I only do laundry once a week, so I fill all 6 overflowing each week.
+
 |
| Four kids still aren't done. Hmmmm. |
9 are for sorting clean laundry: one for each person (Peter and I split 3 between us.) As you might have gathered from my last post, my kids think of them as a mere extension of their actual dressers. I found them on clearance, or I probably would only have 6. "Only six"would seem less crazy, right?
+
+
(3 is the number I'm still short as I have no basket downstairs and two of my dirty laundry baskets double as bathroom baskets.) |
| My weekly pile (unsorted) |
I like doing laundry as you well know. I think that your system is a great one. Anything that works is great.
ReplyDeleteAdam and I are doing constantly. For two of us. And I don't wash my clothes after every use, since I have so many. I can only imagine!
ReplyDeleteI hate laundry. Almost as much as I hate cleaning toilets. I've counted up what I have in my house just for you... I have three big baskets used for sorting the dirty stuff... 5 smallish baskets used for sorting the clean (one for each kid, then Josh and I's stuff stays on the kitchen table until I put it away, or it gets relocated to one of the big baskets, if enough clothes have been washed that one happens to be empty. Or I just dump out a pile of dirty laundry onto the floor in the laundry room so I can use the basket...) Then I have two hampers, one in my bedroom, and one in the hallway upstairs for the kids. So that's 10 total? You're making me think I need to get a few more...
ReplyDeleteI think it is all very sound logic.
ReplyDeleteI have 4 and it drives me crazy. 2 in my room and one in each of the kid's rooms. I'm too cheap for more, but I really need them. For instance I did 4 loads of just kid laundry yesterday. I ended up with lots of clean clothes on the floor and lots of carrying huge armfuls of dirty clothes down to the washer.
ReplyDeleteI like your system! I have 8 baskets and they each do their various jobs for laundry. But I have three fewer children...
ReplyDeleteI also have a basket full of unsorted socks. I wish somebody would come up with a magical way to fix that problem!
Yay for confessions!! Haha. Um, I do have quite a bit of cleaning and laundry products to make my life easier, and continue to add to that collection when things seem to be getting out of hand. So I suppose the real question is, when will it end?
ReplyDeleteI realized when sorting laundry the other day that not every family has a sorting classification known as "delicate purples". Yup, an entire laundry basket devoted to that.
ReplyDeleteNope, you're not the only one. Clint and I have 3 "fancy" ones for the bedroom (whites, his clothes, my clothes) and then an assortment of Rubbermaid containers and a bin for towels/sheets/blankets! I wouldn't say that "WE" have so much laundry it's the 2 people plus 2 dogs plus a dedicated workout clothes hamper that turns into at least 4 loads per week!
ReplyDeleteHoly crap!
ReplyDeleteWhatever it takes sister, whatever it takes. Although, do your kids do any of the laundry at all, at least the older ones? I remember clearly the day my mom stopped doing kid laundry. I thought it was a bad day, but looking back I'm glad she "pushed us into the pool without our floaties."
ReplyDeleteHey, whatever works! :)
ReplyDeleteElise does her own laundry. Although she needs some work on FOLDING it. (Her's was the basket overflowing, I usually have some of hers that makes its way into the family laundry, so I pull her basket out to put it in.)
ReplyDeleteI did not inherit that love. Although I can tolerate it now that I have a high efficiency machine.
ReplyDeleteYes. Laundry and bathrooms are high on my list of housework hates. Also, I don't like cleaning the kids' rooms. But, no matter how often they clean it themselves, the rooms need a thorough Mom clean once in a while.
ReplyDeleteI was that way for years and finally decided to just buy what I needed (er, wanted) to make it run as smoothly as possible.
ReplyDeleteI keep all my socks in a basket as long as humanly possible. Usually my husband gives up and matches them before I do.
ReplyDeleteNever. My cleaning arsenal is always increasing.
ReplyDeleteThat is awesome! I toyed with separating out every color into its own load, but have never really got it going.
ReplyDeleteI've often thought it would be cool to get the family to sort their dirty laundry as they go instead of doing it on laundry day, but we have too many disagreements on what qualifies as dark, light, or white.
ReplyDeleteElise does her own laundry. But she is horrible at FOLDING it. The overflowing basket is hers. Invariably, a little of her laundry makes it into the family loads, so I pull her basket out to sort them into.
ReplyDeleteI'll bet I have close to 20--I just bought 4 more last week because I was having to put my clean laundry on the floor--no more baskets! I am impressed you have a system in place. That's what I'm lacking! And I also have numerous random cleaning supplies--all for a good purpose, of course. :)
ReplyDeleteWhat?! Laundry baskets are for laundry? My kids and I would beg to differ. We've used ours for carrying each other, kenneling children like dogs, collecting weeds and the vegetable harvest, luggage, and even sledding. Just yesterday I caught my five-year-old scooting around the kitchen with his feet in his brand-new laundry basket. I asked him if he remembered why I had to buy him a new one, and a moment of thoughtfulness reminded him that his old-laundry-basket-gone-toy had not stood up well to his feet pushing through the holes. So he dutifully took it back to his room and left it standing empty there on top of the layer of dirty clothes covering his floor. It's still there mocking me.
ReplyDeleteMy collection of cleaning supplies that actually get used as cleaning supplies is spray bottles. I have seven filled with my own concoctions in addition to the ones still containing store-bought cleaners.
I know what you mean. Mine have several alternative uses, too. Also, turns out the younger boys' basket needs to be replaced. It didn't survive being used as a bookshelf and tossed down the stairs.
ReplyDeleteWow!!! At least you're organized. I have one or two loads for my hubby and me each week so I can not even IMAGINE 20 loads!!!
ReplyDeleteI will confess that I do not have enough!
ReplyDeleteMy oldest does her own laundry so she has one then there are an extra 3 for dirty clothes, one more for dirty rags, 6 for sorting, however I use the ones for dirty laundry to put clean laundry in from the dryer and the kids never get them back in their rooms before a pile has accumulated, so maybe I should count those 3 twice. Then I have 2 sitting it the garage full of clothes that are to small for kids and now are probably to small for the next kids too. Olivia will turn 12 in April and will receive a laundry basket for her birthday. (Am I not the sweetest mother ever) That is up to what 16, and they are always overflowing. One for each kids clean clothes is a GREAT idea. I might have to steal that Idea from you and get 5 more baskets which puts me to 21. I WIN! Actually, to help with cost I do make my own laundry detergent for about $1 a gallon!