Organizing the Laundry

There are many different aspects of doing the laundry. I seem to always be looking for shortcuts, especially when it comes to doing laundry. Here are some tips that I have found that have saved me both time and money and helps me to stay organized.

The part of doing the laundry that always seems to slow down the whole process is that of actually sorting out the clothes. One of the biggest problems when it comes to doing the sorting is that of simple maintenance procedures.

Start by sorting out the clothes by fabric, color, and how soiled the garment is. This separates the clothes that are lint makers and the extra-dirty clothes from the rest of the laundry being washed.

As I am sorting the clothes I take time to hunt and search through each piece of clothing. This takes a little time now, but saves more time later. By doing this I have rescued chewing gum and crayons from being washed and dried. I can also find that I can make a little "side money." (I've told my family that what I find in their pockets when I am doing the laundry is mine. This becomes my little reward system; any money left in the pockets belongs to the person doing the wash.)

While sorting through the clothes I am also examining each piece of clothing going into the washing machine. By examining each piece I can repair the articles of clothing that need repaired—like repairing snags, mending seams, and fixing loose buttons. I take the time to repair them before washing them. If I wait until afterwards the repair job takes longer. The agitation of the washing machine seems to pull the seams apart further and loose buttons easily become lost buttons.

Prepare the clothes for the washer and dryer. Close all the hooks, zip up all the zippers, and Velcro all the Velcro. (If you don't Velcro shut the Velcro it will snag other clothes.) If the clothes will pick up lint or have a tendency to fade, then turn them inside out. Take time to tie long, attached belts or sashes. If you don't they will become tangled with other clothes which will take up more time trying to get everything untangled when finished. Spot and treat stains, collars, cuffs, necklines, knees and the seats of children's clothing.

I try to sort through the clothes the night before I wash them. In the morning before I go off to work I can simply put a load into the washer before I leave for work in the morning. If it's my day off I find that it helps to have everything ready for the first thing in the morning, and then I don't lose time trying to get started.