Laundry Overtaking Life

I always put all the clean laundry from the dryer straight onto our bed. that way we have to fold it (at least, if not put it away) before we can get in bed. that works pretty well! good luck.

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I guess it's pretty hard to train husbands but my husband has trained me. First of all he smells a lot of things. Then he declares them clean unless of course they smell bad, look really dirty or have obvious armpit stains. Since you have tiny people I'm sure there really isn't any problem like that
Next we have taken wet towels (how dirty can they get after a bath?) and put them in the dryer or hang them. You could also color code laundry baskets and put them in or near the place where they would go when they were to be put away. You don't really need to put them away. Just keep the clean clothes elsewhere. You will have plenty of time to do that when they are older and alone and no one is in the house anyway. Believe me. Life is too short to really worry about the laundry. I just had a son who returned from six years in the service and I treasure every item of clothing, clean or dirty around my laundry area. I have another one who was in a car accident today and he is alright and safe. You see you have these beautiful people living with you and it's kind of like that saying going around, I am thankful for these messes because it means I have my loved ones here in my life. And if hubby complains or keeps putting clothes all over perhaps you can designate a spot on the floor. Really my friend do not let these things stress you. Just hug these people all the time.

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Hi M. you need some help!! Pick a day when your husband isn't working and have him watch the children while you wash up all the clothes and put them away. Your're right you'll never catch up washing everyday. Instead of training you husband not to leave his clothes all over, teach how to use the washer and dryer. He needs to share in the housework. You didn't get these three children by yourself so he needs to help.

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I hear ya! I do laundry at least 2 times per week and feel the same way. My husband also does not know how to lift a hamper lid, even though he passes it walking into our bathroom from our bedroom. I have done the "if it's not in the hamper, it will not get washed." It did work for a while, so I have to do it again every once in a while. I would suggest that. When he runs out of socks and underwear, they will make it into the hamper.

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Wow you have your hands full! This comes from a mom of 8, 4, and 1 year old twins.

You've gotten great tips, so here is prevention:

Are you washing clean clothes? Especially in winter when we're not outside daily, check your children's clothes and make sure they are dirty and cannot be worn a second day-especially pants. (My 4 year old will wear 3-4 outfits a day at times, so I really check hers)

Do your kids have too much clothes? I prefer having 10-14 days worth of clothes for kids (including Sunday clothes), so if the closets are busting, head to goodwill or consignment and get rid of some. It will make a difference in the laundry (tip from flylady.net)

For the husband: Sit down and talk to him. Explain how busy things are and how you need his help. If he sits down to watch football, put a basket of clean laundry in front of him (I do this often).

Good luck!!

One thing that I do that has helped is to put enough hangers in the laundry basket for the clothes that will go in the dryer. Then, when the clothes are done in the dryer, I grab the hangers and hang everything up right then and there. I also fold the rest of the clothes then, too (right out of the dryer). This way, if you don't get everything put away then, you at least have the clothes ready and not wrinkled.

I too have three kids and have been there, done that, still doing it! I have tried all different ways of doing laundry, and what worked best for me was to have a laundry day. It has to be a day at home. I would work all one day on doing the laundry, then the next day focus on putting it away. I have a separate basket in the bathroom for dirty towels. I usually do the towels and sheets on the different day than the clothes. Just whenever I can fit it in. They aren't as important, don't need to be hung up, etc. I also put all the socks and underwear into one basket and we can fish out what is needed if I don't have time to put it all away. I set this in a central location in the hallway near the bedrooms. My husband will usually fish through and dig his things out. Sometimes he will sort everyone's out. (I love it when he thinks my teenage daughter's underwear are mine. What a compliment!) My husband has always been great with putting his dirty clothes in the hamper. We have a basket for dirty clothes in our bedroom, in the hallway, in the downstairs bathroom, and my two boys have baskets for dirty laundry in their rooms. The dirty clothes have more luck finding their way into the proper location if you have it convenient.

Good luck! I know what an ongoing battle it is!

I do laundry about every other day and find that it allows me to keep up with it, without becoming overwhelmed. Folding is done in the family room, in front of the TV, so that my soon-to-be 3 y.o. does not attempt to run amok around the house. I fold most of the clothes, and he is responsible for finding all of his underware and matching up his socks and the baby's socks. I just say, let's play "Perfect Pair" (a simple computer game played by Bert on Sesame Street) and my son LOVES to do it...I give him lots of praise for matching correctly.

After it's folded I put it back in the basket and we go up to the kids' room to put it away. My son puts away his socks and underware, and then I hand him little stacks of clothing to put away, and he has to decide which drawer is the correct drawer. You can make it easier for the kids to do by putting pictures of shirts, pants, PJ's on their dresser drawers.

Adult clothes get put away before I climb into bed. I usually place the folded stacks of laundry on my bed so that I HAVE to put it away before I can go to sleep.

Hi M. G, congratulations on your newborn! You've certainly got your hands full=). I am a mom of a 25 yr. old, 31 yr. old, 3.5 mo. old and a 7.5 yr. old grandson. And I began training them all, with the exception of my 3.5 mo. old of course, at the ripe age of 2 on how to become M.'s little helper. They were taught how to put away their toys and clothes.On laundry days (once a week as they got older, but with a newborn it varies)it was a fun adventure when the clothes needed folding, they loved folding, and yes sometimes unfolding as well,but it was still quality time spent. Now, of course it wasn't done the way an adult would, but the point is it was done, and it taught them how to be responsible and helpful at the same time, and it allowed us to spend this precious quality time together while we accomplished these daily tasks without me feeling as though I was somehow neglecting them. As a result, the adult children and my grandson are still M.'s helper with my infant son =).
Sorry no advice on the husband part, but let me know when & if you figure this one out successfully.
Sincerely, C.

I have one of those laundry carts with four hanging bags, that way you can put whites in one, colors, blacks, sheets or towels-then you can just grab a load, it's already separated. Laundry is just on going it's never "done"! You just kind of have to keep up with it or it will hunt you down!

Here is what I've found works. I do the laundry (wash and dry) on Monday. On Tuesday, while my daughter is in preschool, I fold the laundry.

My husband doesn't put his clothes in the basket either, but I have to say I'm also guilty of this (our bathroom floor is usually full of clothes by the time Mon comes around - all next to the basket, of course :) I just do one pick up a week.

I've also found that having a more decorative basket in the living room area has really helped. Those random socks and shirts etc are easily thrown in there. Good luck!

Here's what works for our family (husband, me, 5 and 6 yr old)

We have many baskets in each closet that are separated by clothes/colors. Ex - Husband has 5 baskets - 1 for underwear/sweats, one for work shirts/pants, 1 for jeans, 1 non-work shirts and 1 for whites which we share. I have similar baskets for my clothes with another for dry cleaning only. My son only has 1 basket, my 6 yr old has 1 for school uniforms and the other for all other clothes. We also have a basket in each bathroom for towels, so presorted by color and simple again to put away.

So here's how we save tons of time and energy and stay on top of dirty laundry:

1 - No pre-sorting time! Since we have these baskets the sorting is already and always done as everyone changes clothes.
2 - No post-sorting drawer chasing time! Since it's presorted, when you go to put it away, you're only going to a drawer or two not going to every room and closet or drawer in each room or closet. Kids and husband help too.
3 - 0 - 2 loads nightly, but takes only a few minutes. Stay on top of it by grabbing the fuller basket in the morning and leaving in the laundry room. Return fmom work toss in washer,then dryer, then quickly fold and put away. Truly the folding and putting/hanging takes just a couple of minutes since it's been pre-sorted.
4 - No emergency needs! We don't run into disasters of something not being done since we can see what is the bigger dirty basket.

Hope that helps!

You've gotten alot of good advice. As a mother of 5, I've found that it helps to just accept that there is always going to be laundry and it's a on-going never ending process. Keep a sense of humor about it, don't let it get you down when it's not all done and put away. And when your husband asks where his coaching shirt is that he hasn't worn since last weekend, just go find it in the dirty pile and sarcastically say "here it is honey, nice a fresh!".

I don't have a newborn, but I do have a 2 and 3 year old...and it's shocking how much time the laundry takes up. And I agree -- the toughest part is putting the clean clothes away. If I let too many loads of clean clothes pile-up, it can get tough to deal with. Everyone's different, so here's how I have learned to manage without losing my sanity:

1) The kids have two community hampers in the hallway -- one for jeans/darks and one for light colors. At 3, she is old enough to learn which hamper to use...and the 2 yr old is learning from the eldest! Putting their clothes in their hampers is part of their bedtime routine and is non-negotiable. They think it's fun and love the positive attention when they get it right!

2) My husband and I use a three-section hamper (lights, darks, and his business shirts). (I keep my delicates separate and clean them with the kid's lights.) It takes up a ton of room in our closet, but it has been seriously worth it.

3) I do a load of laundry every day or two. Adult lights can usually be combined with kid lights, etc. However, I do NOT sort and put away until I have 2 or 3 loads clean.

4) Once I've got 2 or 3 loads (but not much more!) I let the kids do the sorting with me, usually in the afternoon after the 2yr old gets up from nap. They LOVE it! One basket for M./Daddy clothing, one basket for the 3 yr old clothes, and one basket for 2 yr old clothes! Once that's done, I have them sort Daddy's socks by colors/types! Just call it the "matching game!" Again, your kids will love getting positive feedback and attention from a successful "job!"

5) Once the sorting is done, everything gets put away right then and there. My own non-negotiable is that I have to get all the kid's clothes put away at minimum. While I'm putting the clothes away, the kids play upstairs with the upstairs toys. Upstairs toys are not allowed to come downstairs...so they feel like there is variety! And we are all together in the same rooms.

6) And on those occasions when things get backed-up and out of hand (yep, it will still happens), it's time to call in the hubby for back-up. He can handle putting his own stuff away once in a while.

There aren't many projects that we Mom's can "check off our lists." When ALL the laundry is clean and put away, there will be dirty clothes at the end of the day. When all the dishes are clean and put away, there will be a dirty dish or bottle within hours. It can be frustrating. But hang in there...the rest of us are feeling it with you!

The 2 and the 3 year old can DEFINITELY help. My son is nearly 3 and has been 'helping' me since he turned 2. What I mean by this is that he helps sort the laundry prior to washing - what a great way for him to learn colors and such, he can take loads of laundry out of the dryer, and he helps me sort and match things like socks and underwear.

With the 2 and 3 year old you can definitely make this into a competition. Give them their own little basket and tell them they're having a 'race'. Show them where their clothes go in the drawers and have them put their stuff away neatly. Whomever has their basket emptied and clothes put away neatly (they're not going to be 'perfect' but you can always make them 'pass inspection') first gets a prize or a sticker on a chart.

Another idea might be to strategically time when you put your clothes away. Sometimes when my little one is not focused enough to be productive help, I sit him on the bed and turn on PBS and let him watch like Curious George or Martha Speaks while I fold and/or put the clothes away in my room. Your 2 and 3 year old should be able to sit there on the bed quietly and entertain themselves while you take the 5 minutes to put the stuff away.

I also wash anything that needs to be on hangers in one load and time that so I do it right before I go to bed. It avoids the wrinkling, plus it only takes a few minutes to go from dryer to hanger. The items that can sit in a basket overnight or for a period of time are loads I wash at any time during the day in case something comes up and I can't get to the right away.

I do NOT fold or put away my husbands clothes. I'll wash them, but it is up to him to put the stuff away. If he wants to shove it in a drawer unfolded, so be it but it is out of my sight and out of my mind so I don't really care. I totally agree with others posters - if he can't put the clothes in the hamper, they don't get washed. Period. I mean really, how darn hard is it to take the 3 extra steps? Trust me, it'll only take a time or two of not having clean clothes for him to get his stuff together! Also, if my husband starts to get bad about not putting his clean clothes away, I put them in his bathroom in his sink. He really has nowhere else to put them so he just sucks it up and puts them away.

i have 3 kids, sames ages as yours. i just do all my laundry on tuesdays. if something is needed during the week, i gather up enough for a small load or 2. but for me, one day dedicated to laundry is what works best.

my 3 year old goes to preschool on tuesdays and thursdays, and i let my 2 y.o. watch her tv shows for the couple of hours the older one is at school, so i can tackle the laundry mound without distraction, even if just for a little bit. i try not to set any appointments on tuesdays or make any plans for errands, so i can get it all done.

i sort everything monday night, after the kids are in bed. my husband helps every now and then, but i find that it goes quicker if he doesn't. :) tuesday morning, first thing, i throw a load in. i can usually finish our 7-8 loads by bedtime, even with the kids' needs. i know it's hard, and tuesdays aren't a big bonding day with the kids but i let them "help" with the folding and putting their stuff in their drawers (though i always have to double check the drawers! haha). and a load a day doesn't work for us...we were always in need of something that wasn't in the load i washed that day!

don't let it overwhelm you. and if it's that bad, let your husband know how he can help. my hubby didn't have a clue how much washing got done until i explained it to him...that's when he started offering to help the night before.

Can the kids help you with the laundry? I think that they are old enough to fold towels, socks, etc, and even put them away. It makes them feel good to help. Maybe you can give them an "allowance" when they help, like change for your their piggy banks, or a small treat. As far as the hubby....maybe you can wash and dry and fold, and he can put his own clothes away.

I have 3 kids as well- 4, almost3, and 5 months. My kids have enough cloths for about 10 days. (including church cloths) That helps cut down on laundry because there aren't as many cloths. Then I have a laundry day. As I sit and type this I have a load in the washer and a load in the dryer. Saturday is my laundry day. I do all the laundry for the week. I usually start the first load around 7:30 in the morning and finish putting the last load away about 4:00. I try to fold the cloths as soon as they come out of the dryer. Unless I am feeding the baby in which case I fold them when I am finished. Sometimes I put the cloths away when I'm done folding each time, and sometimes I will put them away after most of the loads of cloths are done. If we have a particularly messy time with more cloths than usual I may throw a load in during the week. (Like if the baby is spitting up a lot, or during potty training, etc...) Also, If kids end up sick I do laundry as needed then, but that isn't very often.

First I would say don't freak out, it is just laundry. But I know (for me anyway!) just looking around the house and seeing the dust bunnies in the corners and the laundry STILL sitting in the basket and all the little chores that pile up can be a real downer!! So here is what I suggest:

1)Tackle one thing at a time. When you take the laundry to the machine, divide it into things you absolutely NEED to be washed, things that can sit a day or so, and things like blankets, etc. that you can get along without until a day where you have a little extra time. Get three different baskets for each batch.

2) Do the 'essential' laundry first. While it is in the washer and drying, spend some quality time with your kids playing or better yet, make a game out of 'picking up' and get them ( as much as they can) to help you out just by tidying up their room or the family room. When the laundry is out of the dryer, let them watch a video with you for 15 minutes or so while you fold.

3)Repeat the first step, and while things are in the wash, put the other basket of folded laundry away RIGHT THEN- if you let it sit even one day, it is so much easier to just leave it there! Get the kids to help you- have them help pull and push the basket into the right room and pretend it is a train dropping off towels or clean socks and underwear, etc. Put on some fun music you can all dance to while you do it- burn calories, put away laundry AND play with the kids all at once!!

The husband is another story. He is totally old enough to pull his own weight in the laundry department!! Don't leave his clothes around- he must not care about it. Instead, pile them up on his side of the bed. Leave an empty basket on the floor and tell him point blank that is HIS basket and the only way his laundry will get done is if he places it IN THE BASKET. Tell him that you do not run a laundromat and if he can't at least put dirty clothing in the basket, he can do his own laundry on the weekends. He may even take you up on it- ask him to! It would save you some work and he might do it...

I go through this still, and my son is 10 and I only have one! But I work full time, so I do get where you're coming from. But I have to say, although we have outgrown the 'train' putting on the music and dancing makes the laundry chore go MUCH faster, even with older kids.

But in the end, remember, no one is perfect. Your kids will remember you being there and having fun with them and being their mom, not how fast you did the laundry. So don't work on it out of guilt- do it because you want to and it makes you feel good to get a chore done. Just don't beat yourself up about it!

Have the kids help. I do laundry all the time it seems as well... putting it away is a total pain I agree. I have clean clothes all the time sitting in baskets. Once or twice a week I put all laundry away. My son puts his own away (he is 10) and the girls (4 and 6) help me. I sort piles and they fold what they can or put on hangers. When they were littler they were not able to fold or put on hangers but they could run piles to the right room and even put them in the right drawer. These go in the underwear drawer, pj drawer, play clothes drawer etc. They were great at that and it cut my time down alot... plus we were doing it together.
As for teaching your husband--- good luck. If you come up with something that works please let me know. I tried the if it doesn't make it to the laundry room (we have a laundry shoot from the bathroom down into the laundry room so it really is not hard) they don't get washed rule. My husband still hasn't gotten it. Its been over a year! My son got the hint the first time he didn't have any clean pants and once he had to wear dirty soccer socks to his game because they were all piled on the floor. He knew I meant business so his clothes make it down at least once a week. However my husband still doesn't get it and I am often woke up at 5AM by his complaining about no clean jeans. So I usually give up and do it anyway.. atleast that way I don't get woke up.
Hope this helps :)

Good idea you mentioned about not washing anything that is not in the hamper!
When my kids were young (about 6 or so)I got them each a clothes basked (different colored)and I put their clean clothes in the basket. It was then up to them to take them to their room and put them away if they wanted clean clothes to wear to school. That worked well! Perhaps you could do the same thing with your husband and when your kids are a little older! The 3 year old could do it soon, I'd think!

What i do is do all the laundry during the day--throw them in the wash, then the dryer then just throw them all straight into the "Kids Pack n'Play" I usually completely fill that puppy up! Then when your kids go to sleep,make it a point to do all the folding & putting away at once...

Take an extra 5 minutes to fold a dry tub while filing the washer and starting another tub. Put that 1st tub away then. That second tub can be tossed in dryer any time of the day. When hubby or anyone has 1 minute they can throw the washed tub in the dryer and start the 3rd washing while the 2nd is drying. After supper or whenever you or someone has 5 minutes they cn fold and put away that 2nd tub. It's not so overwhelming that way. The 3rd tub can be in the dryer overnight and folded and put away the next day when you start again. Organization is a necessity when raising a family. Make sure to include daddy. It's his responsibility also. Merry Christmas M..

Even thought I've found a few solutions to make it a little easier, I still feel overwhelmed by laundy but for what it's worth...I so one person's laundry at a time so that I never ever have to sort. As soon as a load is done, I drop the clean laundry off in that person's room and then during the day, play with the kids in each room that has laundry so I can put it away while hanging out with them. I also hardly fold anything - I lay shirts out flat and put them in the draw in one tall stack so I don't have to waste time folding. None essentials like pjs get thrown in the drawer as is. For my laundry, I divide loads up into things that have to be pulled from the dryer early and hung up and loads that can go straight from the washer to the dryer without touching them. Hope this helps!!!

Growing up with 3 sisters....this is how we handled it.

1. Laundry hamper was a covered wicker basket in the hallway between all our rooms. If it wasn't in the hamper, it didn't get done. You could point out to your hubby that his leaving clothes all over is a bad example for the kids...

2. Clean laundry was put in a pile on the stairs - one stair per person. We were responsible for bringing it upstairs.

3. When we were older, we were taught how to sort and do laundry ourselves.

Try doing your laundry only twice a week. Spend a few hours washing and drying and when it's time to fold, put it all down in front of the tv and have the kids help however they can or they can watch the movie while you fold. Let them help you carry the baskets to their rooms and put the laundry away. That way you get to spend time with them plus get things done.
As for the husband, mine does the same thing and it doesn't matter how much I try, nothing seems to work. Try just leaving his clothes and maybe eventually he will see what kind of mess it makes.
Good luck...I don't laundry will ever get easier unless you can afford to have someone come do it for you. lol