Winning The War on Laundry

Doing laundry for a household of 8 can be Mission Impossilbe if you are not organized.  The clothes can multiply right before your very eyes and the cost of the laundry supplies can cost just as much as the clothing! Detergent, stain remover, fabric softener, dryer sheets, bleach, and in wash boosters can be budget busters if you're not careful. Laundry used to get the best of me, but I finally declared war on the laundry and conquered it for good!

First off I had to get organized.  I made a schedule, organized my laundry area, stocked up on supplies and declared war!  By sticking to the schedule, laundry no longer consumed my days. I put an end to  unnessary trips to the store for laundry supplies at full price An organized laundry area made things easy to locate and allowed me to see all of my supplies at a glance. 

I decided to put 4 laundry baskets out for the kids to sort their clothes into when they put them in the dirty clothes.  For the most part they do a good job sorting, minus the occasional shirt or sock tossed behind the washer.  By having 4 baskets, I can wait until I have a full load of a certain color to maximize the use of water and electricity. 

Next I made a schedule for laundry.  Before I go to bed I always put a load of clothes in the washer. This is usually one of the longer loads such as whites that I use bleach with and wash in hot water. In the morning this would be my first load in the dryer. Then I drop a regular load, and do a few blog posts to bring you all the latest deals.  Since I have a super efficient washer with  an ultra spin cycle, the washer and dryer take about the same time to complete a cycle. The last load that I wash for the day is sheets or towels which I then hang on the clothesline.  In the meantime I manage to match up outfits and deliver  them to the various kids' rooms. By 11 am, laundry is done!

Store bought laundry supplies are a personal preference of mine. I have nothing against those that make their own, but for the sake of  time and scents I purchase mine.  My stock up price for laundry supplies is $1. Now that Dollar Tree accepts manufacturers coupons, I can score them for low as $.50! I keep all of my supplies in view so that I know what I have on hand at all times. 

By the time dinner is ready, the clothes on the line are ready to be folded and put away. I try to fold them directly from the line, into the basket, and from the basket into the linen closet. No more being held hostage by laundry for me! If I can win the war on laundry with a household of 8, you can too!