Airing My Dirty Laundry

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I have a confession to make.

I'm really, really bad at laundry. I know, I know, unless you're a 20 year old college kid, how can you really be bad at laundry?

I don't know the answer to that question. I just know that I'm bad at it. I think the main problem is that I don't do it. And then suddenly I have nothing to wear and the baskets are overflowing and I'm overloading the washer and it's all a bit of a disaster.

And then the problem gets worse because I finally do a few loads and then they sit. In baskets. Around the house. For days. Like this.

And instead of putting it away, I just kind of rifle through the basket every morning looking for what I need and leaving everything else to become even more intimately acquainted with its wrinkles. Sometimes I even ADD to the laundry basket. Like if I take a shirt out of the closet and then decide I want to wear a different shirt, instead of hanging the first shirt back up, I'll just toss it in the basket of clean laundry.

Sigh. I can't believe I'm admitting this on the Internet.

Anyway, about a year ago we hired a wonderful nanny who started doing our laundry for us. We didn't ask her to, but she just started doing it anyway. And she wouldn't just do the laundry, but she would fold it and put it away. So, for a whole year I haven't had to deal with these baskets sitting all over the house. In fact, for a whole year I haven't even done any laundry. It's been marvelous.

Unfortunately, due to Greg's recent unemployment status, we've had to let our nanny go. Besides this being sad in a million horrible ways because we love her dearly, it also means that, yes, I have to start doing laundry again.

So, tell me Internet, I need your help! Tell me how to organize my laundry! Seriously!

Also, check out how other BlogHer bloggers are handling their laundry.

Comments

[Liz]

As terrible as this sounds, you have to do laundry every day. Or at least every other day. If you stay on top of it, it's not so bad and the loads are smaller.

Put in a load in the morning. Take it out immediately and put it in the drier or leave it for Greg to do. Sometimes I have to set a timer to remind myself that there's something in the wash. I typically fold laundry at night when everyone is asleep and put it away in the morning (for the kids, that is. I put mine away as I'm pulling it out of the laundry basket.)

[Claire Bidwell Smith]

Sigh. I think youre right about the laundry every day thing. There are just SO many things in life that Id rather do besides laundry.

[bonnie kennedy]

If it makes you feel better...I would have never, ever guessed...both you and veronica always look adorable and well pressed!

[Claire Bidwell Smith]

Hahahaa.....

[Emma]

I cannot help you, as I suffer the same predictment and I make my b'friend to do it for me, I also crack it if the socks are not in order and then well don't get me started on folding and putting away clothes, gawd help me when we start having kids. I have seriously collected 3 jackets (I live in Northern Queensland, Australia which equals heat, so don't ask me how it happened) around my desk, cupboard for said jackets is upstairs and 3 bedrooms away, I told the b'friend only this morning, I am already in trouble...urgh clothes - I love them, hate looking after them! That said, you have to make a concentrated effort to know what your doing, i.e. I strip off when I come home, literally where I stand when I walk in to the house I start to shred right there, so I have to make a mental note not to do so, and shred in front of the wardrobe...basically being a poor adult sometimes really sucks. I need a maid and a butler...

[Sophie]

I must be a weirdo. I love doing laundry. Because it's only me, I only need to do a weekly wash, but I love it. There's something about clothes going in dirty, and coming back in from the line clean and smelling lovely.

An old housemate taught me this trick: fold your washing as you get it in from the line, or out of the drier. At least then if it's sitting in the basket for days (or weeks) it's not getting too creased!

Harder to do in winter outside, but in summer I use it as a bit of an excuse to spend some time outside doing nothing much.

[Claire Bidwell Smith]

Oof, if I *loved* laundry then my problem would certainly be solved!

[Claire Bidwell Smith]

I totally need a maid or butler too! Sigh.

[RD]

Greg should do the laundry. You're already taking care of enough things around the house and with V.

[Jessica Sant]

I think you just described my laundry technique verbatim. More often they just stay heaped up on top of the laundry machine. If I actually fold them, they rarely make their way back upstairs. We just end up "clothes shopping" from the folded basket and the clean pile". Ugh... I really need to get on top of that.... maybe next week?

I'm glad to know I'm not the only one.

[Claire Bidwell Smith]

Ha...well, glad to know Im not alone!

[Claire Bidwell Smith]

Actually, now that hes playing Mr. Mom hes got more than enough on his plate! But maybe. :)