As you can imagine, a family of 6 creates a lot of laundry.
I don’t particularly enjoy doing laundry. It’s not exactly what I call “fun”.
But I don’t much mind it either.
I know, it’s weird.
I guess, in my own little way, I feel that it’s how I serve my little family in love.
Behind the scenes, while children nap, as he works at the office…I fold the same pair of pants for the 86th time.
Unceremoniously. Quietly. And let’s face it, thanklessly.
Because at least a home cooked dinner brings with it yums and smacking of lips and rubbing of tummies.
A fresh stack of clean choners, while nice, doesn’t typically elicit shouts of joy.
That being said, my most leastest (yes, I just made that word up) favorite part of laundry is the putting awaying (another made up word).
The washing and drying…well, I’m not really the one doing that anyway. We’re not Amish. We have a couple Maytag’s that do the heavy lifting on that front.
And folding…I mean, it’s boring. And tedious. And I don’t love it, but it’s whatevs.
But there’s just something horrifically awful about putting it all away when you are done.
Plus, I don’t have a “real” laundry room. It’s basically an oversized closet that houses my washer and dryer, a vacuum and a trash can.
Sure, it’s better than nothing, but it really stinks to have to fold on my bed. Because it basically means my bedroom looks like this…
ALL. THE. TIME.
And then there are the days that I get sidetracked and forget that I didn’t put away laundry…until I hobble upstairs in a drowsy stupor dreaming of my bed…only to find every square inch of it covered in folded, sorted, (clean) clothes.
By then I’m too tired to put it all away…so I do what any normal person does: I just move it to any other flat surface in my bedroom. Dressers. Desks. Chairs. Bathroom sinks.
Which is always such a nice way to wake up the next morning.
And so, someday, when I win the lotto (that I don’t play), I will have a house with a real laundry room.
A laundry room that has three mandatory elements: 1) a countertop (for folding), 2) a door (to close and hide mid-way laundry efforts), and 3) two dryers (so I can get through it all that much faster).
Thanks to Pinterest, I can drool over other people’s laundry rooms…and then seethe at the piles on my bed.
Source: remodelingtherapy.com via Jeannett on Pinterest
Natural light? Bright and light? Plenty of counter space? I’ll take two.
Source: Uploaded by user via Jeannett on Pinterest
Access from the master bedroom closet? Genius.
Source: camerasandchaos.blogspot.com via Jeannett on Pinterest
See? It doesn’t have to be fancy. A simple L-shaped counter and cubbies for baskets. I’m not high maintenance. For the most part.
I don’t need a bunch of room. Just squeeze it in wherever. It’s cool.
Forget the fresh flowers…look at all that counter space!!! Jealous. A lot.
Is it sad that I’d take this room over a 10 carat diamond ring in a heartbeat? Don’t answer that.
What’s your least favorite part of doing laundry? What’s the one thing you would love to have in your laundry room (besides a maid to do it for you)?
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Hm. We just bought our dream house in February, so now I have a utility room with a 1/2 bath, the laundry, a storage closet and pantry.
I still fold our laundry on the dining room table. It’s a huge behemoth, and super long; perfect for choney stacking 101.
I dislike sorting laundry, which my denim-colored socks can attest to. Since we are a two-person working family, my husband does his own laundry, which means I do the towels, our daughter’s laundry and my own. Hm. If I won the lotto, I’d have the maid do the laundry, for sure.
Cheers,
Caryl
I highly dislike folding. To be more speicfic I dislike folding the white clothes. My husband has a lot of white under shirts and socks. It’s just too much. I also highly dislike folding my boys clothes. Sometimes I feel they have more clothes than me, but I think that’s just because they dirty them that much faster. I swear I wash and fold the same pair of shorts like 15 times in a week.
And hanging clothes? Ugh. I’d rather just throw them in the closet. I don’t mind putting clothes away in the dressers, but I really dislike hanging up clothes.
Space, the final frontier. Well, at least it seems that way when it comes to my laundry closet. I don’t have a laundry room, but would so love one. I would love, love some space. Somewhere to put away all my laundry products and somewhere to fold. That would be perfect.
Oh, Jeannett! I love you even more after reading this! I am so often discouraged by my laundry room. It is exactly the way you described. And so, yes, it goes to the our bedroom , which is also as you described. Argh! But I really do love laundry. I get to fold up dressy little “doll clothes”, basically, and though the girls help me, it’s also fun to sort for what can be given away and gotten out of the house!
Still, our laundry “room” is blessing. It used to be in the carport!!!! Oh, yes. Not even a garage. Laundry on rainy days was a little tricky…
Be blessed, busy Mommy! I love seeing life with the six of you!
Our laundry stuff is in the garage, wedged between the area where we pin our dogs in for the night. It is hot, and stuff. No where to fold. I also fold on our bed. When I remember to actually take the laundry out of the dryer…in the hot garage!
Julie {Angry Julie Monday}´s last blog post ..Hello Monday
Oh the irony… I’m folding laundry as I read this. Crispy, crunchy laundry, because every single article of our laundry must be hung dry. We live in a very small 2 bedroom apartment. There aren’t any washer/dryer hookups. We did the laundromat thing for a while, and HOLY COW it costs an arm an a leg to do laundry in a laundromat! So we bought a portable washing machine. It looks like a bread machine on steroids. Really. We have to hook it up to our bathroom sink each time we use it. But I’m SO thankful for it. Way better than lugging everything to the laundromat. And the hubs rigged a couple of clotheslines in the back room (king of like a narrow storage room). It gets the job done. And boy is it a job.
Mandy´s last blog post ..When I don’t want to get out of bed
Oh girl- you sure hit the nail on the head!!!! I hate the putting away. Loathe. Despise. My laundry room (let’s call it that) is in the basement and shouldn’t be fit to make clothes clean. So I haul each basket up to the living room where I fold. Each family member gets a basket. And those baskets just sit there (i a, staring at them right now!) And I apologize to all who enter my home.
I can’t also forget the whites. Hate folding those socks. Ugh.
I miss our old house with its laundry room that I took for granted . Sigh.
Karri´s last blog post ..DIY gathered neck ribbon halter {a tutorial}
I actually do like laundry… http://strikingrepose.blogspot.com/2012/07/why-i-love-laundry-simple-frugal-and.html
All except for putting the clothes away, that is.
And I’d like to have air conditioning in my laundry room!
Marissa´s last blog post ..When Surrender is More Beautiful
I am always coming into our room all ready for bed only to find mounds of clean clothes on it (sometimes not folded, whoops). I would have to say that my least favorite part of doing laundry is are dryer. If I am doing a lot of loads back to back towards the end the dryer will only stay on for a few minutes and I have to keep restarting it. It takes foreeeeever.
You’re too funny! Reading this was like you were reading my mind. Surely we’re not the only women out there. My laundry room is also a closet but I’ve learned to embrace it. When I lived in a different house with a bigger laundry room it was always messy. This way I do all the laundry on one day and it gets put away before bed because I also fold onto my bed. We have a “changing room” for the kids. It is a storage closet off their bathroom that we lined with shelves and that is where the kids’ clothes are kept. Not in separate bedrooms, closets and dressers all over the house. One location. The kids are also responsible for putting their clothes away. Mind you, that meant I had to let go of it being well organized. They try though. The other thing…are your appliances working properly? I was spending so much time doing laundry and waiting on the dryer that when we moved and needed to get new appliances I was shocked at how quickly it can get done with a proper set of machines. Something to think about and definitely worth the investment.
And, pardon me, someone mentioned socks. I make a pile of socks and undies (the kids’ only, I wouldn’t make them handle mine or my hubbies) and the kids have to sort their own out and put them together. Huge timesaver for mama.
We are currently stationed overseas in Japan, and are living in a very small apartment. Our washer/dryer are right in the middle of the kitchen, and next to the front door. How I would love to have a laundry room! Just so that when people come over in the middle of the day, they don’t have to see all our laundry in process, or hear the loud washer.
You have no IDEA how exciting this post is to me! I lurve doing the laundry and the highlight is IRONING….say it isn’t so, say my friends. I even have a brand new iron that is called a steam station. I told my husband that I feel like I am working at a dry cleaner, the sounds that come out of it!! I love my laundry room so much, we cut a hole and made a dog room off of it so they have their own cozy spot behind it. Now I don’t have dog hair all over the clothes!!!
But the worst part, I HATE putting it all away. Someone else can do it. I did all the real work for goodness sake. I don’t want to go into my boys room and see what a mess their closet or dressers are!!!!
Heidi @ Buttons and Butterflies´s last blog post ..Random
I’m right there with you. HATE putting it away. And don’t have laundry baskets….so it sits either on our bed and I find it when I’m going to bed late and it lands on the floor or chair or dresser top. Although….I do enjoy putting my children’s clothes away….to ensure all their drawers stay organized and neat….but forget about putting away mine or Dave’s. So I usually end up putting mine away and then telling Dave after he has about 6 piles that at least he could show thankfulness by putting away everything that I’ve folded. That’s all he usually needs is the nudge….because he HATES putting it away also. Maybe we could scour Pinterest for amazing closets that would make putting it away that much nicer. Dave just finished a gorgeous laundry room remodel that I go and just stand in and dream. Mine too is in a closet. Boo.
I’m currently training my kids to put their own clothes away. It’s a process, but I’m hoping I get a great return on my investment. I don’t have sink in my laundry room and would really love one. What I love about laundry? Gain dryer sheets in original scent. It’s a game changer. :)
Kimberlee Jost´s last blog post ..Good Tidings We Bring
Worst part of laundry? digging through a bin of dirty laundry and coming in contact with wet laundry sponges or wet underpants. Ugg. Second worse part? sorting it by person and making sure it gets put away.
Jacquelyn Moses´s last blog post ..Epiphany!
I pretty much hate every aspect of laundry. The washing and drying aren’t a big deal because I don’t really have to do anything with it. But when it comes to folding and putting away? I’m pretty terrible at that. Things tend to just sit there, wrinkling in laundry baskets until my husband finally complains about having to dig for clean underwear enough that I put them away. :)
Courtney Kirkland´s last blog post ..Motherhood Robbed me of my Social Skills
My husband likes his socks sockballed. I hate my socks sockballed so I don’t do it. I don’t mind washing, drying (machine, not line) and folding, but I hate putting awaying too. I also hate it when DH doesn’t put his away after I’ve spent the better part of my day doing laundry! :p
I’ve found that doing a load or two a day (yes, a house of two makes that much laundry when you include work uniforms of 2 shirts and pants each, plus a separate longsleeve vneck sweater each and a separate shirt and pants for a different department) really does keep my sanity. Spending one whole day a week doing just laundry would drive. me. batty.
Military wife here, so I haven’t had my “own” home in a decade of marriage. Always renting. The last two homes we’ve had here in Virginia have had the washer and dryer behind some folding closet doors with a couple of wire shelves above for storage. I don’t mind laundry either and I’ve trained my two oldest to put their own away, so that’s not a big deal. I hate folding, specifically folding a load that I’ve forgotten about all day until it’s bedtime and I know that if I DON’T fold it, it will probably have to be rewashed due to wrinkles. That load is always the biggest load ever!! I would love some counter space for folding–right now I fold it all on top of the dryer, so I have room for one load and then I have to move it. Also, would love a real door and a little space around the washer/dryer–my kids throw their undies over the washer sometimes and I have to contort myself like mad with the crevice attachment on the vac to get at them. And one last thing–one of those fancy dryers that fluffs your clothes for a few moments until you get around to folding them. Perfection!
Ugg, I hate it too. What’s worse? My LOVELY front loader washer is currently spitting off the SUD35 code. That my friends is the code of death. I -thought- that I was using the right amount of soap, but probably too much. I mean I haven’t been measuring out those 2 tablespoons just eyeballing it. So, mine is sitting there unused, and unrepaired because we can’t afford it right now. We get to haul it ALL to the laundry mat, and bring all of it home wet to have a marathon drying session before it sours. I HATE folding and putting it away too. We live out of laundry baskets. I think I have at least 7. One of my friends does not fold her kids clothes. She just throws them in the dresser. They are going to mess them up anyway. I however cant not piece together the pj’s and fold the pants, and match the socks. The boys shirts get hung, facing to the right, by rainbow color, and the shorts just get put in a drawer…. I am crazy about clothes being hung the right way and in color groups. Perhaps that is why I hate putting it away?? Have you seen the laundry basket dressers on pintrest? Oh my lord those were made for me. I. need. one. bad.
We’re currently in a rental where we have a laundry room but it’s a shed outside of the house. Plenty of space just poorly located but we’re dealing. :-) When in the US, the thing that makes laundry actually pleasant is watching netflix while I fold/put away. I fire up my laptop and it rides in the top of the basket. Also, giving the children bins for their sweaters (Megan’s also holds all her leggings) was a game changer for me. Something about folding sweaters and then getting them to stack drives me batty.
Anyway, to the point, I would like a chandelier, second a window, and third flowers.
You might want to check this out:
http://ourmothersdaughters.blogspot.ie/2009/01/can-your-new-years-resolutions-take.html
It’s a blog written by a mom and her 4 grown and mostly grown daughters. The mom (of 7) has a whole series written about how to handle laundry with a large family and it’s pretty good. Look on the right sidebar for the “happy home:laundry”
Yep, putting it away S-U-C-K-S!
I fold on my giant kitchen table, so it’s usually covered resulting in dinners hosted in the dining room. Hey, at least that means we actually use the dining room table! lol
PeaceLoveTerri´s last blog post ..eleven.
Have you seen the laundry redo from Young House Love? I only have a laundry closet too but when I see all the stuff that they did it makes me want to try to make the closet at least look nice. But of course it’s totally wishful thinking.
http://www.younghouselove.com/2011/08/the-laundry-room-done-for-now/
Also, since this is about hating laundry, has anyone tried those Washeze laundry detergent – dryer sheet combo thingies? They are lifesavers.
http://www.amazon.com/WashEZE-3—1-Laundry-Sheets/dp/B008CINQZI/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1345872324&sr=8-3&keywords=washeze
I dislike folding and putting away. Now that the kids are getting bigger, they are able to do their own putting away part, but I still have issues with mine and the hubs!! At the moment my sister-in-law is living with us and she is a major blessing because she actually likes to do laundry, every part of it!! Even though I don’t understand it, I am grateful she is here!!
Jen´s last blog post ..InstaFriday
I’m late to the comment game here, but just jumped over from your post today because I DESPISE PUTTING LAUNDRY AWAY. Yes, I have blogged about it as well.
My solution (of the week- because I try new solutions all the time) is to just do the kids laundry in one load, then take it all upstairs in the basket and throw it in their drawers, unfolded. Next step is to get rid of their heavy dresser and just have baskets for their clothes that get shoved under the bed. No dresser.
I’ve found I particularly despise putting clothes away when we haven’t done a clothes-purge in a while and I can’t fit any more clothes in their drawers. So the less clothes I have, the better.
I have written way too many blog posts about this topic. It takes up a lot of my mental space…
Katherine@YeOldCollegeTry´s last blog post ..Room Time
I found your post while googling. You see, we may move for my husbands job but I can’t find a new house with a laundry room that I want! I currently have a first floor family closet. It’s awesome. I throw socks in drawers so quickly. I do laundry sporatically during the day , throwing a load in here and there since the washer is so close. I dont love laundry, but I’ve found a way to make it more bearable in our setup. How will I ever live without it? How will I go to the basement to do the laundry? Will I have just a closet? What if it’s upstairs and it shakes the whole top floor? It’s really amazing how much anxiety I’m already having over this!