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melanie
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| Posted: Jan 18 2010 at 4:08pm | IP Logged
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what is yours, if you don't mind sharing? I need to revise things here. I'm behind all the time....do you do some each day, or just on certain days? When do you find time to fold and such? That's my biggest issue...putting it through the machines is easy enough but finding time to fold anymore...there's always tons waiting around to be folded. It irritates dh. He doesn't care about housekeeping much, but he gets irritated about digging for clean socks and underwear. 
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Melanie
homeschooling Maria (13yo), Kain (10yo), Jack (5yo), Tess (2yo), and our newest blessing, Henry Robert, born 4/23!
slightlycrunchycatholic.blogspot.com
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JodieLyn
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I finally gave myself an ultimatum.. I would not allow myself to take another load out of the dryer until the last one was folded. It only takes about 10 minutes to fold a load if you don't let it pile up.
I used to have 3 days that I did laundry and it worked great.. then it fell apart and I haven't found anything except doing laundry whenever I can manage it. 
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SusanJ
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I'm pretty bad at folding as well. Dh recently took over moving it all through the machines and back upstairs for me. That wasn't really my problem, either, but I'm glad for any offered help. At my most successful the clean laundry all gets dumped in a pile in the corner of our room and I fold for about five minutes every time I get up from nursing the baby to sleep in our bed. This is 2-3 times each day so, in theory, it works. In practice I often forget or feel that there is something more important to do. Which is crazy because the lack of clean, folded clothes is one of the biggest stresses in our hurried mornings around here.
I always pick through for dh's socks, underwear, and t-shirts first. Helps a lot 
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melanie
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" I would not allow myself to take another load out of the dryer until the last one was folded."
Well,,,but then it would never get washed either! 
I see what you mean. I guess part of my folding issue is that most of our stuff gets hung up. We have tiny bedrooms and so I hang most of our clothing so we can get by with little dresser use. Other than socks/underwear/pajamas, and weird stuff like bathing suits, everything gets hung up. So if I sit and fold laundry, say for the boys room, I'll still have a big pile of stuff to go hang up too.
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Melanie
homeschooling Maria (13yo), Kain (10yo), Jack (5yo), Tess (2yo), and our newest blessing, Henry Robert, born 4/23!
slightlycrunchycatholic.blogspot.com
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JodieLyn
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| Posted: Jan 18 2010 at 4:25pm | IP Logged
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hmm maybe go and get hangers and then just put things on hangers instead of folding?
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Jodie, wife to Dave
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CrunchyMom
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I have a system that has been working moderately well for a few months. I have one place for dirty clothes in the hallway (I use one of those large canvas bags from LLBean that I bought from the outlet--there is some gibberish embroidered on it, but I keep that side towards the wall).
After I get ready, brush my teeth, and wipe out the bathroom sink, I take that bag to the basement laundry area and sort what is in it. Except on mornings where the towel hamper or the diaper pail are overflowing, then instead, I take one of those downstairs.
I either immediately start a load of towels, diapers, or whatever selection of laundry I have the most of (my husband hung milk crates on the wall which is what I sort into). Then I go start the coffee.
Then, later in the morning (or evening on "those" days) when I remember, I switch over. I do at least two loads a day. Sometimes I get ahead, and then I'll do a comforter or coats or something. Sometimes, I don't get more than one load done and need a catch-up. But usually two loads a day as a goal works.
I still don't have a "system" for folding and putting. However, one thing that works with folding the boys clothing is having three small baskets with their names so the baskets become my "piles" and I sent the basket up with the boys to each put away their own clothes (they each have a drawer labeled with "pants" and another for "shirts" and another for "church." They generally know what goes where).
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CrunchyMom
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| Posted: Jan 18 2010 at 4:28pm | IP Logged
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JodieLyn wrote:
| hmm maybe go and get hangers and then just put things on hangers instead of folding? |
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My mom had a big rope in the basement where she hung up things as they came out of the dryer (or washer if she was hanging to dry). We actually knew to come to the basement to look for our hanging things to take to our closet (or not, the basement could be a giant closet, lol). I think part of her routine was to go and collect all the empty hangers before she went downstairs to do laundry.
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[URL=http://mysymphonygarden.blogspot.com/]Lost in the Cosmos[/UR
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DominaCaeli
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| Posted: Jan 18 2010 at 4:29pm | IP Logged
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I actually really enjoy folding clothes and putting them away--something about seeing that empty basket afterward! My two 3yos do all the towels, blankets, bibs, rags, and whatnot, so I am left with just the clothes to fold, and it takes me about as long to do those as it does to do theirs. So I start the laundry first thing, keep it running all morning, and then fold clothes with the children just before lunchtime. I bring the baskets upstairs after lunch and then put the clothes away as part of getting the kids ready for their nap.
As to your hanging-up problem--I definitely see what you mean. Can you put the hangers into the laundry basket with you when you bring down the laundry so that you can put the clothes back on the hangers at the same time you're doing the rest of the folding? Not sure if that would simplify things for you any, but that's what would work for me...
ETA: looks like I was cross-posting!
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Marcia
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| Posted: Jan 18 2010 at 4:58pm | IP Logged
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QUOTE: I finally gave myself an ultimatum.. I would not allow myself to take another load out of the dryer until the last one was folded. It only takes about 10 minutes to fold a load if you don't let it pile up.
This is me too. But there are still times that the dryer is full and I'm bad about getting in there. One thing that has helped us though is folding right into each persons basket in the laundry room. Each child has their own basket and as I fold each thing out of the dryer it goes into their basket. They are in charge of getting it up to their rooms and putting it away. I really don't have any piles of laundry waiting to be folded ever again!
I only do hubby's work clothes on fridays so that he can iron if he wants over the weekend. If he doesn't then I pick up the slack on Monday. I only iron his work clothes once a week at the most.
I am the one to put away the toddlers' basket most of the time, but I am working to get her to help me more often. She goes through more clothes than the other kids. :)
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amyable
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We have a laundry chute, so daily all clothes go down it. Often they are clean.  I need to work on dd regarding that. 
I do laundry at least once a day (more on Monday because I try to skip Sunday). First thing in the morning I look at the hamper that is under the chute "hole" - it's mesh so I can see what color clothes are in there. Whichever there are more of - lights or darks - gets washed that day. That's typically all I divide into, lights (in warm) and darks (in cold). Sometimes I'll run all towels so that I can use hot, and I also do sheets in hot.
Back to first thing in the morning: I put a load in, and as soon as I get a chance I reboot it into the dryer. I set the timer to beep when it is almost over, and when it goes off I get ready to go down and hang what must be hung. If I can really get away for a few minutes, I divide everything in the dryer into the bins for each child. Shirts for me/dh are hung up on a rod, and other things (towels, underwear, pants, cloth napkins, things that don't wrinkle) gets put in a laundry basket. Socks go in a separate bin.
Sometime during the day the girls supposedly empty their bins (often doesn't happen) and return them to the laundry area (often doesn't happen!). If the bin gets emptied but not returned their clothes get folded and put in a pile on the floor and then they are told to put it away with a "nag" that's its easier to do it with the bin!
The big laundry basket is emptied every few days as I get a chance, and ditto for matching socks.
Not pretty, but it works for us! Sort of.
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Willa
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I try to fold when a kid is talking to me or I am on the phone or hearing an oral lesson. Or sometimes when I'm in the kitchen waiting for something to boil or whatever. That way I don't feel like I'm taking a big piece out of my routine.
If you have very high standards for folding that might be something you could temporarily give up. When the laundry comes out I quickly sort into categories and usually fold the shirts and pants because they are quick and easy and it's more fun when they're still warm. Then I put the socks to match and the underwear into a separate little basket and bring it out of the laundry room with me because they don't get so wrinkled. Then I save them for a moment when I'm talking or whatever, as I said. I hate matching socks but by combining them with another activity I can get through them easier. Sometimes I say a decade while I'm doing them if I can't get anyone to talk to me
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Paula in MN
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We've got one of those three partitioned mesh bag units in the laundry room. Everyone is responsible for putting their dirty laundry in the correct partition. I start one load of wash every morning ~ if there are enough clothes for a load ~ when I get up to pray and exercise. When I'm done exercising the clothes are ready for the dryer. After my shower, coffee and internet fix I fold the clothes and drop them off in their bedrooms. The kids have to put their clean laundry away as part of their morning chores.
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mom2mpr
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I finally have the system that works for me.
I fold in the am while everyone is still asleep. And I only fold dh, dd, and my clothes. Ds does his own clothes and has 2 baskets, one dirty and one clean--he just uses baskets and does not fold or put away, just shuttles baskets--it works for us.
Dh and my clothes get sorted in one of those compartment hampers. Monday is darks from our basket(1-2 loads), Tuesday is music and too busy for laundry, Wednesday is kid laundry day-they each work their own, Thursday is whites/brights, Friday/Saturday towels/sheets.
I find keeping the kids' laundry together helps it get back to the right place easily.
I also sometimes use the rule that I cannot start a load until the dryer is empty and clothes put away.
Laundry is the one area I finally got somewhat under control--now to work on dishes.
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LisaD
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I do 2-3 loads every day. My daughter folds and puts away, and gets paid for it. It is important to me that all of my children learn how to properly fold and put away laundry, so I try to show them the right way to do it until they are ready to do it on their own. So far, only my oldest meets my standards!
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helene
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I do 2 loads a day unsorted. I make time to fold it right after lunch before getting back into the school stuff. I leave the folded piles on the couch and each child puts his own (and sometimes a younger sibling's) away.
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Kristie 4
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We have one basket to put all the dirty stuff into in the upstairs hall.
I wander out of bed, grab the basket, and take it downstairs. I sort it out and put the biggest load in first. By the time we are done breakfast it is ready to be hung. I fold at night and my daughter folds in the morning. I usually do 1-2 loads a day (except on Monday I do more as I don't often do it on Sunday) and wash all the sheets on Friday (then our house looks like a laundrymat with sheets everywhere) and the towels on Saturday. On those two days the sheets and towels are the priority.
Often if we are swamped with folding we get a movie (but not one with subtitles (learned that the hard way!)) and I can get through the folding.
The kids put the stuff away if I stack it on the end of their beds (usually ).
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PDyer
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Paula in MN wrote:
| We've got one of those three partitioned mesh bag units in the laundry room. Everyone is responsible for putting their dirty laundry in the correct partition. I start one load of wash every morning ~ if there are enough clothes for a load ~ when I get up to pray and exercise. When I'm done exercising the clothes are ready for the dryer. After my shower, coffee and internet fix I fold the clothes and drop them off in their bedrooms. The kids have to put their clean laundry away as part of their morning chores. |
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Same here. Four people live here, so I have at least one load a day, but usually not more than three (the day after weekend camping trips excepted). I fold immediately out of the dryer into each person's laundry basket. I line up the clean clothes baskets at the bottom of the stairs, and the kids are responsible for putting their own laundry away.
Sometimes people don't bring their laundry to the sorter. Sometimes people don't put their laundry away and run out of clothes in their rooms. We have periodic conversations about breakdown points in the laundry system. My responsibility for laundry begins and ends in the laundry room. The rest is up to them.
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Pamin OZ
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What's made the biggest difference for me has been having shelves in the laundry that I can sort things onto, straight from the machine. My life will never be the same. Just having them there on hold but sorted means I don't have to stress so much about getting them where they belong. In fact, the boys just leave their underwear there, now.
I don't have room for clothes as they get hung out on the line (I pay my son to do that as I have a bad shoulder.) But if I dried everything, I'd do anything to have more of those shelves.
I can barely move in there but I love my shelves. (Can you tell?)
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violingirl
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I do mine around meal times.
The first load goes in first thing when I get up (then on to coffee!) and then it gets switched over and the next load in after I've finished with my morning routine. By then my kids are up. I fold while the boys eat a snack around 10 and then fold again while they eat lunch. :)
For me getting it all put away in a timely manner is the hard part! At least it's clean and folded.
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ALmom
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The location of the laundry makes a huge difference - ours is convenient, being right off the kitchen.
I (or whoever has the chore for the time being) throws in a load of laundry early in the AM - while we are getting started with the day (usually somewhere between breakfast and the start of school). Then, because we travel through that room to and from the school room, it gets transferred. If we have sheets, then that will be another load going in. Generally we do more than one load a day - but always only very full loads. We've reduced the quantity of laundry by making sure kids bring down dirty clothes every morning - and by re-using towels (these have names embroidered on them).
When they are removed from the dryer - we have a laundry basket and they go into that and then immediately get dumped on our family room couch. Now, we cannot all sit down without folding something and children are supposed to fold their own clothes and 1 other. I generally shove the big pile to one end, sit at the other and begin folding and placing piles on the coffee table or back of the sofa. I have this whole system - ask if anyone needs sheets for their beds (if they do, they come get them out of the laundry pile as there is no sense in folding what can be immediately put on a bed), then I start on the towels, kitchen towels, etc. That takes care of most of the bulk. Then I fold my dh and then mine. (Children wandering through are put to work with their own stuff). If no one has wandered through and I have folded it all - I end with a pile of black socks and call folks in. I also do not waste time sorting clothes I cannot tell apart - generally all the boys black socks go in a big pile and I call the boys to come get their socks. I have one child that doesn't care - waits till everyone else has claimed theirs and then he takes the rest (this child is never short on socks ). We also cut up whatever is no longer being worn because it is too worn - this way I'm not trying to find a home for a single mismatched sock that I didn't recognize had become a rag. Also it keeps children from re-claiming favorite shirts that are unfit to wear, etc.
We are still trying to get the children folding their own going consistently - but I promise, with laundry on the sofa - it never remains unfolded overnight and I rarely do it alone. I do it when I wind down at night, if not before. When kids want to watch a movie - there is nowhere to sit and watch unless we fold. Because of the location for folding, there are usually people milling about who then get to help and no one forgets. Whenever we want to have guests - we just have to fold.
Oh, also, if I happen to be the one who folds (note that we are just now implementing the chidren fold their own and 1 extra) - I put seperate piles for each person and they do the upstairs trekking with it. But with teens, no one wants certain clothes just sitting out, so they grab them and carry them up pretty quickly. Usually there is no problem with children taking clothes upstairs. We do have to watch the youngest -he tends to just throw his clothes at random in his room, clean or dirty and so I found myself rewashing clean clothes. Regular inspection (to include looking inside the toy box) and fewer clothes seem to solve this. On occassion, Dh piles a bunch of stuff in the laundry basket and carries up all at once - generally this occurs when we have had major cleaning/reorganization and lots of extra laundry so I'm working on finishing it up after kids are in bed.
We find laundry not too bad to do at our house. It is the bathrooms and mopping the kitchen floor that are my big challenges.
Janet
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4Real Forums : Our Lady's Loom, Larder, and Laundry
Topic: laundry routines
