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Sarah
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| Posted: June 02 2007 at 3:34pm | IP Logged
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I love hearing about laundry systems. Post yours here!
Starting from dirty clothes to clean clothes that are put away, what's your system?
1. Where do your dirty clothes go?
2. How do they get to the washer?
3. What detergent and treatment do you use?
4. How do you sort?
5. How many loads/day
6. Dryer or clothesline?
7. Where do you fold and how does it get there (bags, baskets, etc)?
8. How does it get into drawers, bins or whatever?
9. WHO helps?
10. Top loading ot Front loading?
11. Sock management
These are just ideas. With all the laundry talk lately and the magnificent posts on laundry room restoration (Mary Chris, I believe?. . .WOW!), I've been thinking about laundry.
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Six boys ages 16, 14, 11, 7, 5, 2 and one girl age 9
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Sarah
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| Posted: June 02 2007 at 3:49pm | IP Logged
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My turn. . .
The kids' dirty clothes get dropped down the chute and land on the floor, but I wish they landed in the basket.  The parents' clothes go into a hamper in our bathroom that is daily dropped down the chute by ds8 (morning job).
Each day my goal is to do 3 loads. I sort into Darks, Lights, and Whites. Whites for me mean HOT and are towels, usually. White socks go into Lights, since color running doesn't appear to be a problem. I wash Lights and Darks on warm since grease stains don't seem to come out on cold for me plus I read that perspiration needs warm-hot to come out.
I have a Front Loader so I use Tide HE. I don't like the smell of it but it seems to make things clean.
I use a dryer, but in hot months love to use the clothesline when I have the extra energy.
I do all the washing. Occasionally the older boys switch it over. When the clothes come out of the dryer I put them in a fabric bag and set the bag aside and proceed to the next load. Things that might get wrinkled are set aside or folded and stuffed into the bag. Each morning the boys bring all the laundry bags (3-4)upstairs to my bed. A 16 yo girl that comes to help me each days folds all the laundry and puts it away, except for the parents clothes which she leaves on my bed for me to put away.
Socks: The same girl matches whatever socks she can in each load and put all matched socks into a laundry basket that is designated for this purpose. Any strays go into another laundry basket that is for strays. The kids (and parents) go to these baskets when they need socks. They can either find a matched pair or match their own.
Periodically my helping girl will match up the unmatched socks.
And the system repeats it self.
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Six boys ages 16, 14, 11, 7, 5, 2 and one girl age 9
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Paula in MN
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| Posted: June 02 2007 at 4:36pm | IP Logged
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Sarah wrote:
1. Where do your dirty clothes go? |
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They are supposed to go in the laundry baskets in the bedrooms, but their favorite place is on the floor of the closet. 
Sarah wrote:
| 2. How do they get to the washer? |
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They are usually so dirty they walk themselves to the laundry room and hop on in.  The laundry baskets are brought to the laundry room once the dirty clothes have been picked up off the floor and put inside said baskets.
Sarah wrote:
| 3. What detergent and treatment do you use? |
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I use powdered detergent in a 5 gallon pail from Sam's.
Darks, brights, whites.
Usually one, maybe two loads if the kids got really dirty outside. However, I have seen how dirty future dh gets at work, and I'm quite sure this will be increased in the next month!
I have both, and it depends on the weather. I save about $30 a month if I consistently use the clothesline, but not easy to do when it is 20 below. I did just get an inside drying rack, so that will help.
Sarah wrote:
| 7. Where do you fold and how does it get there (bags, baskets, etc)? |
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I fold right in the laundry room and place clothes in the appropriate baskets.
Sarah wrote:
| 8. How does it get into drawers, bins or whatever? |
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We each put our own away. I help kids with items that belong on higher shelves or racks.
Everyone.
Sarah wrote:
| 10. Top loading or Front loading? |
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I have Top Loading. Can I put them on my wedding wish list? 
We don't wear any... 
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 Paula
A Catholic Harvest
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amyable
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| Posted: June 02 2007 at 5:30pm | IP Logged
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Ooo, I'll share, because I am loving our new "family closet" area! :)
1. Where do your dirty clothes go?
In an ideal world, the girls put their clothes down the laundry chute in the bathroom which takes it downstairs to the basement, a stone's throw from the washer/dryer. Usually, though, I find it all over and they only do it with nagging.
2. How do they get to the washer?
Me, me, me! I sort, wash, put away.
3. What detergent and treatment do you use?
I had been using Arm and Hammer Free, which worked well enough I guess. I am currently using one from Melaleuca because my friend sells it and we are trying it out. I haven't really noticed a difference. I am searching in vain for a spot treatment that I think works. What I have found the best luck with most of the time is to wet the spot with water, and rub well with a bar of fels naptha soap. :)
4. How do you sort?
I sort by lights/darks/diapers - and do whatever we have the most of.
5. How many loads/day
One load a day with an extra load of diapers every 2/3 days
6. Dryer or clothesline?
We use a dryer most of the time but we do have a line strung indoors in the basement room where the washer is. I'm thinking about a retractable one for outside but I'm not sure what we would string it to (the swingset? )
7. Where do you fold and how does it get there (bags, baskets, etc)?
I don't fold much.  We bought two industrial strength garment racks which are now in the laundry area. I take each item right out of the dryer and up on a hanger it goes. Dh and I still use our upstairs closets, but I use space on the garment racks to hang until I can get it all upstairs. The girls still keep underwear/socks/PJs in their dresser so that all goes into a laundry basket to be brought upstairs to sort, along with towels which I fold and put away.
8. How does it get into drawers, bins or whatever?
Me again. I sort on the livingroom floor mostly, and if someone is around they take their pile to their room to put away, but if not I just take it. We are thinking of putting up shelves near the garment racks to hold bins for underwear/socks for each child which would eliminate one more step.
9. WHO helps?
On occasion, all three of the older girls (9, 7, 4) if I ask them, but it is not an "always chore"
10. Top loading ot Front loading?
Top loading
11. Sock management
Mismanagement is more like it! LOL I have a little laundry basket that sits next to the dryer and as I come across a sock, in it goes. I match when I get around to it.
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Amy
mom of 5, ages 6-16, and happy wife of 
The Highly Sensitive Homeschooler
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Rachel May
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| Posted: June 02 2007 at 8:06pm | IP Logged
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1. Where do your dirty clothes go? Hamper in my bedroom
2. How do they get to the washer? Bill. He also does most of the washing, drying and back upstairs.
3. What detergent and treatment do you use? Tide HE and Spray n Wash
4. How do you sort? Darks, lights, linens
*5. How many loads/day? 2
6. Dryer or clothesline? Dryer
7. Where do you fold and how does it get there (bags, baskets, etc)? If I get to it before Bill, I fold from the dryer using a flip n fold on the laundry room table and then it goes into a basket. If Bill gets it first, he dumps it in a basket and leaves it in our bedroom to be folded.
*8. How does it get into drawers, bins or whatever? I sort into color coded bins and Thomas puts the kid laundry away. Bill and I do our own. I do the linens sometimes with help from a kid.
9. WHO helps? Bill, me, Thomas
*10. Top loading ot Front loading? Front 
*11. Sock management I use a hanging shoe holder to sort. If I find a pair, I fold them together and put them in the basket. From time to time I throw away the singletons.
*The parts that work best. 
I love seeing other people's systems....
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Rachel
Thomas and Anthony (10), Maria (8), Charles (6), Cecilia (5), James (3), and Joseph (1)
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PDyer
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| Posted: June 02 2007 at 8:33pm | IP Logged
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Sarah wrote:
| 1. Where do your dirty clothes go? |
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My husband and I pile our clothes on our bedroom floor (downstairs). Daily (well usually daily) I take the pile to the laundry room and sort into the laundry sorter. The kids put their clothes into a hamper in their (upstairs) bathroom. Every morning my son empties the kids' hamper into the laundry sorter and takes the hamper back upstairs.
Sarah wrote:
| 2. How do they get to the washer? |
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I operate the machines in this house.
Sarah wrote:
| 3. What detergent and treatment do you use? |
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Usually All Free and Clear for detergent. Oxyclean Laundry Stain remover for grass stains or Fels Naptha soap bar for other stains.
Into this laundry sorter -- editing to add, whites, cold water and warm water loads.
I do laundry two or three times a week, two or three loads each time.
Dryer.
Sarah wrote:
| 7. Where do you fold and how does it get there (bags, baskets, etc)? |
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I pull the laundry out of the dryer into a large Rubbermaid-style plastic basket and take it to the kitchen table, sunroom table or coffee table for folding. When I'm done I take adult laundry to the adult bedroom and put the children's laundry in a basket at the bottom of the stairs. I have two large and one small plastic basket now.
Sarah wrote:
| 8. How does it get into drawers, bins or whatever? |
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I put the adult laundry away. My son is responsible for taking all children's laundry upstairs, delivering his sister's laundry to her room, putting his own laundry away, and returning the laundry basket to the laundry room. My daughter is responsible for putting her own laundry away as well.
Except as I've already described, I do most of the machine operating parts and folding. Sometimes we all fold and sometimes I fold alone. It depends, really.
Sarah wrote:
| 10. Top loading ot Front loading? |
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Top loading, twelve years old. We're about due for the washer to go kaput, I fear.
We don't deal with that many socks so it's not a big deal to us. Our biggest problem has been mixing up my athletic socks with my son's athletic socks (and I do not want to wear his ratty grungy socks! ). I bought myself some white socks with pink heels and toes. Problem solved! Editing again to add mismatched socks go into a rubbermaid shoe box in the cabinet above the washer. Periodically I give my daughter match-hunting duty. She loves it.
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Patty
Mom of ds (7/96) and dd (9/01) and two angels (8/95 and 6/08)
Life at Home
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momtomany
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| Posted: June 03 2007 at 3:42pm | IP Logged
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Quote:
1. Where do your dirty clothes go? |
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In hampers in the bathrooms.
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| 2. How do they get to the washer? |
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It used to be all me. Then I had a meltdown and said that I was only washing clothes that were brought down to the laundry room by the owners.
Quote:
| 3. What detergent and treatment do you use? |
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Purex HE, store brand non chlorine bleach and regular bleach. I treat myself to Mrs Meyers lavender fabric softener for bedding.
Whites, lights, darks, towels, cold water washes.
I average 4 per day. Some days more. Then there are the days that the college boys come home!
In nice weather, both.
Quote:
| 7. Where do you fold and how does it get there (bags, baskets, etc)? |
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I usually carry baskets up from the basement laundry room and fold there. But I do try to fold clothes right off the line from outside.
Quote:
8. How does it get into drawers, bins or whatever?
9. WHO helps? |
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The kids get their piles and they are responsible for putting them away.
Quote:
| 10. Top loading ot Front loading? |
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Two front loaders and I love them!!
Dh puts all of his in sock bags right into the wash. Otherwise, no management in this area.
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Mary Ann in PA
wife to MIchael, mom to Elizabeth, Becca, Tim, Peter, Andrew, Sarah, Matthew, John, Leah and Joseph
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doris
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| Posted: June 04 2007 at 11:46am | IP Logged
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I can't add much to this thread as you've all got such great systems. But I just have to say -- laundry chute  . My 5yo ds would think that the coolest thing ever.
No such fancy stuff here in Blighty. Laundry basket in the bathroom, emptied out daily by me and the biggest pile (whites/darks/men's shirts) goes in the wash. We use Ecover (a supposedly eo-friendly washing liquid) but unfortunately the vegetable smell is making me feel  so it might be back to artificial nuke-powder for the next 7 months!
I hang washing outdoors whenever possible -- if not, on the clothes airer inside. I really hate wasting money on the dryer.
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Home educating in London, UK with dd (2000) ds (2002), dd (2004), ds (2008) and dd (2011).
Frabjous Days
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almamater
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| Posted: June 05 2007 at 9:37pm | IP Logged
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The greatest revolution to my laundry system this spring has been the reduction of clothes. The children each have three play outfits, two "going out" outfits (for going to friends' houses, grocery store, library, anywhere) and two Mass outfits. Even when I fall behind, there isn't that much to do. It makes such a difference to have the "going out" clothes, so I don't have to fret when they tear or stain the play clothes. When the going-out clothes get damaged, they will be demoted to play clothes and the worst of the play clothes will go to the rag pile or trash.
Generally, I try to do 1-2 loads a day, first thing or late at night. DS was supposed to do his own, but just didn't have enough clothes to justify a load (even before our clothing reduction plan). So, I have been doing it all with children helping fold/put away on a hit and miss basis.
When we return from our upcoming trip, I plan to assign the eldest two as laundry apprentices and, by the end of the summer, have them take over the full laundering cycle of all children's clothing. Hard work getting there, but I am sure looking forward to the results.
We use All-Free and buy it in the big jug. It is on a shelf directly over my top loading washing machine so I just squirt it directly into the machine. I use either Mrs. Meyers or another lavender scented liquid fabric softener. I hang out clothes when I can.
Sorting...darks in cold, whites/lights in hot, towels and bedding in hot, delicate whites in cold
Sorry that wasn't in the order asked, but I think I did cover most of the questions. Intersting interview!
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~jennifer in tx
mommy of ds(11),dd(8),dd(6), dd(3),& ds (6/08)
Soul of the Home
Soulful Learning
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4Real Forums : Tea and Conversation
Topic: What's your laundry system?
