After living through the birth of two babies in less than two years, I thought nothing could bring this mama down. Shopping, cooking, cleaning, homeschooling, and even part-time work came easy. But after adding the third baby, one thing threatened to suffocate my prideful mothering—the laundry.
Don’t get me wrong; I love to do laundry. My family gets a good chuckle every time one of them catches me watching the water pour into the machine, slowly churning up the detergent and soaking the clothes. But adding that fifth filth-maker to the family seemed to make the piles of dirty clothes, sheets and towels explode exponentially.
Over the years I have devised a few simple rules that have relieved much of my laundry angst and secured many uninterrupted soul-soothing moments in front of the filling washer.
1. No one touches my clothes. Ever. This rule was instigated when my sweet-intentioned husband put my $100 suit in the washing machine. (OK, it was the ‘80s and a $100 suit was a nice one.) The suit actually came out fine but it was the potential disaster that I just couldn’t push past.
2. If you leave it inside out, you will have it returned inside out. This rule began as a reminder of simple courtesy, but as the sweet toddlers became smelly teens it was an added blessing not to have to touch those crusty socks and other unmentionables.
3. I don’t care whose socks they are. There is a basket on the washer where all the sock orphans are stored. If you’re missing a sock I don’t want to hear about it. Talk to the basket.
4. Laundry lady takes tips. If you leave money in your pocket, I will not come looking for you.
5. Don’t put a load of your clothes in the washer and then leave for the weekend, knowing I’ll be forced to finish it for you. I’m on your team, but I am not your slave.
6. At 15, you learn how to do your own laundry. Someday your spouse will rise up and call you blessed. Unless you try to wash her $100 suit.
Traci Matt 
pretty interesting article, thank you for sharing your friends!
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Thank you!
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Excellent tips!!
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Thanks, Harrison!
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How come I didn’t think about the sock basket idea???
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It does have its downside–more than just socks tend to collect there. 🙂
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Funny! I didn’t know you were a laundry lover. Freak!!! I love you anyway. I found the best laundry solution of all for this laundry hating momma over here about a year ago- four people live in this house so four people do laundry. Hubby does his, wifey does hers, kids each do theirs. You are such a kind mom. My boys started doing their own laundry at age 11. I bet it was hard to give up the duty to your kids when they turned 15 since you actually enjoy it. 🙂
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What’s hard is when someone else is “doing” theirs and I want to “do” mine!
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Love it! My 5 year old loooves to change her clothes 4 times a day. I think we finally stopped this habit, but oh, the laundry that girl created!
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Little princesses are definitely great laundry creators! More pink, anyone? 🙂
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Ha! Laundry is my nemesis! This was funny.
Sandbox to Socrates
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Thanks. 🙂
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when my boys were little i called laundry my hobby, just so i would have a hobby!
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Leslie, that’s brilliant! We just became empty nesters a few weeks ago and I realized I don’t have do to laundry every day. Truly a game changer! 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!
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