Summertime Laundry Tips

Whatever you call it, laundry is the arch-nemesis of many a household, particularly that of large families. You don’t have to do to the math to figure what a week’s worth of laundry looks like for an average family.  Depression over the never-ending piles of laundry can be real and get everyone down. But there is hope, and it comes in the form of something called Summer.

Winter can be a laundry nightmare. Heavy, thick clothing. Coats, gloves, hats and socks. Layering means that more clothes are worn, and the clothes themselves are bulkier and take up more room in the washer. It’s harder to keep up because you need to do more loads to get the clothes done. That is why summer is often viewed as a safe-haven from doing laundry.

But instead of relishing in less laundry loads, use the summer as a time to catch up on your back laundry. It is possible, but will take some work. The goal is not only to get it done, but use the downtime in laundry washing to help get things in place so when the Fall comes, and you find yourself back to the grind of school clothes and heavier garments, you can have a better handle on situation.

Here’s some tips to help you use the warm weather to your laundry advantage:

1. Wash and Bag. Most people will pack their heavier garments away for the summer. Once you get those items through the washer and dryer, fold them and immediately pack them away. Good storage options are space bags or large plastic containers. Even a heavy-duty trash bag (properly labeled) can work. Remember, your goal is to get it done and store it safely, so it doesn’t accidentally land back in the dirty pile.
2. Extend the Wear. During the school year, the kids need to be tidy and have fresh clothing every day. In the summer, with kids at home, they can afford to re-wear an item an extra day or two. A day without adding to the pile means a day where you can get a bit further ahead.
3. Sheet Swap. Use the summer months to get all those winter sheets, blankets and comforters cleaned before the cool weather sets in again.
4. Pare Down. Use your laundry cleaning spree as a way of paring down your future laundry load. As you fold, consider which items you really need and if it would do well to be given to charity. Less laundry now means a smaller pile tomorrow.
5. Designate Specific Wash Days:  Although the size of your family may require every day to be a wash day, try to minimize your time doing laundry by delegating certain days of the week as wash days.