Six Loads Of Laundry

You know I spend every weekend doing laundry. I will admit I took ownership of it in the beginning (and that would be eighteen years ago), I wanted to do it. My mother? Had done it for me until the day I moved out. So when I had a chance to take control, I did.

Of all the stupid things, hind site is most definitely 20/20.

Not my point though. Over the years, and because I am Type A (oh you in the back, HUSH) I can now fit in an exhausting amount of things in between trips to the dryer.

So I'm sharing. Now I will say one of my tricks and it started when I first began this journey of dirty, smelly, disgusting clothing. Towels are hung up to dry and reused. and reused. and reused. It makes for far less laundry, I do believe. (but it also makes guest cringe because apparently I am the only one with this rule while others just do additional laundry? I'm not sure but every guest that stays in my house longer than one day, they too, are on the hung up and dry program)

This week I am trying to clean out my oldest daughter's room (you'd know this unless you live under a rock, I'd like to paint in there, consider yourself up to speed) so I voluntarily washed her clothes (adding three extra loads to my usual schedule of five). When you turn thirteen in this house, laundry becomes your own chore. As the oldest she is the Guinea pig. (and doing fine, if you consider wearing the same smelly clothes over and over).

Alright so Saturday Early AM, first load of laundry is my daughter's whites. I will tactfully point out here that SEVERAL of her t-shirts smell so bad that my eyes water. I used extra fabric softener and was wishing I had more spray n wash.

Because it's summer and the A/C are running on the same old circuits as the washer/dryer. SO I really know it's summer when I can only wash or dry. Makes the whole process take a lot longer but it's always give and take when you live in 100 year old home.

8 AM - The whites are ready to dry, no eye watering here. WHEW.
I come upstairs and sort the laundry for the house. I throw it down the stairs in one big pile (this is two-fold, one I don't have to carry it and two it collects the dust bunnies on the stairs) Once that's done, there's the baby laundry that needs to get put together. Hers I don't throw down the stairs, too risky with those little sockies.

The whole process takes too long, in my opinion. What I wouldn't give for a laundry shoot.

I scan the paper for local yard sales and then work on getting the baby dressed and fed. I wish this was easy but depending on what order I have her eat or get her dressed, the whole process would restart depending on how messy she gets.

Wake teenagers. This process is always a challenge. By 9:30 we leave and hit several LAMEO yard sales. What a waste of gas.

But I did get a call from my supercool friend with an invite to swim in her pond. JOY! So we head home because the teenagers are hungry (what else is knew) and I am not forking out for a fast food breakfast. Paaahleze.

We get home and there's more washing. This time my man's many pairs of jeans. All black. His uniform for work. Black jeans. Filthy with the insides of people's walls. They get clean quick and it's more dryer time to clock. I hope this load gets dryer before 1 PM (swim time).

While I wait, I sort through everything that has accumulated on my kitchen counters. There are dollar store purchases to put away. School papers to keep or toss. Little animals to be matched up with their farms, books to put back, misc. areas that are crunchy to be cleaned up.

Litter box duty. It doesn't have to be a day that I clean my house, these are things that I need to do or they make me nutty. I pack bags, grab sunblock and towels (lest I forget goggles!)

1 PM cannot come quick enough. I make the switch. This round of dryer time is going to be spent hanging with a friend who I cannot get enough of. Three hours isn't enough but it will have to be. The teenagers are hungry again. Anyone know where I can get a feed bag? I think that might be a good investment.

The good news is, the next load is ready to go. It's my clothing. A week's worth in one medium size load. (here's a hint, I wear my jeans more than once and sometimes the same pair all week long, so LOOKOUT).

I empty the diaper bag, unload dirty sippy cups, kill a few ants and make a pile of wet towels. Good times. Dinner plans? Chinese? Sounds good to me.

Rice clean up is always easy, just call in the dog.

Then, like every evening, I participate in the three B's. Baby Wrangling, Bath and (my favorite) Bedtime.

Ding, ding, ding. Next load. (yes my life IS this much fun) WHITES. The rest of the family's. No eye watering but no less smelly either. (think SOCKS). Bleach and fabric softener are my friend's here people.

Bonus, my man happens to be in the vicinity. So instead of having to hike the laundry basket up three flights of stairs (so not joking here) he does it. Excellent.

I spend the next two hours assembling furniture. You know where you make every muscle in your shoulder tight from those little wrenches AND as a bonus, you can undo & redo them because you know, there is more than one way to put them together and the way you did? Is wrongo.

After that fun has ended, there is mucho laundry to fold and that last load? The baby clothes. I am not a big fan of laundry but baby laundry is ADORABLE. And quick.

I just had to get them to the dryer and then I could hit the hay because that tiny laundry doesn't even get wrinkly. Go figure.