Dear Flylady,

I’ve been hearing about you on and off for a few years, looked at your website a few times  but never subscribed. Recently, I found your book ‘Sink Reflections’ at a thift store. I started reading it and quickly started implementing your routines. I’ve always kept a good handle on things around the house, but as my family grows, as does the mess, and my time to tend the messes gets smaller and my own routines slowly worked less and less. Your routines have been wonderful!

I’m writing today with a laundry tip. We kept 2 dirty laundry hampers for the entire family, in the beginning when it was just 2, then 3 of us. 1 for clothes, and 1 for towels, washcloths, etc. Because there is no room in my kitchen with the washer and dryer, both hampers were in my walk in closet.

When our 2nd child came along, I made the decision to use cloth diapers. A diaper pail was necessary, and 1 hamper had to go away. Now the way I sort my laundry is contrary to how mother raised me. She is quite horrified actually that I don’t sort my laundry. I only do 3 different loads. Diapers, towels and everything else.
You see, when I had to do away with one of the laundry hampers, the washing machine became the hamper. I have a front loader, and I keep it open when not in use so it can air out. Our dirty laundry goes right into the washer, and all I have to do is add detergent and start it. Diapers are the only load I wash on using hot water.

Eventually, we added baby #3, baby #4, baby#5 is on the way. So the other hamper went away as well. The towels get taken down and washed all at once, so there is no hamper to get filled. The small towels and cloths collect in a small plastic basket that fits inside the tiny broom closet in my kitchen, as those collect more quickly. So on towel day, I get up and wash the past day’s worth of laundry waiting in the washer. While that washes, I clean my bathrooms (at least I try to do it then, doesn’t always happen!) and then the first load is done, and I can take the towels from the bathrooms and wash those along with the wash clothes and kitchen towels that have collected all week.

So I always do a load with the dirty laundry from the day before. I always do at least 2 loads of laundry a day, sometimes 3.

New Flybaby in NC

FlyLady here: Our habit for August is working on Laundry.

A load a day keeps CHAOS away!

Do you have a story or tips that will help other FlyBabies with this habit? Please send them to FlyLady@FlyLady.net with LAUNDRY in the subject line.