My Organized Chaos: Laundry time

Thursday, November 6, 2014

Laundry time

Yesterday I was finishing up some laundry and it got me thinking- there has to be a better process for this. If you are like me, you hate doing laundry. If it was sociably acceptable I would wear dirty laundry forever just to not have to wash it. (Try to hide your disgusted face.)

There are a few things out there to make this task alittle easier and I wanted to share a few:


Get a laundry sorter. I personally have one and I love it! I am able to separate out the different types of loads I am going to do before I start laundry and just grab and go when that load is next. I have mine kept in the laundry room at all times since it does take up more space than your typical hamper. Also I love that it has wheels for more accessibility. They range from $29 to upwards of $89. I have one I paid about $30 for and it works great.



Needing to dry something by laying it flat? I typically use the top of my washer or dryer to lay sweaters out to dry but it can get annoying since I have a top loading washer. I totally didnt know they made things to help with this. It's a drying stand. It folds up to not take up as much space and has a top to lay shirts on. Not sure how much room the top has for clothes to dry at the same time- but always an option to look into.




Pillow cases are you shoes best friend. Cleaning athletic shoes can be a pain but there are several tricks you can use to be able to wash your shoes in the washing machine. By no means am I saying this is the best way- just a way I have used and works good for me. Don't be putting those new Jordans in there- they cost way to much to do that. Trust me, I know. I work for Foot Locker :)
Anyways- It's best to take out the laces of the shoes to that they do not get tangled, however, this is not a must do. I typically just untie the laces and drop the entire shoe in a pillow case and they do not tangle. So, drop them in a pillow case and drop in the washer. They also sell bags made specifically to wash shoes in, but a pillowcase works just fine.You will want to use liquid detergent instead of powder. Powder can easily stick to the shoe and not wash out as well. I find it best to wash shoes with blankets or a load of towels. This will help prevent your washer from taking a beating by the shoes. Something important to remember- do not dry your shoes in the dryer! This may be ok for a bit for nasty old yard shoes you dont care about but not ok for your regular shoes. This can mis-shape them, melt part of them if the temp is too high and possibly cause colors from the pillow case to bleed into the shoe. It is always best to air dry the shoes. Usually takes 24 hours to dry so plan ahead.
 
 
 
Of course I am going to say having storage for your laundry essentials helps alot. I have several baskets in my laundry room that hold everything from dryer sheets, stain remover, and smelly good add-in's. I also set up my liquid detergent alittle different in that I put it in a very large mason jar that has a spout. I personally like this because I can see exactly how much detergent I have left (helps when I am making my shopping list) and I just think it looks better than the regular store bought bottles. I like that I can combine a new bottle with old detergent I am finishing out without having 2 bottles take up that space.
 
 
Another thing that is super helpful it somewhere to hang clothes that are drying. Some houses have this built in but others don't. If you are part of the population that does not, there is a simple solution- a shower rod. Use a shower rod between two walls or cabinets to hang clothes on. They are much cheaper than buying a shelving system and work just as well.
 
 
 
Hopefully this makes the art of laundry not so cringe worthy. I know my laundry room needs some updates so look for that in future blog posts! Until then I will just dream of having a laundry room like the ones below.......a girl can wish.....

 
 
 

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