How I Simplify Laundry

This post is part of a series called How I Simplify.

Iused to be obsessive-compulsive, but now I don’t have the time. I wish I had come up with this expression. It makes me laugh because it describes me, and it makes light of perfectionism.  Whether or not neuroses are a product of our indulgence is a question I cannot answer, but I do recognize that less time means less worry over little details.

Sure, I sometimes miss my relatively buttoned-up life.  My photos used be kind-of organized, my emails reasonably answered, and my bookshelves dusted (at least the part you could see).

We also used to have nice, crisp spot-free clothing. With more kids and an old house, things are a little messy around the edges. But my standards haven’t been completely buried by slung backpacks and chubby chocolately fingers. Here are the ways I’ve figured out to keep our clothes reasonably clean without spending all Sunday doing it.

1.  Fast-Track Stain Removal

While sorting clothes, I used to examine every piece of clothing for spots, and then give each stain a spritz of Spray ‘n Wash. As you can imagine, this process would majorly slow me down. Now I dump in a scoop of Oxiclean along with the regular detergent, set the washer for longest cycle with the hottest water, and then throw a pinch of salt over my left shoulder.

Despite my reliance on luck, I was amazed at how effective this quick method has turned out to be. Yeah, sure, our cloth napkins have faint grease stains on them, and sometimes my kids go to school with splotches of paint on their sleeves, but — oh, well!

(Note: I find that eco-friendly laundry detergents like Seventh Generation work well, but I have not yet found a similarly effective spot-remover. Any hints? I also think it would be fun to experiment with making laundry detergent out of borax, baking soda, and bar soap.)

2.  Minimize Folding

I do still sort dirty laundry into piles (lights, darks, etc.), but when those duds come out of the dryer, they get one fold at most. Piles are easier to carry upstairs if they are more like log cabins than skyscrapers. So pants get folded once longways, and shirts get sleeves folded in, and that’s it.

3.  Get Kids to Help

Most kids above the age of four can put away their own clothes, as well as sort and fold laundry. My third- and fourth-grade daughters take turns dividing up weekend chores that take about 20 minutes each: vacuuming upstairs, vacuuming downstairs, mopping the kitchen, and folding two loads of laundry. (I clean the bathrooms, do most of the laundry, iron shirts, and everything else). They also put away their clothes, and pretty soon, my three-year-old son (boys can do household chores too!) will be ready to do the same.

My kids don’t get paid to do this work; it’s just part of being in our family. (If they want to earn money, they can do extra jobs around the house or yard.) Of course they sometimes complain about it, but they take pride in their work, and I catch them showing off their sweeping skills when their grandparents are visiting or bragging to their friends: “Of course, I know how to vacuum. You don’t?”

One last note: I am totally supportive of people hiring out cleaning and laundry services. In various stages of my life, I have done just that — either because it was affordable or because I was overwhelmed, and why not? It doesn’t make me any less of a woman, as Meagan Francis has eloquently stated in The Truth About Hiring a Cleaning Service. We do it ourselves now to free up funds for the renovations, and I also like how it keeps the us grounded. But if a cleaning service is something you have decided is worth it to you, then go for it and enjoy the fruits.

Do you have some laundry tricks that save time and effort? Let us know in the comments.

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24 comments

  • Taylor March 15, 2012, 1:21 pm

    I have found Biokleen’s Bac-Out to work really well on stains including tomato. Most of my tomato stains are small splash and not big oops, but if you poor or spray it on pretty quickly (I like the spray better for that extra force into the fibers) I’ve gotten out the stains.

    • Amy March 21, 2012, 10:51 pm

      Hi Taylor,

      Thanks for the tip about the eco-friendly stain remover that works. I will try it!

      Take care,
      Amy

  • Samantha @ Digital Zen March 15, 2012, 1:15 pm

    Folding is where I get hung-up in the laundry process. Especially sheets. They would sit there balled up in the basket… waiting… and waiting. Then it occurred to me – why fold them?? Since I have enough room in my linen closet for a laundry basket, I just toss clean sheet sets in there, close the door, and have never even once thought “gee these sheets are wrinkly”. I also stopped folding kids’ PJ’s. Seeing them all in a big jumble in the drawer did go against my neat-freak nature at first, but that didn’t last too long. Delegating and multitasking are good, but nothing saves time like eliminating a task altogether when possible!

    • Amy March 21, 2012, 10:53 pm

      Hi Samantha,

      I love your no-fold method! I totally agree that pjs do not need to be folded, and most kids clothing, for that matter, will not look that bad if tossed in the drawer. The sheets in a basket is a great idea. I remember I used to actually iron sheets when I first got married. Now, that was earnest!

      Thanks for your refreshing advice,
      Amy

      • Samantha @ Digital Zen March 23, 2012, 10:09 am

        That is pretty funny, but maybe it was the Italian influence. I was an au pair in Spain after college, and sure enough, one of my chores was ironing the kids’ clothes and bedsheets. So European! Beds were to be stripped down to the mattress and remade every single day. I thought the mom of the house was a little crazy, but I soon figured out that it was cultural.

  • The Frugallery March 15, 2012, 10:12 am

    I make my own laundry detergent. It’s very simple to make and is much less expensive than store bought. It doesn’t make the act of laundry simpler but it’s certainly helpful for the budget! http://thefrugallery.blogspot.com/2011/11/make-your-own-laundry-detergent-quick.html

    • Amy March 21, 2012, 11:01 pm

      Hey there,

      Thanks for sharing your quick recipe for laundry detergent home made. And yes, you are right: it may not be more efficient, but it’s more simple in the sense of fewer chemicals for us and for nature. As well as being less expensive!

      Amy

  • Andrea Clement March 15, 2012, 7:42 am

    I offer my babysitter an extra $5 for folding 2-3 loads of laundry (and other housework) while she’s here watching the kids. She’s always happy to earn a little extra!

    • Amy March 15, 2012, 10:26 am

      Great idea, Andrea! I like how you offer her a little extra, instead of just piling on chores as part of her regular job. Young people, like the rest of us, are motivated by money, and I’m sure it makes her feel needed too.

      Thanks for writing in, Andrea,
      Amy

  • Jen @ Jen Spends March 14, 2012, 11:47 pm

    My husband is a big help with the laundry, but after a few unfortunate incidents with color bleed and shrinkage, he has learned not to touch my clothes! Downsizing my wardrobe has been the best way for me to simplify. I have also learned to avoid fabrics that don’t wash well, and I won’t buy anything with the dreaded “lay flat to dry” label. I still have a ways to go as far as getting into a good laundry routine, but it’s getting easier.

    • Amy March 15, 2012, 10:21 am

      Hi Jen,

      Yes, I agree — I don’t know how people get away without sorting laundry. My reds and darks always bleed into the whites. And I feel terrible whenever I accidentally shrink a wool sweater! And yes, I’m always bummed when a piece of clothing I love says “dry clean only” or “hand wash only, dry flat.” So not simple!

      I love your point about how streamlining your closet can really help with laundry. I definitely notice that when it’s time to put everything away, and all the piles are like landslides.

      Thank you, Jen.

      -Amy

  • Rayna@BrightCopperKettles March 14, 2012, 10:38 pm

    Thank you for this post! Anything that makes doing laundry more efficient always catches my eye. I was wondering if sometime you could post about your cloth napkins. I really prefer them, but leaving them on the table between meals kind of grosses me out. Do you give everyone a new napkin at each meal? Assign each person a napkin holder and corral them in one place? And when it comes to laundering, do you include them in the towels or wash them on their own after a couple of days (and a nice pile has built up)? I just can’t seem to get it right! Hugs to you, Amy!

    • Amy March 15, 2012, 10:17 am

      Hi Rayna,

      We love our cloth napkins! We have a bunch in various colors we have collected over the years. Any time I’m at TJ Maxx or Home Goods, I will check their dining section to see if there are some more we like, because ours get so much use.

      We’re pretty low-maintenance in terms of care. We use napkins interchangeably within our family, and then give guests clean ones (maybe in a different color if they’re staying a while). I like the idea of napkin holders — my grandfather would make animal-shaped wooden napkin rings that were adorable — but they’re too much trouble (for me) for everyday use. We put our napkins away after every meal, and then after a few days when they’re too dirty to use again, I throw them in the laundry basket.

      They then just get sorted into color-coded piles like all the other laundry. I never thought of washing them separately. The combination of detergent, hot water, and a hot dryer makes me feel confident that everything is very clean.

      Hope this helps, Rayna! Thank you for stopping by,
      Amy

      • Sara March 15, 2012, 11:34 am

        We like our cloth napkins, too. An etiquette coach told me it is perfectly fine to reuse the cloth napkins before laundering (really isn’t that part of the point of having them?) and to bring out clean ones when guests are present. Unless we have something messy like spaghetti, the napkins don’t get that dirty. I launder mine with the towels. We have napkin rings but don’t use them.

        • Amy March 21, 2012, 10:59 pm

          Hi Sara,

          I agree, cloth napkins should definitely be re-used within the family. And you’re right, they can last several days until something really messy gets served. When we stayed in a full-board hotel in Italy, they did the same thing. We sat at the same table every meal, and our same cloth napkins were neatly refolded for several days before we got fresh ones. Hey, if the Europeans do it too, it can’t be that barbaric, right?

          Take care,
          Amy

  • Jenny March 14, 2012, 9:26 pm

    Amy,
    I skip the folding and put almost all the kids’ clothes right on kids’ hangers. They look great, are easy for the kids to look through.
    ;)
    Jenny

    • Amy March 15, 2012, 10:05 am

      Hi Jenny,

      Now that is a novel idea! I never would have thought of that. It sounds like things would stay much more organized, and I like how you say that hanging clothes are easier for kids to look through. Do you hang pants too?

      Take care,
      Amy

      • Sara March 15, 2012, 11:31 am

        I hang as many kids clothes as possible. It is much easier to find what you are looking for in the closet as opposed to rummaging through a drawer. My husband would much rather fold the clothes and shove them in the drawer, but I am the one left getting the children ready in the morning, so what he does out of convenience becomes a stumbling block for me. Plus, if you have the hangers out as you put the clothes away you can hang (pants and shirts) and fold (underwear and jammies) at the same time.

        I also enjoy Oxyclean. When I use it, I am less likely to find that “how did that get there?” stain when I take the clothes out of the dryer! I use it with almost every load.

        • Amy March 21, 2012, 10:56 pm

          Interesting — another kids’s clothing hanger! I really would not have thought this were easier, but I see where you are coming from.

          I’m glad you get the convenience of tossing a scoop of Oxiclean in the washer!

          Thanks for writing in,
          Amy

  • Tragic Sandwich March 14, 2012, 1:27 pm

    The best spot remover I’ve found is the Oxy-clean spray (not the Max–that will result in bleach spots). It’s the best thing for . . . oh, let’s just say any kind of biological stain. Enzyme-based cleaners work on some things and not others, based on what I’ve tried so far, but the Oxyclean spray seems to get nearly everything (although I am having trouble getting tomato sauce stains out of a couple of items).

    • Daisy March 15, 2012, 1:52 am

      Tomato sauce and other food stains often come out with UV light. Wash the clothes as normal and then hang in the sun to dry. The stain disappears as it drys. This is great for baby clothes that get covered in carrot or pumpkin puree (and also works for stains from the other end of baby).

      • Amy March 15, 2012, 10:24 am

        Hi Daisy,

        I love this idea! When my Italian mother-in-law would hang whites with the spots towards the sun, I kind of thought it was an old wives’ tale. But of course natural remedies work, and we can see that when we just look at how outdoor fabrics get faded by the sun. I remember putting lemon juice in my hair to make streaks when I was a teenager. After a few hours in the sun, I was shocked that my hair was actually several shades lighter!

        Thanks for sharing your ideas,
        Amy

    • Amy March 15, 2012, 9:59 am

      Hi T.S.,

      Thanks for the tip re Oxiclean spray. I think it’s a relatively new product. Spray ‘n Wash was always the most popular, even when I was growing up. But I do agree that there is something special about the Oxiclean formula. Re the tomato sauce, have you tried soaking the clothing in some Oxiclean powder dissolved in water — for several hours, or even days? I still use this method for really tough stains and it works.

      Thanks for piping up!

      Amy