Laundry. We all have to do laundry, right? There was a point in my parenting life that I was up to my eyeballs in laundry and had a system that was just stressing me out. Our process evolved over the years (adding a kid at a time until we hit four), but in the end simplicity and having a back up plan that worked for busy days won. Today on the blog, I’m sharing about how to keep your laundry routine simple for busy families and by taking a look at our own process of simplifying the laundry routine.
Our busy family laundry system revolution
What laundry looked like before for us: Laundry used to be my nemesis. I think I felt “on top of it” until I hit two kids. And if things weren’t put away and folded or hung, I never felt complete. Then entered that second child and laundry was really stressing me out. Something had to give.
How we started towards a simpler laundry routine for our busy family
I started with my own closet, but after leaving the teaching world, I had a TON of “teacher clothes” to declutter for starters. Minimizing our clothes for the whole family was the key to simplifying our laundry routine. The next thing was to reduce my expectations and realize that I can’t keep up with our old laundry routine. I had to figure out something new that was lower stress and simpler.
I made sure I have enough laundry baskets for each person or area. So that when laundry is dry, I can sort it right away into the baskets (that mostly stack) and it can stay there or go away if we have time.
Two key things that helps keep your laundry routine simple for busy families
- Minimizing our wardrobes to what we all needed and then some backups because we have children here, of course. They definitely need backup! I also developed a capsule wardrobe for myself.
- Having a simple routine that even the kids could follow. This is key. Our family is busy, given there are four kids, so simple is only going to work here and having a routine that flows nicely even when things get dropped a bit.
Laundry is something that is a part of most of our lives, so creating simple routines that are doable and sustainable is so key if you’re looking to keep your laundry routine simple for your busy family. And! Make sure to listen to me chatting about keeping laundry simple for busy families in detail over at Minimalist Moms Podcast as well, which you can find here “Simplify Your Laundry Routine”.
Also catch the freebie: Create Your Simple Laundry Routine (ten questions to ask yourself to help you design yours). You can snag that HERE. You may also enjoy my six week online course Simplify Your Home Life: a course for busy moms. I do a whole unit just on routines. Find more on the course here.
Links to other blogs of mine you may like on keeping laundry routines simple for busy families:
Take Control of the Laundry with These Three Easy Suggestions
Our Current Laundry Routine that Has Taken the Stress Off of Laundry
One Daily Tidying Routine that will Save you Money and Time
A Look at Laundry Routines from Families Who Have it Figured Out
Hi, I’m Kelly! I’m a mother of four children - three boys, one toddler girl - and our family lives on the beautiful east coast of Canada. I’m a past elementary teacher, turned stay at home, work at home mom eight years ago after I had my second child. I’ve found that the busier I’ve become and as my children age, that it’s become even more important to figure out what is most important to me and us as a family. Living a simpler lifestyle has helped us in so many ways in our home life - from better routines to faster tidying up times. It has been through my children that I have been inspired to learn how to effectively manage my time and to simplify in all areas of my home and life. I enjoy helping busy moms simplify home life by teaching flexible planning methods and skills. Enjoyed this blog and think it would be helpful to others? I'd love if you shared it. Thank you!