Laundry! #@@!$!%

Well...today I am doing some laundry, but I've decided to tackle it in a new way. You see, laundry is the thing I HATE to do. I'd rather pick up dog poop than do the laundry. I don't mind putting it in the washer and then even getting it into the dryer. No, it is the sorting before getting it into the washer and the the hanging, folding, and putting it away in each family member's appropriate closet/dresser after it comes out of the dryer that I hate. I have been known to wear a whole load of laundry by just getting it out of the dryer every morning and not actually hanging it up!

A few weeks ago I read in a magazine a tip from another mom that suggested that instead of all the sorting and re-sorting, just put one laundry bag/basket in each kid's room and when it is full put the whole thing in the wash...no sorting by color, nothing. REALLY? Could this be done? What about all the laundry rules I learned from my mom? Of course there are some tips that go along with this, such as putting a cup of white vinegar in with the clothes to keep the colors bright (or colorsafe bleach, I guess). Also, don't wash a brand new pair of black pants in with the load (dugh!). Also, I wash in cold water to save energy, anyway.

So...would I be brave enough to go against the grain and give it a go? YOU BET! It's only kids clothes anyway, right? Who cares if they aren't in pristine condition. Last week I finished up the mountains of laundry I had been doing it the "old fashioned" way and put one empty basket in each kids rooms. Today I started with the "new" way of doing laundry. And let me tell you, I am a new woman! Granted, I am not all of sudden Cinderella doing laundry while I whistle and sing with little blue birds flying around me, however, I at least do not want to scream when the dryer stops!

The clothes look great...they are nice and soft from the vinegar. (I have been using vinegar in my towels & sheets for a while now, as it makes them so nice and soft.) I also got a great clothes rack on wheels that I can have right by the dryer and hang the clothes up straight out of the dryer. Unfortunately, we live in a two-story house and I can't just roll the rack to the closets, but it still is a time-saver for getting the clothes hung. And the folding went much easier too, as everything from the load that needed to get folded all went into the same dresser.

And as a bonus, I also have made up my own, homemade wrinkle-releasing spray that works like a charm! Great for the kids school clothes...no ironing necessary for most things. I just spray as I'm hanging and give each item a few tugs.

Homemade Wrinkle-Releaser Spray
1 part liquid fabric softener
1 part white vinegar
3 parts water
Combine ingredients in a spray bottle.

Wow...I can't believe I can write so much about laundry! Thanks for reading. If you have any great laundry tips and time-savers, please leave a comment! I'd love to hear more ways to make this task less of a chore. Who knows, maybe I will turn into that happy, singing Cinderella after all.