With six people living in my house, there are days when I feel like all I do is laundry. And that the baskets of dirty clothes just keep piling up. (Stop the insanity!)
But there is one quick laundry tip has changed my life in a good way:
My family quit using laundry baskets.
Instead of tossing their dirty clothes in the baskets in their room, then spending a day lugging them up and down the stairs, sorting, and washing them, my kids now put their clothes straight in the washing machine when they change after their showers each night. After a few days, it fills up, and whoever tosses theirs in last runs it. (Or gets help from me to run it.)
Also, pro tip: I quit separating my whites and colors years ago, and I always wash our loads on cold water, which helps keep the colors from bleeding. Also: Shout Color Catchers. They're the real deal, you guys.
Related: 2 fabulous new natural laundry products that actually work
Full disclosure: We do still keep one laundry basket near the kids' bedrooms for those straggling dirty clothes from the nights we (gasp!) didn't get showers, or had to change clothes mid-day. But ditching the baskets in their bedrooms means it isn't convenient anymore for them to toss clean clothes in the laundry. Like the shirt they pulled off the hanger then decided not to wear (and threw in the basket because it's easier than hanging back up?) Not dirty! Of course, eliminating laundry baskets doesn't lessen the number of loads I need to run, but this quick laundry tip does save me multiple trips up and down the stairs to collect dirty clothes. Even if it's just a few precious minutes back in each day? I'll take it! CMP is an rstyle affiliate
