Domestic Engineering: All Things Laundry

Some days I grumble and complain about how huge Mount Laundry has become.

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Other days I’m thankful for Mount Laundry because it represents sharing life with my family.

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Every day doing laundry is a way to love and care for my family.

Today we are doing a broad overview of managing laundry with little ones in the home.

Include Your Kids

From the age of two on I've started including our kids in tackling laundry. My tentative goal is for them to be able to do their own laundry by the age of eight. Here are three easy ways to help train your kids:

1. Have them collect and sort the dirty laundry by white, light, and dark clothing.
2. Allow them to start the washer or dryer, transfer the clothes into the dryer, and clean the lint filter.
3. Have them sort the clean clothes. Then teach them how to fold the laundry starting with the simplest items like towels and shorts.

Reality Check

Before I share four strategies for doing laundry well, we are going to do a reality check. The following picture is what “staying on top of laundry” looked like last week in our home.

Sometimes life just happens. A kiddo has an accident in bed. You have an unexpected visit to the pediatrician. Your husband is out of town so you’re extra tired. The list of reasons could go on for why you've fallen behind on laundry.

I'm confident I will never perfectly stay on top of laundry. But the following four areas have helped simplify the process for me.

Domestic Engineering: Decluttering 101

Some days I throw out items without considering my family.

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Other days I ask my family for help and input on how to store the things they value.

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Every day is an opportunity to die to self and consider how to bless my family.

Clutter: a collection of things lying about in an untidy mass. - The Oxford Dictionary

Clutter is my daily challenge in managing our home. When I’m on top of it, the rest of my household chores are easier to do. When I am not, our home feels chaotic.

Staying on top of clutter is one way I am able to serve my husband. When our home is orderly we know where things are and it makes our home more peaceful.

It's also an opportunity to train my girls. We regularly discuss how cleaning up after ourselves is a way to love and bless others.

Cleaning the home falls into a "Medium Rock" for me. Yet there are aspects of it that directly serve my family (one of my "Big Rocks"). A tidy and orderly home is my goal, not an immaculate one.

For today's post, we are going to discuss the two steps to decluttering.