The 5-Step Process to Managing the Daily Flow of Laundry
- Create landing zones for dirty laundry, as well as for clean laundry while it is waiting to be folded
- Remove items right after they are done washing
- Learn to care properly for our fabric according to guidelines to keep it fresh and make it last longer
- Make laundry as routine as making your bed by creating a wash schedule
- Learn a simple trick to avoid losing socks in the wash
Laundry can be difficult to keep under control. From managing dirty laundry to clean laundry that’s ready to fold, there is a constant inflow and outflow of laundry that needs proper systems to be managed peacefully.
If you’re participating in this course, you probably already completed Zone 1 where we cleaned and organized your laundry room (way to go!). Now we take it a step further and fine tune the function of this space. The way to maintain your peaceful sanctuary of a laundry room is to create systems for managing the flow of laundry!
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My husband loves to throw his socks by our bed. It drives me crazy! So, I put a mini basket there to catch the socks. I leave it up to him to empty and wash weekly. :) Evaluate where the dirty laundry lands throughout your house and put hampers in those locations. Try to consolidate as much as you can so you don’t have too many places to check!
Create a place to store clean laundry until you are ready to fold it and put it away. Don’t forget to remove items that can easily wrinkle. By the way, the floor or the bed doesn’t count!
If you have a dirty and clean basket readily available, the laundry doesn't get thrown on the floor and crumpled. If you can't get to it for a few days, try putting it in the dryer on a refresh cycle to loosen any wrinkles!
Always remove items as soon as they are done washing. This saves you from needing to re-wash, which is great for saving time and the environment! Hang items up or lay them flat until you have time to iron/steam. Having a compact steamer is a great, fast solution — we recommend this one!
If you leave laundry in the wash for more than two hours, you probably need to do a rinse cycle to freshen it up. If it’s overnight, you need to re-wash. If you leave it in the dryer, there is no need to re-dry, just do a refresh dry for 15 minutes!
Remember, the goal is to remove clothes from the wash immediately after the wash cycle finishes to avoid rewashing.
Each type of fabric is vastly different and needs to be cared for properly. Make sure to read tags to see what type of laundry cycle it needs, the temperature of the drying cycle, or if it needs to be hung to dry.
A few quick notes on common fabrics and wash needs:
- Denim should not be washed with cotton.
- Athletic and swim wear should be washed on a delicate cycle and laid flat to dry.
- Water temperature matters! Check your tags.
- Choose detergents that don’t strip your fabrics but condition them. (The Laundress is our favorite!)
Quick tip on washing different fabrics and their many needs: sort fabrics that need to be washed the same way into piles together! Wash your denim in one load, your athletic and swim wear in another, etc.
Starting a load of laundry when you make your bed in the morning is a great way to establish a washing routine! If you can do one load of whites and one load of darks each day, you should have a very manageable amount of laundry, even with a large family.
Remember, if you can do it fast, do it now! Laundry becomes overwhelming when we allow it to pile up. Doing a small amount daily keeps everything in check. We’re going for a lifestyle approach! This is how we form habits that instill peace in our lives.
Make a wash schedule for items that don’t need to be washed daily. For example:
- Sheets - once a week
- Duvets and quilts - once a quarter
- Towels - once/twice a week
- Bath mats - twice a month
“Where do all the socks go?” We don’t have the answer for this great mystery of life, but we do have the answer for not allowing them to go anywhere in the first place! Put your socks in a small wash bag like these for washing, and you’ll never lose them again.
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Not so bad, right? We hope you’re feeling a weight lifted now that you have a routine, consistent, efficient laundry system that works for you. We can’t wait to hear about your new and improved laundry flow! Tag us in your before & afters on social media and use the hashtag #saltspace!
Salt solutions for your laundry flow
Proper storage creates proper systems! Our Santorini and Calgary baskets are perfect for rounding up the laundry in various parts of your house. Both of these come in big and small sizes, so you can use them as a main hamper or for your micro spaces to collect items like socks that always end up by the bed.
