How to Organize a Laundry Day

With the advent of washing machines and automatic dryers, laundry has become a much less physical task, but it can feel endless nonetheless. If you feel like laundry is a never-ending task, consider setting aside one day a week as your main laundry day. This way, you'll always know when things (uniforms for kids' soccer, your favorite jeans) will be washed and available for the week.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Choose a day of the week to be "laundry day." Make sure it's a day that's relatively clear on your calendar. You don't need to be home the entire time, but you'll need to be able to devote three hours or so to the process to have it be successful.

2. Take all the laundry to the machine area. This includes your children's hampers, your hamper, the delicate stuff you've got stuffed in a corner somewhere and the items that need to go to the cleaners.

3. Sort by color or wash cycle. While almost everything can be washed in warm (or cold if you're sensitive to using energy to heat the water), it often makes for a cleaner load if you set the washer to the needs of the like items that you've put together. For example, you might separate the loads into: whites--socks, undies, towels, sheets and any other items to wash on the hot setting; colors--tops, shorts, cotton clothing that washes on warm; darks--jeans, black tops and skirts; and delicates--items that require a gentle setting.

4. Load the washer with the first group. If you're heading out, wash the delicates first and set them to dry on the drying rack. Then put the next regular load in--these are likely items that can sit for an hour or so in the washer until you return.

5. Take the regular load out and put it in the dryer. Load the next load into the washer and fold and put away the delicate items that should be dry.

6. Take the load out of the dryer and load the dryer up again with the next regular load. Load the washer with the next regular wash. Fold the items from the dryer and put them away. Continue until all the loads have been through the wash and dry process and are folded and put away.

7. Place all the items for the cleaners in a bag and drop at the cleaners when you're out running errands.

Tips & Warnings

• Alternatively, you can fold the items from each load and then do one big put-away of laundry, but this can often seem daunting and may be overwhelming.