Laundry, a universal task, doesn't have to be drudgery
Just like the poor, laundry will always be with us. To avoid getting overwhelmed by this seemingly endless task, here are just three ideas:
- Give a basket to everyone. For years, my kids would haul the dirty clothes into the laundry room and sort them into three piles: whites, lights, and darks. From there, I washed and dried everything. I didn't even mind sorting the clean clothes into baskets, one for each child. At that point, the kids folded their own clothes and put them away. However, when they turned 12 years old, their rite of passage was to become officially responsible for doing their own laundry, start to finish.
- Keep a sock drawer and a donation bag nearby. It doesn’t matter how hard you try, socks will sometimes come out of the dryer without a mate. To take all the stress out of finding odd socks, I throw those little guys in our sock drawer until I eventually find their matches or just decide it’s time to toss them out. I also keep a bag on my dryer where I put clothes past their prime. When the bag is full, I donate the items to charity.
- Discover the power of Fels-Naptha. It has been around since 1893. This heavy-duty laundry bar soap is very inexpensive. It's also very effective, removing almost every stain I’ve ever had to attack. (Actually, it’s also a home remedy for poison ivy, poison oak, and other skin irritants, but I hope I never have to use it for that!)
How do you fight the laundry blues?
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