If you are anything like me, laundry can be the absolute most frustrating chore in the household, especially if there are littles running your house leaving a path of inevitable destruction in their wake. 

Let’s be honest. Laundry is a pain. And what makes it even more of a headache is when it feels scattered and never-ending. 

As my family and my business grew, it became imperative that I create a system that worked, maximized my time, and decreased my frustration. Creating a routine that worked and tackling that laundry room clutter were both absolute necessities. 

Here is my top advice for perfecting your laundry organization, compiled from years of experience, both personal and professional.

Top Advice For Perfecting Your Laundry Organization

Create a Schedule

Creating a laundry schedule is a huge way to help your approach to the dreaded laundry pile-up. 

There is no right or wrong on how to tackle laundry; you just have to create a schedule that works for you and your family.

Some people find it better to tackle laundry slowly, doing one load a day, washing, folding, and putting away as you go. If this approach seems like it will be more feasible for you and your schedule —  do it. However, it may make you feel like the laundry is truly never-ending. 

Some people have a laundry day where they do all of the wash in one day. Just make sure, if you do this, that that laundry is sorted and put away before bedtime. Otherwise, it may sit there for a while. If you have a day where you are always home and this makes the most sense for your life — I think it is a fantastic idea. 

I like the idea of having a schedule that combines both of these ideas. 

For example, consider having one day a week when you wash the household sheets. I prefer Mondays because I think it is just nice to start the week with nice, clean bedding. And then devote one day to towels, bath mats, kitchen rags, etc. I like having these “themed days” because you’ll be less likely to forget to get something done.

And then, depending on what you prefer, dedicated one day to all clothing. Or you can have one day for the kids’ clothing and one day for the parental clothing. There is no right or wrong; it’s what works best for you. 

Just make sure it works for you and your family and that it is something you are able to do without issue. It must work best for you and makes you feel most productive with the least amount of overwhelm.

Pre-Laundry Organization

One of the best things that I ever did for my laundry organization routine was to have a system that allowed my family and I to easily sort our clothes when putting them in the dirty clothes hamper. Having a laundry hamper, like this one, that allows you to separate colors from whites, or delicates from normal washed items, is a massive time saver. 

This easy step makes laundry day seem loads (pun intended) easier. 

Pockets

If your kids are anything like my kids, they are little pack rats, hoarding all kinds of fun things in their pockets. From gum wrappers to legos to pennies found in the grocery store checkout line, you’ve probably washed it all. 

Those little annoyances can cause extra work if you aren’t careful. 

But, equally so, checking all of your kids’ pockets before washing is such a pain. 

One idea is to start working with your kids, even at a young age to check their pockets as they put clothes in the hamper. Put a small, decorative bin by the hamper and make it a game to see what they can find in their pockets. Work towards training them to check their pockets, instead of you having to do it. 

Obviously, this is dependent on their ages and it will take some time but kids love helping and being given tasks. Over time this will only create a natural habit that will help both you and them. 

Socks, Underwear, and Other Unmentionables

Sorting socks and underwear may be the bain of every mother’s worse nightmare, especially if you have kids around the same age -— because who can really remember whose socks belong to whom? 

Consider getting a mesh bag and hanging it from the side of your kids’ hampers. Put their name on it (or give them each a bag with a different color) and have them put all of their dirty socks and underwear in the bag. Then, just throw the entire bag into the wash. Easy-peasy. You never have to sort your family’s unmentionables again.  

And for a fun little quirky piece of decor, this Lost Socks 4-Clip Wall Decor from Kohl’s is a fun addition to your laundry room.

Laundry Room Organization

Have you ever thought that you might want to spend a little more time on your laundry room if it was organized, thoughtfully decorated, and less of a cluster? 

Well … you probably would.  

From a decor standpoint, I love white laundry rooms. I think they feel clean and vibrant. If color is your thing, consider adding some peel-and-stick wallpaper to one of the walls to add a little fun to the room. 

From a functionality standpoint, staying organized will make laundry day (or days) that much less stressful. 

If you have the space, having a drying rack and an ironing board mounted to the wall are great additions. These usually fold back into place taking up very little room. 

Install shelving on the walls above the washer and dryer to hold your laundry baskets, detergent, and other laundry items. Try to keep the laundry room devoted to just laundry-related items to keep it decluttered and clean feeling. 

3-Step Laundry Room Declutter Process

If you find yourself overwhelmed with the amount of stuff hanging out in your laundry room, a  good old-fashion laundry room organization should probably be on the agenda. 

Using a simple 3-step declutter process is the easiest way to approach this.

1 – Get rid of everything you don’t use or need. Remember that less is more. 

2 – Find matching baskets or containers to organize your laundry products. Matching creates a better aesthetic and makes a room more relaxing to be in. 

3 – Put everything in the baskets and up on shelves so it is easy to grab a basket with everything you need for laundry day. These are my favorite baskets because they hide things better and make for a more clean appearance. Here is another example from the Container Store that has a more earthy feel. 

Perfect That Laundry Organization Today

These are just a few of my tips and tricks for keeping laundry organized and as painless as possible. What are some of your tips and tricks? 

If you are stuck and need help in your organizational journey, we would love to help. We love nothing more than helping busy families create Pinterest-worthy homes that are easy to maintain.

Reach out today for a free consultation. 

Caroline Van Natta