How to Catch up on Laundry

The Never-Ending Laundry Battle

Being stuck in a cycle of mile-high laundry piles can be overwhelming, you guys!

If the never-ending laundry pile is a battle you are currently facing, trust me when I say you are not alone, my friend.

In all honesty, I find myself stuck fighting that very same battle with the never-ending laundry pile often.

Then, just when I feel like I’ve made a small amount of progress in the laundry room, things begin piling up, yet again.

Finally, on those rare occasions when I make major headway and get to set my eyes on the bottom of that empty laundry hamper, inevitability something catastrophic is bound to happen.

Typically it’s sickness or a mess that involves mounds of dirty bedding and towels.

The laundry cycle (pun intended) never ends.

Plus, there’s that constant desire for everyone in my household to have fresh clothes on their backs on a daily basis.

Is that really a thing, you guys?

All that said, there is one simple method I utilize every single time I find myself getting behind on laundry.

Check it out, you guys!

Laundry Tip for Catching Up

Before we dive in, I just want to say that this laundry tip is both simple and life-changing.

That said, it also takes a fair amount of overcoming the mental struggle related to catching up.

For example, when I get super behind on laundry I tend to just stop everything laundry-related.

My mental state becomes trashed and the thought of doing laundry becomes completely overwhelming to me.

Then, I find myself avoiding the laundry room at all costs.

I don’t want to step foot in that room, I don’t want to think about the mess, and I just can’t seem to force myself to do anything more than the bare minimum.

It literally takes me running out of socks (or underwear, whoops!) before I finally convince myself to get the heck up and tackle the situation that has officially gotten out of hand.

That said, I highly doubt I’m the only overwhelmed mom in the history of ever, who tends to shut down in situations like this.

So, next time you find yourself stressing out and feeling overwhelmed due to the laundry pile attempt this simple 3-step laundry catch-up method.

The Ultimate 3-Step Laundry Tip

When I find myself in the middle of a laundry catastrophe, the first thing I have to do is find the willpower to change my mindset and snap out of the avoidance trap I’ve fallen into.

Not going to lie, I kind of wrote this post to keep myself in check, you guys!

As I walked through this method just a few short days ago I decided it was time to write it down and share it with all of you.

Check out the breakdown of my 3-step laundry tip below.

• Create a Visual Plan

Before we dive in, I must confess, that I’m a huge visual learner.

I need visual aids such as in-depth plans or simple written to-do lists to function at my best.

That’s why my catch-up process always begins with a visual plan.

This laundry tip is no different, you guys.

First, empty out your laundry bins and sort out everything into separate piles on the floor.

It is extremely important to sort laundry into separate loads, rather than just large piles sorted by type (darks, whites, etc).

These piles are where your visual plan is born.

Separating dirty laundry by the number of loads rather than the type of load will help you visualize just how far behind you are.

For example, if you have 3 loads worth of dark clothes to wash, separate those bad boys into 3 separate piles!

Now you can easily recognize that it will take you 3 washes, 3 dries, and 3 folding sessions to catch up on darks.

Once everything is sorted, you can then create a realistic goal for catching up.

Whether you’re 7 loads behind or 70.

Note: A large space in or near the laundry room is ideal for this project. However, if you don’t have that option, simply improvise in whatever way you can. Thankfully we have a large bathroom connected to our laundry room that I can take over in the event of a laundry pile-up!

• Create a Reachable Goal

Once your dirty laundry is sorted into piles, I suggest tossing 1 load in to get a jumpstart and then take a small break because it might just be the last one you get for a while.

Not even joking, you guys!

Catching up on laundry can be a huge task and it’s important to dive in headfirst after you’ve made the game plan.

I typically sit down during that first load with a cup of coffee, a pen, and some paper in hand.

This is where I totally flourish, you guys!

Seriously though.

If everything in life could be accomplished by list-making alone, I would never fail at anything.

That said, list-making is only one piece of the laundry puzzle.

So, during your break take some time to sit down and create a realistic plan for catching up.

This list should contain all the loads you’ve sorted, written out in order of importance.

Next, take some time to figure out how long it will realistically take you to accomplish this list.

Conquering the mental roadblock of getting started is seriously the hardest part of this laundry tip.

You must give this plan your all.

That said, if you have small kids at home, leaving a little wiggle room in your plan will likely be necessary.

Sometimes my laundry catch-up plan can be tackled in as little as 2 days, other times it takes as long as 6 or 7!

Last, space things out to avoid overwhelm.

If you are 9 loads behind and know you can easily tackle it in 2 days, but it might be crazy hard, simply give yourself an extra day in there.

Split those 9 loads into 3 a day catch up plan and get it done with less stress!

• Create a Functional Routine

Once the laundry is caught up, keeping it that way will be your final challenge.

While it may sound simple on paper, unfortunately, that isn’t always the case.

The absolute best way to keep your laundry pile at bay is by creating a functional chore routine that involves laundry-washing time blocks.

First, assess your situation and your needs.

For example, I work from home and homeschool so I’ve created daily laundry goals for myself.

If I do 1-2 loads of laundry every weekday I can easily stay on top of the laundry thing.

So, I’ve added laundry to my afternoon time block (starting during our lunch hour) and it totally works, you guys!

That said, there are still times I get behind for whatever reason and I just start back over at step one.

Thankfully, starting over isn’t the end of the world.

Since I’ve been here before I already know that there will be a doable plan and realistic goals that follow.

Now it’s your turn to gather your options and figure out how to fit laundry into your schedule on a more frequent basis.

Then, when plans do change or catastrophes arise simply reassess and adjust.

Not just a Laundry Tip

While I love sharing tips and advice anytime I can, this laundry tip is so much more than just a tip, you guys!

List-making, goal setting, routine starting, and then beginning again is a way of life for me.

Life is messy and imperfect and that’s ok!

Now get off the couch and your dirty socks washed, you guys!

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