Wednesday, July 19, 2017

The Laundry Line Series || Part 2

Back today to break down another myth-this one about where you do your laundry, and how to handle whatever space/area you have.

Second Myth: I don't have a laundry room and therefore it is impossible to keep any semblance of order or routine because I don't have a "real place" for my laundry.

First off. Lots of people don't have the blessing of a laundry room. I didn't either, when I started doing laundry. For the first ?? years, I ran up + down the stairs, to our unfinished basement, every time I needed to switch a load, or start a load, or empty a clean load, or ANYTHING. Then, because our basement is very unfinished and not really conducive towards folding, I hauled every single load of clean dry laundry upstairs to fold. Or I would haul half of the wet loads up and out to the line to hang first. It definitely wasn't a dream situation, but it worked just fine, because it was what I had. I remember my mom telling me that having the laundry in the basement was an excellent little leg workout for her those years when she did it, because those days she had lots of babies and not much extra time for working out, so she took full advantage of those steps and going up + down fast to work leg muscles. It might seem like a little thing, but it is great to find benefits and blessings in whatever situation you might have. Order and routine does not depend upon your location; it depends upon your attitude and what you do to improve whatever location you may have.

Eight years ago, we did a remodel, and one of the rooms upstairs was turned into a laundry room. It actually doubles (or quadruples??) as closet for my younger sisters, sewing room, craft room, and storage for all number of things, including linens, gift supplies, some kitchen things, etc etc. So still it isn't technically just a laundry room, but that's perfectly fine. Both of my laundry situations have been great ones, not because they might be considered perfectly ideal, but because I chose to be thankful for them + find the goodness in each situation.

I'm not saying this to pat myself on the back, because trust me, I've had plenty of situations in which I have struggled + not been grateful. Case in point is that I am not in love with my current washer/dryer. My father was so sweet and wanted to get the best of the best for us when we built the new laundry room, so he got what was supposed to be the latest + greatest front loader washer/dryer combo. Countless repairs + frustrations later, we realized that when it comes to washing machines, the older ones are usually better. It is so weird because it isn't normally that way; often, newer brands are better. But in the case of washers I would definitely recommend older brands/styles! A few years back, my father got a used Maytag off CraigsList for $40, to have in the basement for washing the guys extra dirty barn clothes. I now like that washer better than the one we have upstairs in our "real" laundry area!
So that's just a little free tip on my washing machine experiences---older is better, and I personally HIGHLY prefer the top loaders to the front loaders! They might not fit quite as much in, but they run way faster and break down way less.

You CAN keep order + routine even with what might seem to you a non-ideal laundry situation. I have friends who range from having biggest, most beautiful laundry room you've ever seen (complete with a color theme + gorgeous laundry signs/quotes hanging on the walls)...to friends who go to the laundromat every week to do their laundry. Your joy + organization in the job really doesn't have a whole lot to do with what you're stuck with-it has more to do with if you are viewing it as "stuck" or viewing it as "worship". (like we talked about last week in this post

You might not have the ideal laundry situation. You might be running to your basement to switch loads, like I was, and folding the laundry in your living room. That's perfectly fine; you can still feel organized + productive! The goal is to keep your laundry space (whether it is your couch or your dining room table) clean + uncluttered. Don't leave loads setting out constantly. When you dump that load on the table, don't leave the table until it is folded + put away. If you don't have time to fold it when you get it out of the dryer, then leave it in multiple baskets right in front of the dryer (or somewhere somewhat tucked away) and wait to fold it all at once, later. What will frustrate you is folded or unfolded laundry setting out on your otherwise free surfaces, all the time. So do your best to avoid that.

If you are blessed with an actual laundry room, these same tips apply to you! Don't let your room get overrun just because it is "expected" that you can always have laundry all over the place since it is the technical "laundry room". Stay organized! I love to have candles burning + music playing when I do laundry. You can do this if your laundry area is an actual room, or if it is your living room!
I don't know why this is, but it is more mentally freeing to fold laundry in a clean, clutter-free room, than to be in a room that is cluttered with toys + other things. Making your work area a clutter-free zone is actually a very important truth that applies to any area of work/life. Having a clean space for your laundry is not about having the perfect laundry room; it is much more about a way of life and choosing to keep clutter out of your house as much as possible.

Missed the other posts in this series? Click the links below!
The Laundry Line Series || Introduction
The Laundry Line Series || Part 1

I'll end today's post with this great quote I found:

"I am thankful for all this laundry...for it means my loved ones are still at home."
unknown

So true. If you have this, you are blessed.
-Chels

4 comments:

  1. This is phenomenal, sis! You live what you say in this regard, and now that I do laundry, I realize what an amazing attitude you've had for all these years, especially running up and down the stairs, sharing "your" laundry room, and doing laundry in hundreds of crazy places on the road!
    love your heart!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I'm enjoying this laundry series. I have a question. How did you do it during the time you were still in homeschool? Did you fold and clean up in between lessons or wait till the lessons were over?

    ReplyDelete
  3. Love this, Chels! And I love the quote!

    ReplyDelete

Comments containing profanity and/or hateful language will not be published. I will not be posting comments with questions regarding either John's or my extended family. If you have questions about them, please go ask them on their blogs. =)
Also, anyone with a question related to a post must provide their full name. Feel free to email me with questions on topics not pertinent to the post. Thanks y'all!