Keeping up with the laundry seems to be an impossible task as there are so many steps to it that it feels like a never ending cycle.

That’s why we’ve put together some tried and proven tips for helping ensure you do see the bottom of the washing basket sometimes!

1. Sort it out

Washing coloureds and whites together can end up creating a whole lot of extra work as you often then have to soak and rewash in a usually vain effort to bring the whites back to life. Having different hampers for whites, coloured (and even sport or synthetics) means that you eliminate the risk and also only do a wash when you have a full load.

2. Routine

There’s varying schools of thought on how often you should wash but we think the best way is to encourage the family to put their dirty washing out each day – even leave outside their room or the bathroom – so you (or allocate this task to a child) can scoop it up and get it to the laundry and into the different hampers. This reduces the avalanche of washing that will arrive if you ask the kids to clean their room at the end of a busy week!

3. Smalls

Pop the smalls, such as underwear and socks, into a laundry bag. This makes it faster to get them out of the machine and also means they don’t get left in a damp ball in the corner of the duvet cover. When hanging them, pop some pegs in the bag and hold the bag with one hand so you can quickly hang with the other.

4. Hang it out

Our hottest tip is to get the washing done and hung out at night. So often in the morning there are competing priorities and hanging out the washing easily slips down the list. If you prefer not to leave it out, consider putting it on a rack that you can pop outside in the morning.

5. Colour code

If you find that certain family members use a towel each time they shower, or even two towels a day, buy towels in a different colour for each person. If you only buy a maximum of three each, they will be forced to conserve their usage!

6. Load share

It doesn’t need to be a job that’s left to you and there’s plenty the kids can help with. With the help of a step they can hang out the small items. They can also match socks, sort the clean washing into owner piles, and even put the piles of clean washing back in people’s rooms. This is made easier if you pop it in a basket for them to carry and then empty.

What’s your top laundry tip?

See more:

• Conquer the laundry pile in 3 easy steps

Written by Robyn

Robyn creates content on Kidspot NZ. Her hobbies include buying cleaning products and wondering why things don’t then clean themselves, eating cheese scones with her friends, and taking her kids to appointments. 

Favourite motto to live by: “This too will pass”