Something had to give. We needed to take control of the laundry issue. Always looking for become more organized and teach the kids life skills, we gave every one a laundry day. This makes us do about ONE load of laundry every day. From start to finish – washed, dried, folded/hung, and put away. Using some laundry rules and hosting "laundry school", we taught the kids what to do, showed them how to do, watched them do it and then expected them to do it.
Here are some things we did to make this happen
Organize the Laundry Room
We have front load machines, which makes it easy to load and move. I made the detergent and stain removers in an accessible basket.
Taught them How to Prepare the Laundry.
Sorting out whites, darks, colors, bedding, towels, etc.
Checking pockets for forgotten items
Reading the care label of each unfamiliar garment before washing
Turning printed shirts (such as T-shirts) inside out to prevent unnecessary wear on the printing
Recognizing when they have an appropriate-size load of laundry - not too little, not too much
Recognizing items that should not go in the washing machine, such as dry-clean-only or hand-wash-only items.
We wash everything in cold, but we explained that different colors and types of laundry are separated and washed in different water temperatures or require additional products to help clean them the best way. You will likely have to repeat these instructions many times before it all starts to make sense to a younger child.
If there are clothes that get stained or need extra care, I typically ask the kids to put those items on top of the washer and Billy or I take care of those.
Taught them How to Use the Washing Machine.
They already knew about about the controls and we only use a few of the functions on a regular basis. I even made a magnet (with pictures for the kindergartner) to help them remember what to do with a normal wash cycle. We also talked about
- When, where, and how to put in the detergent and the laundry, itself. We use Tide Pods so it simplifies the process for them.
- Loading the laundry evenly so the washer remains balanced
- How to use a stain-stick or pre-wash agent
Reminding them where the lint-catcher is, and how to check and clean it out before they start adding damp laundry to the dryer is a constant. We remove the laundry a few pieces at a time, shake them out to remove all washer-induced twisting, and place them in the dryer.