Tackling the weekly laundry load is a challenge in itself for people who live alone, never mind those with a large family in tow. With several kids under one roof needing clean clothes for the week ahead, it’s essential to have a foolproof system in place.
If you often find yourself staring in disbelief at the mountain of clothes and towels in need of washing, you’ve come to the right place. In today’s blog, we’re going to share 8 laundry tips and tricks for large families, ideal for mastering the art of washing en masse!
8 Laundry Tips for Large Families
1. Have a Clear Out
So, you’re reassessing your laundry system to suit your substantially sized household better, but where’s the best place to start? The answer is simple: it’s time for a clothing cull.
We’re all familiar with the phrase ‘kids grow up so fast’, but they really do seem to double in size in the blink of an eye. With this in mind, you’re bound to be housing some clothes that would better serve your local goodwill. Before you start refining your laundry system, go through everyone’s drawers and get rid of anything that’s seen better days.
The smaller your closet contents, the less laundry you have to tackle.
2. Assign a Laundry Day
This tip entirely depends on your personal schedule, so get your calendar at the ready! Is there a day of the week when you know you’ll always have time to take on the laundry? If so, mark it off, block it out and reserve that time exclusively for wrestling your weekly load.
For families with more than three children, the reality is that you’ll probably need a few laundry days to get the task done. Assigning a laundry day to each child keeps the ship sailing smoothly and avoids the inevitable pile of miscellaneous socks left searching for a home.
Create a colorful chart and hang it up in your laundry room—that way, everyone knows when it’s their time to shine!
3. Skip the Laundry Basket
One of the best laundry tips for large families is to ditch the laundry basket altogether, especially if your kids are getting older. For parents with busy schedules, collecting clothes and lugging baskets up and down the stairs can add hours to your to-do list. Instead of piling their clothes up in their bedrooms or bathrooms, ask your family members to throw their washing straight into the laundry room.
If you’re really tactical, you can even get them to sort it into categories too. We recommend printing out a laundry symbols chart so your kids can quickly identify what kind of wash their garments require. For younger children, simply ask them to pile by whites, lights, and darks to avoid any transfer!
4. Get the Kids Involved
Once you’ve got the children putting their washing straight into the machine, why not take things to the next level? Understanding the time and effort that goes into the laundry process is an essential part of growing up, so starting early will benefit your kids in the long run.
To get your little ones involved, why not…
Create a folding station and put them to work
Ask them to transport their laundry back to their rooms after drying
Challenge them to pair up your masses of odd socks
Show them how to hang laundry over a drying rack
5. Organize Your Laundry Room
If you’re struggling to stay on top of your laundry, one of the most straightforward solutions is to organize your space. There are hundreds of excellent laundry room ideas online to make the process run more smoothly, so why not pour yourself a drink and search for some inspiration?
Some great organizational tips include:
Assigning three to-be-washed baskets for lights, whites, and darks
Create a box or caddy for all of your go-to laundry supplies
Create a physical schedule you can refer back to for guidance
Install laundry shelving to separate dirty, clean, and iron-ready items
6. Pre-Treat Laundry Stains
Another great way to simplify the laundry process for large families is to pre-treat laundry stains. The most stubborn marks can demand up to three wash cycles, and even then, there’s no guarantee they’ll come out.
Instead of leaving it to chance, create a system of pre-treating stains. Before the garment can absorb the coffee, grass, or even blood, whip it off and take it to the laundry room.
Here are some pre-treatments you can try:
Soak in cold water for a few hours before washing in the machine
Rub laundry detergent into the stain and allow to sit
Mix 2 parts baking soda with 1 part warm water and leave on stain
Buy a pre-treater from the store, spray on and leave until washing
7. Make Your Own Laundry Detergent
As well as taking up a lot of time, laundry for large families can be incredibly expensive. In households with more than three children, you could be expected to turn over 10+ cycles a week – that’s a lot of detergent for a tight budget.
Instead of relying on your favorites from the store, why not try making your own laundry detergent? It’s a cheap and effective way to get clean clothes at a fraction of the price. Head to our recent blog to find out how it’s done.
8. Use a Local Laundry Service
Let’s face it—not everyone has time for laundry. For large families especially, keeping on top of washing, drying, and folding clothes can seem like an impossible task. If you’re ready to let the professionals take over so you can reclaim your free time, a laundromat could be the ideal solution. At WaveMAX Denver, we offer various services to simplify the process, including drop-off and pick-up to suit your schedule.
If you’re not in our local area, there’s no need to panic. There’s bound to be a reputable professional nearby, so get on Google and search ‘laundry service near me’ to get started.
Head to our website now to find out more about our professional laundry services, or read the rest of our blog for more essential laundry tips!
