Laundry or How Cam Met My Family

True Story - Cam and I met over laundry - he carried my laundry basket up to my dorm room and it was instant love. He was soon introduced to my family by helping fold my families laundry - yes, that is your future father-in-laws boxers. OK it sounds weird when I say it out loud, but we got excited about clean clothes. Any family that owned their own laundry shoot should be excited - imagine the hours of fun we had lowering ourselves down it. Actually my Dad caught us once and that was the end of our fun.

So I did laundry like my family did laundry - as a team sport - all for 1 and 1 for all - "Come on boys, let's fold the whites".

Each of my kids knew how to start a load, switch a load and fold a load - but it was the sorting that drove me crazy - 4 kids, similar in height, weight and taste and I'm supposed to know that black sock isn't yours??  One day my son asked if he could keep his dirty clothes in his room and do his own laundry so he could be assured of getting his own clothes back. Brilliant! I put a laundry basket in each room (Cam and I share)  and now they decide when it is time to wash.

This system has worked beautifully. It wasn't about teaching them to do their wash but about eliminating the step of sorting the clothes - the clothes they put in the wash return right back to their rooms. I got to thinking that this could work for little ones too. What a special bond could be formed as you and your little one carry their basket, put it in the washer, then dryer and then sit together, fold and put away.

Now you may be saying a full load of clothes is cheaper to run and if you separated colored and whites you could have a pretty stinky room before it is time to do wash. We just mix ours together and run it on cold - I haven't noticed a difference. Also, you don't need to use a full capful of detergent - 1/4 will do.

I wish I had thought of this sooner - it would have made a lot of cents.