July 13, 2022

Laundry Schedule for a Family of 3

Keeping a Laundry Schedule can be a really difficult task. Especially if you have recently added a new family member. I will give you all the tips and tricks for starting and keeping a well-established laundry schedule!

This post is all about laundry schedules!

Is a laundry schedule a good idea?

You are probably coming to this post wondering if a laundry schedule is even a good idea.

You might even be asking if it will reduce your stress or make things any easier.

I am here to tell you that a few simple tips and tricks that I have tested and refined will help you loads! Pun intended 😉

Choose a set day or two

I personally choose two days of the week to do laundry. Mondays and Thursdays. This has allowed me to plan my day, morning, or evening around getting this done.

While I don’t often finish an entire load in a day I know that on Mondays and Thursdays at the very least it needs to get in the washer and into the dryer. That way it won’t smell too bad if it gets left in the dryer for a few days.

Also, this could mean on Mondays everything gets through the washer and it’s folded on Thursdays. You may have to go fishing for some random leggings that you always wear but who doesn’t.

Choose which days work for you and set it.

Personally, on Monday I start the laundry and my husband swaps it while I’m doing the Monday morning Costco trip.

Don’t forget to get the family involved!

Timers are your new best friend

Whether it’s on your watch, phone, or smart device set a timer! You will likely forget to swap the laundry from the washer to the dryer without it.

To be on the safe side set it for about 5 minutes after the laundry should finish. This way if there is added time or extra water to drip out it can do its thing.

At the least set one timer for getting things from the washer to the dryer then if you can set another for getting the laundry out of the dryer.

Yes, there likely is a timer already on the machine, but trust me. That jingle gets drowned out in the background of life and is probably just forgotten in the end.

Put the Laundry in the Night Before

This was a game-changer for our family! On the night before a laundry day, I get the first load to be washed in the washer with the soap but don’t turn it on quite yet!

This way you can round up all the laundry, and get it in the right place. The next morning all you have to do is press the start button and set a timer! All the heavy lifting is done!

An added bonus if you have more than one load of laundry. Get everything rounded up and in the laundry room for the next day most of the work is done!

Habit Pairing

Next is a tip that really transformed my laundry routine. They say that if you pair a new habit with an old one then you are more likely to keep the new habit.

This helps with keeping laundry going and washing the right items at the right time.

For us, we have forgotten to wash the sheets at a good time or at good intervals. So I matched up my monthly timer with our sheets.

After my period is over or mostly over, I wash all the sheets. This helps keep things clean and fresh.

And for everyone who is freaking out about dirty sheets, I shower every night right before bed so the sheets are never too dirty from the day.

The same could be said for events! You could match up payday or a holiday up with washing particular items in the house that do not need to be washed frequently.

The Laundry Power Hour

Another great tip I have is to pair the approximate hour that the laundry is in the washer with other tasks that you might be dreading.

While this might be difficult to do with babies or toddlers around you might try it during a nap time or after bedtime!

So put the laundry in the washer and start it. Then, for the next hour do some of the tasks you’ve been dreading to do until the laundry is in the dryer!

This could be paying bills, making appointments, scrubbing the floor, or organizing the tools or pantry.

The laundry will have to come out of the washer at some point and by then, you’ll have completed all the tasks you’ve been putting off!

Think of the relief!

Something about a timer always makes me clean faster.