Rotating Clutter

So a while back I wrote a post about a class I took at BYU-I Education week on how unloading the dishwasher will make your life easier and kitchen cleaner. I thought I would share another tip from this great class and instructor. (Her name is Marie Rick, by the way, and this is her website. She is absolutely WONDERFUL!)

In this class she was teaching us about rotating clutter.  What is that you wonder.  Don't worry, so did I.  But don't worry, I am here to help.  Dishes are rotating clutter, but we addressed that last time.  Trash is rotating clutter.  A little tip she gave with the trash is ... have a smaller garbage can in the kitchen that gets taken out every single day, yep, that is right sister, EVERY SINGLE DAY!  That is a hard one for me, I have a small garbage can, but I want to pack it in there as tight I as can.  But I have to say, being 7 months pregnant, this does not smell pretty.  I need to work on this one a bit more.  

Holiday decorations are rotating clutter, and so is laundry.  Laundry?!? What?!?  When I heard her say that I thought, "laundry is not clutter, we have to have clothes."  Then I thought about my laundry room.  

Yep.  Clutter.  

Marie's challenge to us was this... When you do a load of laundry, take it out of the dryer when it is warm, then proceed to fold and put away while warm.  I know, I know, some of you are thinking the same thing as me, "Why would I ever give up that rush of trying to find a matching pair of socks in the basket of clean clothes that has been sitting on the laundry room for an entire week when the bus is almost here and your child will miss the bus if you don't hurry?"  I had the same thought!  :)

My laundry day is Wednesday, and so on Wednesday I wash load after load of laundry.  I try to fold some of it, but I never, never get it all done.  On Wednesday nights my hubby goes and plays basketball after the kids have gone to bed.  So for the last couple of years I haul all of my laundry baskets into the living room, plop down onto the couch and fold the laundry that didn't get done during the day, while watching TV.  I don't watch TV the rest of the week so this is fun entertainment for me. Then it usually takes me around 3-4 days to actually put the laundry away after that.  (Except for my older girls laundry, they do that themselves, on Wednesday or Thursday)  And what happens when he decides to not go play basketball that week, well, the laundry sits in the baskets for at least a week, while we all try to dig out socks and underwear we know have to be in there somewhere! 

It took me two weeks to finally decide that I wanted to try this tip.  And can I just tell you.... 

 I LOVE IT!!

Marie had told us that it will be 4.5 minutes of torture when that dryer gets done, but I tell you, the torture is worth it!  I just stand next to the dryer and fold away for just a few short minutes, then load all the folded clothes up in a basket and go from room to room putting them away.  It takes me less then 10 minutes per load, and then it is done.  I have an entire counter of clean space in my laundry room now.  I do have to add, my girls still put away their own laundry, that is just one of their chores, and they do need some responsibility, so I kept that the same.  But I have my 4 yr old carry his laundry to his room and help me put it away while it is still warm.

This tip has worked wonderfully for me.  I love that by just doing these little things I feel happier and much more organized!

One more tip that goes with laundry.

Sheets...

Who enjoys folding sheets?  I know that I don't.  Her tip for sheets was this... When you take your sheets off your bed to wash them, don't put a different set on.  (in fact, she suggests you only have one set of sheets per bed, unless you have an infant or bed-wetter)  Wash and dry the sheet set, then immediately put them back on your bed.  I love this tip too.  So this is what I do... Monday's are my sheet day.  The whole family knows it and so on Monday mornings instead of making their beds they take off sheets and bring them to me.  I wash the sheets.  If the kids are home I have them take their sheets and make their beds when they are done, if not, I do it.  All the beds are made with clean sheets by noon.  I love it.  Seriously.  Me and folding sheets are not friends, and I used to just have a laundry basket sitting on my counter full, and I mean FULL of sheets, just waiting for the following Monday so I could put them on the beds.  Don't have that problem anymore!  

So, that is what I learned about taking care of rotating clutter!  I hope that this helps you as much as it has helped me.  Maybe one day I will feel that my life is organized.

~Rachel~