NeverEnding Laundry

A laundry system that works, finally! I always knew I should keep up with the laundry by doing it regularly so it wouldn't turn into a resistentialistic Mount Everest of smelly underwear, old towels, socks, t-shirts and favorite jeans that have waited so long to be washed we actually start missing them ("remember those pants? Those were the days..."). But it always turned into something more like "Keeping Up With the Laundrashians," which is to say, so ridiculously unrealistic for my lifestyle.

UNTIL NOW! *said in Cinematic Baritone*

I am blessed to have a dryer. For a long time, I air-dried my clothes when we moved here and realized our gas dryer was incompatible with our house. I got used to that task enough that I didn't resent it, but it was really, really time consuming. With the help of loving friends, we finally acquired an electric dryer, and the world rejoiced. My husband rejoiced! My children rejoiced!

My overloaded hampers rejoiced!

I rejoiced too, despite the vastitude of laundering I foresaw in my immediate future. 

Then we started the dryer. 

It shrieked like a banshee. A banshee getting her toenails pulled off. 

Thus began a tradition of escaping the house in a frenzied rush every time we dried a load of laundry. Aaaand... thus continued  the tradition of falling behind in the demanding chore. It was too easy to put off doing any laundry when I knew I would either have to walk around the house like a zombie as the dryer sawed my brains into mush or leave the house and Do Something (not to mention Wear Clothes Like You Are Ready to Do Something).

But after one of my Biannual Laundry Revolution Days recently, in which I wash all the laundry in the world, I got smart. I got logical. I realized that I should coordinate my regular outings with loads of laundry (I know what you're thinking-- "she must have finally dyed her hair too, because only a blonde wouldn't figure that out")(just kidding, take it easy, blondies! I'm one of you, to an extent). Seriously, though, that's all it took. 

I leave the house AT LEAST once a week. Generally, I leave the house about 3 or 4 times a week for long enough to never hear the poor, tortured Banshee Dryer. But even during the weeks that I only leave ONCE, that is one load of laundry that will get washed and dried...and here's the cool part: it will get folded and put away, too. 

Because one load is not so intimidating. The clothes might sit in the dryer for a night. Maybe even two nights, maybe. But the clothes will get folded and put away sooner than later because that's all there is! 

You know how laundry probably inspired The NeverEnding Story just because laundry is the embodiment of the title alone? When I do laundry this way, in this pathetic little bite-sized routine, I actually get the satisfaction of finishing. 

Because I wash ONE load (while I get ready to go have fun somewhere)...

Then I dry ONE load (while I go have fun somewhere)...

Then I fold ONE load (while I enjoy watching a TV show sans guilt)...

And I put that ONE load away (while I hope that for once my daughter won't pull the clothes out of her dresser and throw them on the floor)(in which case I shove the clothes all back into her dresser because why fold a load twice?)...

And that's all there is, and somehow it's enough to keep up.

No pressure. Except to Wear Clothes Like You Are Ready to Do Something, but let's be honest...a lot of us stay-at-home moms could be more like just-usually-at-home moms.

The pregnant hampers can all wait for their staggered due dates (and I can make them go past term if I feel like it; I'm just awesomely mean like that).

UPDATE: It has been over a month since I started doing laundry this way...it is blessing my life, that's for sure. 
UPDATE 2: This method is STILL working for me! I forget sometimes to do any laundry when I'm headed out of the house, but the attitude of taking it all load by load as well as day by day has really helped me stop stressing about laundry. I believe that is called "success" in the housekeeping world...