why is putting away clean laundry so much hassle!?

[shouldIbecrossaboutthis]

I really hate putting away clean laundry; it always seems such a massive task (tho I admit it doesn't take that long). Does anyone have a system which might help?

"Just do it", doesn't really work for me, now I have 4 weeks worth to put away

4 weeks?
If I don't put it away it gets worn, I could never have 4 weeks worth.
Maybe your answer is less clothes :)

If you haven,t worn stuff for 4 weeks I'd dump it I agree you have too much stuff

I put it all in a big basket and get DH to take it upstairs, then I put it away when the children are playing in the bath. DH would put away stuff that needs to be ironed too so I do it.

Where does yours end up? I have a futon in the front room that ends up covered in piles of clean dry stuff and a gazillion odd socks.

I am with you OP
I need to declutter the clothes

Well, the way I do it is to wash each person's laundry in separate load. So once it has dried on the airer I just carry it all into that person's room and put it away. No trotting about different bedrooms working out whose stuff is whose. Or I do all the towels in one go so all I need to do is fold them and put them in the towel cupboard.

Some people think I'm mad, but I've never done "mixed loads" of washing, we all have our own laundry baskets and I find it easier to do this way and easier to keep track of.

Have less clothes, then you'll never get such a big build up?

I share your pain, it's my biggest bugbear too. DH keeps threatening to throw everything away, except for three outfits each; one on, one in the wash and a spare!

Tell me about it. I found a mouse dropping on a towel in the airing cupboard last night and haven't stopped washing since. Bleargh. Bastard little things, haven't had one in years, but I assume the cold has encouraged them in.

lack of space for me.

My wardrobe is full up so the clean stuff gets crammed in.

DD doesn't have much storage space either, so finding hangers / drawer space is a PITA. On the other hand DS has a lovely big cupboard and chest of drawers so his stuff is easy to put away.

Four weeks!! If mine isn't put away in 4 days it gets worn!!

This is my one hate, i call it mount washmore, i attempt to scale it weekly when i can be arsed
Except it's not a mountain, it's a volcano, it erupts every five bastard minutes!

My usual method is

1: get amongst it
2: sort into piles, one for each person (no folding at this stage, just lobbing)
3: carry each pile into the relevant bedroom, then fold and put away each persons at a time.
4: i also put away/hang up things that need ironing and iron as needed otherwise the ironing pile becomes an outcrop of mount washmore!

Not sure whether that makes it easier but that's how i tackle it!

We have a plastic trug for each member of the family and all the clean washing gets dumped on our bed then sorted into piles for each person which goes straight into their own basket. It's then no longer my responsibility and any queries about "where's my jeans/pants/top?" just get directed to their own basket. They can put it away if they want or it can just live in the basket. The other thing which has revolutionised my laundry is leaving the odd socks in the tumble dryer until they find their partner instead of having the little buggers all over the house. HTH.

I'm with byesckerslike - it is far far faster to sort into a pile for each member of the family (+ a bibs and teatowels pile) first and then fold and sort each pile separately. Y'know, from a sort of time and motion study point of view.

I also talk while doing this first sort, for some reason it speeds me up, I tell the baby or the cat 'daddy, daddy, me, DS1, baby, baby' etc). Makes me feel like a croupier. I lead a bit of a sad existence sometimes.

My best system is to fold and sort as soon as it comes out of the dryer or off the line.
I fold it, put it in piles for myself, DH, DD, DS1, DS2 and 'other', anything to be ironed gets folded and put into a basket for Sunday, I also have a small basket each for underwear and one for odd socks.
At some point between 3 o'clock and bedtime I take it upstairs and put it in the relevant rooms.
DH and DD put their own away though I hang anything ironed for DD unless she is in the room with me.
I put DS1's away for him, he does his socks and pants and puts his rugby kit back in it's bag though.
I put mine, DS2's and 'other' away.

When I am 'good' this works very well, though it can easily descend into chaos if I miss more than one day.

I sort it into piles once it's been ironed and put it in each person's wardrobe/chest of drawers.

And then the pile of teatowels, dusters etc which don't get ironed I just take down to the kitchen drawer.

Not sure what hassle you mean, tbh

Ha ha ha ha bella i do exactly the same thing, but i left that bit out

I often commentate on what i am doing, especially when cooking, i used to do it when i was younger imagining i was on blue peter

I have an ironing cupboard, all laundry thrown folded up in baskets waiting to be ironed. Ironing is done basket by basket then put away before continuing.

Too many clothes here too, but little chance of reducing.

How old are your kids - can't they do their own?

I also do separate loads for each person - saves a sorting job. And I do a load each day to keep on top of it. I put the machine on each evening and then it just needs hanging up each morning.

I also don't do ironing which saves a job. DH irons his own shirts and nothing else gets ironed.

In my house everyone puts their own laundry away, I wash it and that's it, I also get my girls to pair and put away socks!

I only ever iron items that we will be wearing the next day, I don't iron a whole pile of laundry in one go ever!

Me too. Bet you hate filing paperwork and putting away the shopping too (or is that just me - I think I am "filing phobic"). It does help knowing there is space in the drawers/cupboards - the thought of trying to cram stuff into full places is so depressing.

I only put away my own stuff anyway - DH does his and DD does most of hers (although I do have to help with hanging some stuff up).

I put the clean laundry away every evening when DS is in his bath, unless I have to come in and sort out any fights between his bath toys (that shark's a total bastard at the moment). If I do it every day it doesn't mount up in the same way. Mind you, I bloody love laundry and will happily swap with you for hoovering and washing up.

I don't put DH's washing away if he has been neglecting his share of the household jobs, especially the ones I hate doing, on the grounds that my laundry sorting time has been already all used up by doing his share of thr washing up/hoovering/tidying the living room etc.

He gets the hint eventually.

4 weeks worth!

I do it daily but I still find it a pita because I can't carry both ds and the laundry at the same time so he left downstairs, rattling the stairgate screaming blue murder because I am such a cruel mother. Then dh wonders why he has my knickers in his underwear drawer (hmm).

Yep, I hate it, I think because it's never ending. My dining room table is covered in washing.

Oh god, this is embarrassing there are only 2 of us! Our first DC is on it's way so I'm trying to sort it out before it comes. #

It's because I am a "systems" person; if there is no system then it doesn't get done. You wouldn't think it from this thread but I am v v tidy, my friends call me Monica. But there is something about putting away the laundry that makes me not do it.

I am good at filing and putting away the shopping - because there is a system. ie. filing goes in date irder and tins get arranged in groups (ie. beans/soups etc).

I am officially a crazy person!

I only do three loads a week, I do them on a Fri & Sat. Everything is dry by Sun, so really I should put it away then. I fold it up and put it in the airing cupboard, his and her piles in separate baskets, and then I heap it up until it falls out in a mess! I pick the clothes out from there as I need them, but I do have a lot of clothes, which I love!

God this is the most boring post of my life. I just need to do it I think. or delegate It's the stop/tart nature of it I hate.

Make the children do it. Even a 3yo can put away their own clean clothes with a bit of guidance.

I sort the clean laundry into separate piles, and then everyone has to take their own pile and put it away. I go nuclear if I find they've just dumped it on the bedroom floor, so on the whole they just get on with it.

[job done]