All my life, I thought the only way to stay on top of laundry was to dedicate entire days to washing, drying, folding, and putting everything away. Because I lived in an apartment without a washer and dryer, I had to book the laundry room weeks in advance to have clean clothes, so it became an all-day event. I continued this practice when we moved to the house we currently live in because I didn’t know how to simplify the laundry.
But after years of feeling like I was constantly buried under piles of clothes, I realized something: there’s a much better way.
Most people skip this method because they assume laundry has to be a huge, time-consuming process, but once I tried it, everything changed. If you’re tired of laundry dominating your weekends and want a simpler, more effective approach, keep reading.
Why The Traditional Laundry Approach Isn’t Always the Best Option
If you’ve been trying to keep up with laundry, and it still feels overwhelming, it’s not your fault.
Many people struggle because of the common approach to laundry:
❌ Turns into a marathon session – Spending an entire day doing laundry sounds efficient, but it’s exhausting and easy to fall behind on.
❌ Relies on willpower alone – If your system depends on you suddenly having the motivation to fold five loads of laundry, it’s going to fall apart fast.
❌ Leads to the dreaded laundry mountain – The longer you put it off, the bigger the pile gets, making it feel impossible to tackle.
Sound familiar? If you’ve been feeling stuck in an endless cycle of laundry chaos, there’s a different approach that actually works.
The Better Way to Simplify Laundry
Here’s the method that changed everything for me:
1. Treat Laundry as a Cycle, Not a Task – Stop the Overwhelm Before It Starts
Instead of thinking of laundry as something to “finish,” shift your mindset to treating it as a continuous cycle—just like dishes or tidying up. This helps you:
✔️ Keep laundry manageable – A little effort every day means no more intimidating laundry piles.
✔️ Stop waiting for motivation because it’s just part of your routine, not an overwhelming to-do list item.
Example: Instead of waiting until laundry is spilling out of hampers, I now do a small load every morning—it never piles up, and it’s always manageable. And if the clothes are only slightly dirty you can use the short program.
2. Find a Laundry Routine That Fits Your Life – That Works Even If You’re Busy
Think you need to spend hours sorting and folding? Nope. This strategy helps you keep up with laundry even if:
✔️ You’re short on time – By doing smaller, consistent loads, you avoid laundry taking over your day.
✔️ You have a busy schedule – You can fit laundry into your existing routine instead of reshuffling your whole week.
✔️ You hate folding – You don’t need to spend hours perfectly folding clothes (seriously, let’s stop over-complicating this! The kids won’t care; they will pull the clothes out onto the floor anyway.).
Here are three simple laundry routines—pick the one that works best for you:
🔹 One-Load-a-Day Method – Do one small load each day (e.g., whites on Monday, darks on Tuesday). Wash in the morning, dry in the afternoon, and fold in the evening. Laundry stays small and manageable.
🔹 Laundry Day Method – Set aside one or two days per week and knock out all your laundry at once. Listen to a podcast, watch a show, or involve the kids to make it less tedious. If it works for you, go for it.
🔹 Hybrid Method – Spread out different types of laundry across the week (e.g., kids’ clothes on Monday, towels and sheets on Friday). You get the consistency of the daily method but the batching efficiency of laundry day.
3. Reduce the Amount of Laundry You Do – Gets Results Faster
The easiest way to simplify laundry? Have fewer clothes.
✔️ Declutter your wardrobe – The fewer clothes you have, the less laundry there is to do.
✔️ Rewear when possible – Not everything needs to be washed after one wear (jeans, pajamas, and sweaters can go multiple wears between washes). Remember to teach the kids this so that they can help.
✔️ Limit towel use – Assign one towel per person per week instead of washing endless piles of towels.
Example: I used to wash everything after just one wear. Now, I check if things actually need washing before tossing them in the hamper—this small shift cuts my laundry load in half!
4. Sort Smarter, Not Harder
Sorting can be one of the biggest time-wasters in laundry. Try these strategies to simplify:
✔️ Use Pre-Sorted Hampers – Have separate hampers for whites, colors, and delicates. Teach kids (and partners!) to put their clothes in the right hamper from the start.
✔️ Skip Sorting When Possible – Many modern detergents and washing machines handle mixed loads well. Washing kids’ clothes altogether saves time.
5. Simplify Folding and Putting Away
Folding and putting away clothes is where many people get stuck. The secret? Make it fast and easy.
✔️ Try the No-Fold Method – Not everything needs to be neatly folded! Designate a drawer or bin for pajamas, socks, and everyday play clothes.
✔️ Hang More, Fold Less – Hanging clothes takes less time than folding. Invest in good hangers and encourage kids to hang their nicer clothes.
✔️ Make It a Family Task – Laundry should not be a one-person job! Even toddlers can match socks or put clothes in drawers.
6. Upgrade Your Laundry System
Sometimes, the right tools can make a huge difference.
✔️ Laundry Baskets for Each Person – Give each family member their own laundry basket so they can put their clothes away easily.
✔️ Choose the Right Detergent & Settings – Use high-efficiency detergent and quick cycles when possible to save time.
✔️ Simplify Sock Chaos – Buy matching socks (like single color ones) so you don’t have to sort a hundred different patterns.
7. Make Laundry Less of a Mental Load
One of the reasons laundry feels so overwhelming isn’t just the physical task—it’s the mental load of keeping track of it all.
✔️ Use a Laundry Schedule or Reminder – Set a phone reminder for laundry days so you don’t forget.
✔️ Let Go of Perfection – It’s okay if laundry isn’t perfectly folded or put away immediately. The goal is clean clothes, not a Pinterest-worthy laundry room. Though that would be nice, too.
Why Most People Skip This (And Why You Shouldn’t)
Many people never try this approach because:
🚫 They assume laundry has to be an all-day event – Nope! Small daily efforts are much more manageable than a giant laundry day.
🚫 They think skipping sorting or folding is lazy – But in reality, simplifying these steps actually keeps laundry from becoming overwhelming.
🚫 They’re stuck in an old-school routine – Just because we grew up watching our moms do marathon laundry days doesn’t mean it’s the best approach.
Final Thoughts: Take Back Your Sanity from the Laundry Monster
Laundry doesn’t have to feel like an endless battle. By simplifying your approach, creating a system that fits your lifestyle, and getting your family involved, yes even your teens, you can turn it into a manageable part of your routine—without it draining your time, energy, or sanity.
Once I stopped overcomplicating laundry and embraced this method, everything changed. No more overwhelming piles, no more exhausting laundry marathons, and best of all—no more feeling like I was drowning in clothes. Just a simple, sustainable system that keeps everything under control. If you need more tips on what to do to simplify laundry even further, check this out.
Try incorporating just one of these strategies this week and see how much easier laundry can be. And remember, no matter how much laundry piles up, you’re still an incredible mom—clean clothes or not!
Which laundry tip are you excited to try? Share your thoughts in the comments below!