Laundry...

For whatever reason, there are two topics about larger families that seem to hold the imagination of people with only one or two children. The first being the grocery shopping/grocery bill. The second being laundry. If I enter into a conversation that turns to the size of my family, one or both topics are sure to make an appearance. It doesn't bother me, it just fascinates me. The quick answer to both questions is -- They are big jobs. Since today is one of my two designated laundry days each week, I'll talk about laundry. My friends with larger families than mine will probably give me a patronizing giggle at the amount of laundry I have, but we will all pretend not to notice.

Now, let me set things up by telling you how much I lurve my laundry room. I mean deep devoted lurve. I have for years done laundry in dark, dank basements until this house. We live in a renovated 110 year old two-family flat that has been converted into a single family residence. They brilliantly decided to turn the upstairs flat's kitchen into my beautiful laundry room. Yes, that means it's on the 2nd floor, you know the floor with all the bedrooms and two of the bathrooms. That's right I don't have to carry laundry up and down 2 flights of steps. It is 12ft X 10ft. It has two gi-normous windows and get this, a balcony that gets full sun. So, In the spring, summer and part of the fall I can put my drying racks out on the balcony. *yay* I get giddy just thinking about it. There is room for my ironing table and my big laundry table and my hanging rack and oh! It has a nice little closet. No lie, one of the things that causes me great anxiety as Chowder searches for another job, is the idea that I will have to go back to basement. The only thing that would make this room perfect, would be a lovely set of high capcity, high efficiency washer and dryer. but alas, I have a hand-me down washer and basic of basic dryers.

When I do laundry, I must have new bag of Runts candy from the bulk bins.

First, I only do laundry two days a week. That's it. You don't get the favorite dress you want to wear to your playdate into the laundry basket my Sunday night, you're out of luck. Mondays I do clothing and Thursdays I do household laundry. On Mondays I do roughly 7 or 8 loads plus 1 load of diapers. Each person in the family has a washtub that is their "laundry bucket" they are all (ok. not Ladybug) responsible for putting their own clean laundry away, and putting their dirties into the hamper in the laundry room. Everything is folded and sorted into their buckets except socks. (All children's socks are kept in a bin under the bench by the front door along with the bin of children's shoes.) I then iron about six or seven shirts and four or five pairs of pants. I do not sort adult socks, they all get thrown into the white laundry basket for you to find yourself.

On Thursdays, everyone strips their beds (ok, except Ladybug) and I then put new sheets on and remake the beds. Once a month I wash quilts, mattress covers and shower curtains. I wash all of the sheets, table linens, towells, cleaning rags, pot holders and rugs. Usually another six or seven loads, plus 1 load of diapers. I then iron all of the table linens and a couple of sheets Grandma bought that are a horrendous mess when they come out of the dryer. I only iron the top sheets and pillowcases.

Both days usually are completely consumed by the laundry task, but I never could do the one-load-a-day thing. I'd rather take two days a week and get it all done instead of leaving loads to mildew in the washer or never get folded out of the dryer. This system works much better for me. Plus, I get alot of alone time. That's a lie. I always have lots of "help" and a little help.