SLOTH = ORGANISATION
I wanted to talk to you about being organised, it is something that a lot of people have trouble with..... there is not enough time, too busy with work, the kids, school, study, life in general....these are all valid excuses but there is a way around it. Being organised is really just about good habits!
I know it is not quite as easy as it sounds, the general consensus says that it takes about 30 days of repetitive behaviour for something to become a habit. List making helps, as does posting small reminder signs until the habit forms.
Today I am going to talk to you about organisation in the laundry.
LAUNDRY
SORTING
Always sort your clothes into 3 piles, whites (lights), darks and colours. This will save you a lot of time in the long run with mistakes with colours running, fluff, light colours greying out, etc. Try the 3 basket method, then everyone can sort their own clothes as they go.
WASHING
- If you can, only wash when you have a full load, this will save you money, water and energy.
- Again if you are able, wash in cold water only, this is both more cost effective and helps the longevity of your clothes. Save your hot washes for extra dirty clothes!
- Do not think that putting in extra washing powder will help with getting your clothes cleaner, stick to the recommended amount.
- Don't overpack the washing machine, allow clothes to have room to move
- Clean the filters on your washing machine regularly
- Leave the door open on your washing machine so that it airs out and doesn't go mouldy
- To remove the dressing from new towels (you know how sometimes when you buy new towels they don't seem to dry you properly, just slide off you) by adding 1/2 to 1 cup of white vinegar to the wash the first time you wash. Always wash towels before use, manufacturers put all sorts of chemicals into the towels to keep them looking good for sale. Never add fabric softener to towels as it reduces their absorbency.
- If you haven't checked the pockets and a tissue manages to get in, put the clothes in the dryer to remove the white bits
DRYING
- Now I know it isn't as popular these days to line dry but it is the best for your clothes it also smells wonderful and saves a hell of a lot of money by not using electricity and there is something heart warming about seeing the clothes flapping on the line on a sunny day!
- Of course there are times when you have to use your dryer - try not to overload it to allow it to work more effectively.
- Clean filters after each use (this is one of those habits you need to get into - it is so automatic for me to pull out the filters each time I put a new load on). One of the major causes of house fires is dryers with their filters overloaded with lint.
- You can buy special dryer balls to put in your dryer which are used over and over again to help separate the clothes and reduce static electricity.
IRONING
- I hate ironing and I know I am not alone!!! So the least work possible is the the best way of dealing with it.
- Always sort the dry clothes the minute you get them off the line or out of the dryer (another good habit to form) This will cut down your ironing massively - if you leave them in a basket they get creased and takes a lot longer to iron.
- I fold all the clothes (you will be surprised how many things don't need ironing) and put them into piles for each person....then I give them to my children to put away in their cupboards themselves - once they are old enough (from high school) - they do all their own ironing - my mum started us off when we were quite young by getting us to iron the tea towels and hankies (I think this can start about 8 years old but you know your child and how safe they are) certainly from a very young age they enjoy helping you with the sorting.
- My mother irons sheets - I do not - life is too short. I fold the sheets as soon as they are off the line but I do iron pillow cases because they are on display.
- Do try to iron regularly (you shouldn't have very much if you use the methods above) do not allow ironing to pile up because that will just depress you and stress you and you will put it off for longer best to get on with it, put a movie on and just go for it!! - MAKE IT A HABIT
