My husband and I are great at doing the wash.
Notice I didn't say we are great at doing the laundry, because that would imply getting through the whole process of washing and drying in a fairly reasonable time. Unfortunately in our house, gathering up the dirty laundry, carrying it down to the basement, sorting it into whites, darks, and colors, then starting the washer is all we can muster. We have a tendency to go upstairs then forget about it for days. DAYS.
When we do finally remember, we usually have to run the load a second time so they don't stink of mildew. We have even triple washed. Yes, we are that lazy. We also use a lot of Downey Unstoppables.
Laundry was much easier for me when I lived in my condo because the units were in a hall closet right near the bedroom. It was hard to ignore when you walked by it several times a day. My husband always wonders why I miss that small condo when we now have much more room in our house, but the convenience of the washer and dryer is high on the list.
Even when we do remember to switch the wet laundry over to the dryer, we still bring the full baskets upstairs and stare at them for several more days until someone caves and folds them. I am lucky enough that it is usually my husband that gives in before me. There are two reasons for this - first, I usually leave the baskets in the den where he spends most of his time, so they are hard for him to ignore. Second, he is the only one that leaves the house on a daily basis for work, so his need for clean clothing is a little more pressing than for my son and I. My pandemic work-from-home outfits are definitely more forgiving when it comes to the need to be clean.
Now, once he has it all folded, it will stay like this on the den table for hours until I acknowledge his good deed. Of course I appreciate it, but do I really have to say thank you for doing something that clearly benefits him as well?
I digress.......
The other night I went down to the basement for something in the pantry and I glanced over to the laundry corner. The washer cover was closed, which meant there were wet clothes just waiting to be rescued. As much as I wanted to ignore it, deep down I knew I had no choice but to swap them over. As I pulled the clothes out that were sitting in the dryer (who knows how long they had been in there) I found myself using the closed washing machine as a table and I folded each piece as I removed it. I was able to quickly get the dryer emptied and the entire load folded and ready to be put away before it even got upstairs.
Brilliant! What an efficient way to complete a task that we monumentally hate! Of course, when I got upstairs I brought the folded pile into the den and smugly told my husband "see, I can fold too, and I don't even need to take up an entire room or get kudos for it!"
(Yes, I recognize the irony of that statement).
Next I found myself humming a tune from Hamilton, but with some new lyrics,
Soak Less, Fold More!
Of course I had to turn it into a sign design. I think I may need to create a whole collection dedicated to laundry in my store.
I think I could have a lot of fun with these
This may not help us remember to check the washing machine more often, but at least it will encourage us to be more efficient when we do.
Now, I just need something to prod us to match up that overflowing basket of socks......
(If you want to see any of these signs produced for JoatmonCreations.com, leave a comment)