Just a BlinkProof Time Flies

::My Laundry Journey::

{Please stick with me! This is a long post. You’ll love the ending, I promise.}

I had no idea that a peaceful laundry room could change your life. Let me tell you…It can! I used to moan about laundry. Clothes were always around the house in various degrees of dirtiness, cleanliness or somewhere between the two. I never knew which was which and I was forever dragging multiple laundry bins up and down and all around–making my head spin!

Until I wandered unto The Masked Mommy blog. She claimed the month of January to get her head on straight about the “loch ness laundry” in her home. So did I!

The Laundry Room

We replaced our washer and dryers this past fall (this is an old photo, in case you were wondering why I had no laundry machines)

This, That & The Other Thing (Laundry and contents of the laundry room)

Clearing Out

The Reveal

The Details

I need to be surrounded with fun and inspiring things or I start to curl up and die….seriously, I think a part of me dies when clutter chokes out beauty. So, to create a little beauty, I put up a few helpful sayings (first saying shown, was made out of another salvaged game piece), hung a piece of art, and tacked up mistreated curtains. I created a spot with a re-purposed Clementine crate to capture laundry necessities. My new lamp redo has been a warm and delightful addition, to the bare bulb, that previously was the only light fixture it the room.

The How

Dirty: We have one laundry hamper basket upstairs at the end of the hallway. Yes, I said ONE! Everybody has committed to put their clothing in the hamper basket–every time! When the hamper basket is full (about everyday) it gets picked up and sorted into the laundry room bins. The basket gets put right back where it came from, cause I swear, there will already be another piece of dirty clothing waiting for a place to go.

I posted 6 “No” signs, in various patterns of red scrapbook paper, around the bedrooms and hallway. No More DUMPING! Just Say No! I hope this will help my family get a grip to clear-up the hall so we don’t trip on stuff in the dark anymore.

Laundry Bins: Each laundry bin is labeled by load description. I have space for 9 tall skinny sorting bins. (I have 3 bins and I am just filling in with what I have until I save up for some more). These bins never move unless it is to empty its contents into the washer.

Clean: I have one larger laundry basket for Clean Clothes Transportation (CCT). Clean items get a ride in the CCT to go back upstairs. Ideally, I would like to fold or hang something, only if, I can put it directly into the dresser or closet. Of course, if my four year old is helping, other arrangements will be made. This is my weakest link so we, Neat Pete and I, are going to see how we can use some teamwork in the next few weeks to iron out the details. {really, did I just make that pun? so sorry}

The Storage: I always leave empty space when I redo a room. I always need some free “places” to grow. I added a wall mounted wire basket holder and a rolling rack for household items like garbage bags, tape and soap. The blue bins are filled with art supplies and activities for the kids like finger paints, play-doh and paper.

The Comparison: If you are like me you scrolled up and down a bunch to see the before photo and the reveal photo, one after the other, okay, so maybe you aren’t as big of goof-ball as I am, but just in case…

Ta-Dah!