WFMW: Laundry Time!

One of my favourite interwebby thingys is Shannon's weekly Works for me Wednesday carnival.  I have gotten some incredibly helpful hints, even if hundreds of people participate each week.  I've never really felt that I had anything to contribute though...until now.

   

This handy little trick came to me in the spring and has saved me many the headache.  My washer and dryer are upstairs with the bedrooms, and no matter how loud I set it, I never hear the little built in timer go off.  My usual routine is to get up in the morning, start a load in the washer, and then get dressed and feed the kids, etc.  The problem is that, with all the etc. that goes on, I would often forget completely about the laundry until late at night or, worst of all, the next morning.  We have had some stinky loads, I can tell you.

Until this:

 

This cheap little kitchen timer from the Dollar Store, purchased for helping with time-outs and 30-minute Thursdays, has saved our laundry.  It saved it because I noticed this:

 

The back of the timer is magnetic (so what), has a little built in stand (this is how I used to use it: on my desk) and, best of all:

IT CAN CLIP ON TO THINGS!!!! 

Now I start my laundry, set the timer to match the time for the load, and clip it to myself (usually my shirt).  Wherever I am, whatever I'm doing, I hear the timer--BECAUSE IT'S ATTACHED TO ME.  Then I can run up quickly and move things to the dryer, hang up delicates, even start another load, setting the timer once again, this time for dryer or washer, whichever takes longer. 

I used to worry about interrupting my day with laundry, but it only takes a second and the timer is boss!  My kids know what the timer means and are fine with me jumping up to change the loads.  In fact, I used it for a time-out for the Boy a few weeks ago and when it went off he yelled "Mom!  Laundry!" instead of getting out of his time-out.  I'm fine with it too, and if I've gotten caught up reading something and lost track of time (a daily event), the little beep beep is inescapable.

No more stinky loads forgotten in the washer!  Yay!

That's what works for me, and maybe it will work for you too.

Now could someone come over here and fold all that nice clean laundry for me?

Comments

[Mom]

Dear daughter, Your little beeper has already interrupted whatever you were doing to change loads( great idea by the way),so your up there already, just fold the clothes as you take them out of the dryer and put them in each person's basket to go to their room. It's a great habit to get into and will save you from having to tackle a mountain of laundry later to reclaim your room and less wrinkles! Love you Mom

[Shandee]

I LOVE IT!!! Thanks, that's a great idea. I too have had many loads of stinky clothes because they've been forgotten.

[Sheila at Dodging Raindrops]

I think I need to try this. I keep forgetting a load in the washer!

[Mrs. Q]

*Running to Dollar Tree to get my own timer*

My husband is forever exasperated because I forget about my laundry in the garage. This is a great tip! Thank you for saving my marital harmony...lol!

[canadacole]

Hey Mom :)

The thing is, it only takes seconds to deal with the wet laundry and get it drying. It takes MINUTES to deal with folding, even if I'm not putting away. Sometimes I don't have those minutes right then. I believe I'm going to start doing it each evening though. As long as ER isn't on! ;)

[mil]

This idea was so great, I went and got myself one of those gadgets. Believe it - they work! And now another pearl I learned from Mya - never do anything yourself that you can get someone else to do for you. Nola has a great idea - put the clean but unfolded clothes in the kids (label it with their name) dishpan, put the dishpan on the stair tread going upstairs and forget about it.

[canadacole]

We mostly do that! The girls are both old enough (in my opinion) to fold and put away their own clothes. I sort their stuff into their baskets and they're responsible for it. The boy still needs a little help--mostly because he can't reach his closet shelves. I need a new organization system for him so he can do his thing too. That just leaves Hubby and I and overcoming my own lazy tendencies!