How I Simplified Our Laundry Routine and Gained My Weekends Back

lindsay Metternich
Jul 15
4 min read

By Lindsay Metternich | Harmony Helpers

For a long time, weekends meant one thing: laundry mountain.

Not a cute pile. Not a tidy stack. I’m talking about a full-on Everest of mismatched socks, towels, inside-out hoodies, and mystery stains I never agreed to deal with.

And the worst part? I’d spend hours sorting, washing, folding, and hauling—and by Sunday night, someone would drop a pair of soccer shorts on top and ask, “Is this clean?”

That’s when I knew: laundry wasn’t just stealing my time—it was stealing my sanity.

So I decided to change the system. Not with a fancy new machine. Not with magic fairy dust. Just with a simple, family-friendly rhythm that finally worked.

Now? Laundry gets done during the week. My weekends feel lighter. And my kids (yes, even the teens) actually participate.

Here’s how I did it—and how you can too.

Step 1: I Stopped Doing Everyone’s Laundry

Yep, you read that right.

Somewhere along the way, I fell into the trap of “it’s faster if I do it.” But faster doesn’t mean better, and it definitely doesn’t mean sustainable.

So I changed the rule in our house:If you’re old enough to wear clothes, you’re old enough to help care for them.

Here’s how we divide it:

Teens (13+): Fully responsible for their own laundry. They each have their own hamper and a laundry day (more on that below). I’m happy to help with stain tricks or folding hacks, but they run the show.
Younger kids (5–12): Help sort, switch loads, and fold towels or their own clothes with assistance. They learn by doing.
Toddlers (2–4): Toss their clothes in the hamper, “help” sort socks, and hand me towels to fold. It’s messy, but it’s a start.

The goal isn’t perfection. It’s participation.

Step 2: I Assigned Laundry Days

No more “I’ll just throw in a load when I have time.”

Now, we have a simple laundry schedule that lives on the fridge:

Monday: Towels + kitchen cloths
Tuesday: Teen #1’s clothes
Wednesday: Younger kids' clothes + bedding
Thursday: Teen #2’s clothes
Friday: My stuff + sheets
Saturday: Overflow (only if needed)
Sunday: Laundry is closed.

Giving each person a dedicated day keeps the machine from being overloaded, gives the kids a built-in reminder, and means I’m not buried in five loads on Sunday.

Step 3: I Created Laundry Zones That Made Sense

I used to lug baskets across the house like some kind of exhausted laundry sherpa.

Now? Every room has its own hamper. Every family member knows where their clean clothes go. And our laundry area (tiny but mighty) has just the basics:

2 labeled baskets: “Wash Today” and “Fold Me”
One shelf for detergent, stain spray, and dryer sheets
A printed “cheat sheet” with settings and symbols (no more guessing)

Even the teens appreciate it—they don’t want to shrink their favorite hoodie, and neither do I.

Step 4: I Stopped Folding Everything

Listen—if you love perfectly folded pajamas, go for it.But I gave myself permission to fold less and breathe more.

In our house:

Towels get folded. (Because it’s fast.)
Shirts get folded (mostly).
Underwear, socks, and PJs? Tossed in bins. No one cares. Not one single person.
Kids’ clothes? They fold their own. (Yes, it's lumpy. It's fine.)

And guess what? The world kept turning.

Step 5: I Made It Visual and Habit-Based

If you want a system to stick, it has to be seen and repeated.

That’s why we use:

A dry-erase schedule in the laundry area
A recurring phone reminder for each kid on their day
Simple checklists for younger ones (“Put clothes in hamper → Sort colors → Add detergent → Press start”)

The goal is to make laundry part of our weekly rhythm—not an emotional event.