Laundry hacks for busy moms – how to hack a mountain of laundry

Becoming a parent, the first thing I noticed was that laundry hacks for busy moms are somewhat essential. As busy moms, there’s no shortage of things to do. While I have always been a huge fan of life hacks in general, hacking the system became even more of a necessity after I had my first child and went back to my full time job. How is it even possible for moms to work a 9 to 5 job, commute, cook, clean, play with their children, put them to bed by latest 7, exercise and socialise all at the same time? I honestly don’t know.

But the fact of the matter is, the work is there to be done and it’s usually us moms who are stuck with it. The mountain of laundry, being the loyal friend who’s always there for you, without takeout options or simple shortcuts, is the one I wanted to focus on first. And while I don’t want to go down the gender role debate here, I’m sure we can all agree that knowing some simple laundry hacks for busy moms can make all the difference.

So what are the challenges we’re usually facing? First of all, it’s time. When, between all these other commitments, do we have time to put on loads of washing, fold and – I don’t even want to say it – iron? Over the years I have searched many different blogs, pages and forums in quest for the optimal answer. I have tried and tested many different things to share with you and hope some of my laundry hacks for busy moms will be helpful to you:

Divide your mountain of laundry into manageable loads

Dividing your washing into types (sheets, towels, colours, darks) is the first step to streamlining your laundry process. I like to think about my family’s requirements over the course of a week, which you can also find in my post about laundry schedules. If you have enough space and have trained your family well enough to understand the system, having different baskets for lights, darks and bigger items or delicates can also help in the sorting process.

Sort as you go

What helps me immensely when tackling my mountain of laundry is to sort a few pieces as I go. My kids are still at the age where they need someone to come to the bathroom with them. Waiting for them to finish their business is just the right amount of time to grab a few pieces out of the hamper and sort them into piles. More often than not, I manage to fill a whole basket, ready to take downstairs to the washing machine when the kids are done.

Different hampers in different locations

Do your kids often leave their socks on the living room floor? Your husband his gym clothes in the corner of the bedroom? Time to invest in a few more laundry hampers. I spent years getting frustrated with my family and carrying dirty socks up the stairs, only to bring them back downstairs on laundry day. Eventually, I realised that I wasn’t going to change their habits. So what could I do instead? Work with them! Invest in some beautiful hampers that blend perfectly into your rooms and be amazed how tidy your home becomes.

Hang in groups

With the amount of sun and wind we have in Australia, laundry is usually hung outside to dry. I don’t quite know how it has taken me years to figure this out, but eventually it dawned on me that the four sides of my washing line could be allocated to a family member each. Mind blown! The amount of time I have previously spent on taking washing off the line in bulk, folding it in bulk and then having to sort it again to put it into each family member’s wardrobe is more than I would ever care to know. But since hanging our washing in groups, all of this is a thing of the past. I hang in groups, I fold in groups, I put stuff away in groups. It’s so quick and easy and has somehow even eliminated the baskets of clean washing being parked around the house.

Sort in different baskets

This one goes hand in hand with my point above about hanging in groups. If you have enough laundry baskets, now is their time to shine. Assigning a washing basket per family member allows you to sort your mountain of laundry as you take it off the line. This then lets you take each basket up to your loved ones’ rooms, or even better, get them involved to put their own basket away.

Fold immediately

This one I cannot emphasise enough. Back in the days, I used to wash, dry and then just crinkle everything back up in a huge washing basket full of clean clothes. I had no idea what was in it and finding even just a pair of socks was impossible. But also, I had just undone half of my work. By letting the weight of my clean mountain of laundry create a load of wrinkles, I now needed to get the iron out. So as I got older and a little wiser, I fold clothes as they’re coming off the line or the dryer. If I don’t have time to fold right away, they stay where they are until I do.

Invest in efficiency

Spending a bit of money to make life better is worth it. For laundry, there are a few different things I would invest in. First things first, a good washing machine. I like my washing machine to be water and energy efficient, while having a large load capacity. I have also learned to appreciate a range of different settings. A quick 30 minute refresh cycle, an hour cycle for everyday clothes, as well as a pre-wash setting are all frequently used in my house. Having a good washing machine often means you will need to spend less on special detergents and prolonged cycles. It all results in long term savings.

Once washed, I prefer to hang my laundry outdoors whenever possible. In Australia, most days are ideal for drying clothes outside. While I have a main washing line, I did invest in a couple of collapsable clothes airers over the years. These give me the flexibility to either hang more washing outside, or bring a few damp items into the house to dry over night. Lastly, if your budget permits or location requires, invest in a good, efficient dryer. When it comes to these daily use items I prefer to spend a little extra for a good model. These are often more energy efficient but also last longer and have faster drying times. You can often find fairly new models on Facebook Marketplace or other community boards for a very reasonable price.

Less dirt = shorter cycle

Another shortcut I have learned over the years is to use the short cycles whenever possible. As my kids grow older, they love to change their outfits several times a day. While I try to teach them to hang clean items for the next day, they more often than not end up in a pile of dirty laundry in the hamper. If you have a spare few minutes, check your washing for any obvious stains. For a range of T-shirts which have been worn but are otherwise clean, a short cycle is often enough. If in doubt, adding the pre-wash option to the short cycle still saves you about an hour. And if I’m not mistaken, it even consumes a little less water. Every machine is different of course, but you get the idea of what to watch out for.

Wash over night, dry in the day

The last of my laundry hacks for busy moms, the thing I found very helpful on these super busy days, is to wash clothes over night and then spend a few minutes in the morning to transfer them into the dryer or, if time permits, hang. With sun and wind doing their thing, my washing is usually dry by the time I get back from work. It gives you an instant sense of accomplishment to have a basket of clean clothes ready to be put away. Even better, it makes it even more satisfying to tick “laundry” of your day’s to do list.

Have you tried any of my laundry hacks for busy moms? How did they work for you? Do you have other hacks to share? I’d love to hear from you in the comments.