Not your ordinary laundry basket

I am totally in love with my new laundry basket! When I said I had gotten rid of it what I meant was the hard plastic laundry baskets that for some reason always sat in my bedroom mocking me whether it was with those few unmatched socks or the final pairs of underwear that just never made it to their final destinations. Sometimes it was just their presence; they were there and there was no home for them. Maybe they should live on top of the dryer, but as you have seen, my laundry room shares space with my pantry and is right off the kitchen. The door to this room rarely stays closed. Most times I keep it open to get some fresh morning sun into the kitchen or that much needed cool cross breeze.

So, sitting on top of the dryer, they would still mock me and taunt me even if by some miracle I was able to get all of the clean laundry put away before starting the next load which seems to be my impossible dream; but if not, enter the familiar feelings of guilt and shame . Mostly, they would drag my spirit down with feelings of never being "done". I tip my hat to you super moms who always put the clean clothes away when they are piping hot fresh from the dryer. My kids have too many times heard me say, "Check the laundry basket!" when looking for clothes to wear.

My mom actually had a laundry day. A day when all of the laundry could be done, folded and put away but she only had two children to wash for. I tried to hold onto that model of maintenance for as long as I could which was about the time that Shortcake came along at which point I had two "laundry days"; one for clothes and one for sheets, towels, etc.... Then, after BigBoy, laundry became an almost daily occcurence and I never quite got that same sense of "it's finished!" There was always more!!!


So why does this basket work for me better than the other ones?

Because it crunches!

It's called a Crunch Can and can be tucked under a bed or next to the dryer and somehow just knowing that it can be hidden away has become the best motivation for getting the laundry done.
I have heard from other moms that they experienced the same laundry revolution somewhere between child #3 and 4 so I don't think I am alone although maybe they have a better system for getting it all put away. Eliminating the quantity was the first step! Anyway, feel free to share your tips, tricks and hints for getting housework done... doesn't have to be specifically laundry oriented. Seems like 'tis the season!

UPDATE*********************************
If you do your laundry in the dungeon (love that image Barb!) or have to carry the clean clothes upstairs to be put away, then you should know that the straps on the crunch can are very thin and might seem too weak to carry a heavy load. You can also carry it by the metal frame on top, but there are no other built in handles. I don't have to worry about carrying it too much because my older kids come to the laundry room to get their clean clothes and put them away. I am usually left with our foldable laundry and BigBoy's stuff. Hangups are put away separately.