Keeping up with the Laundry

Wow!  What a summer it has been.  You know, it seems like there isn't even TIME to do laundry, let alone blog about it!  Between the garden, the business, planning the next school year, taking care of my mom, and various activities the kids have been involved in, it's a wonder anything gets done!

There are a few things I do to stay on top of the laundry around here.  First, When I can, I sort all the laundry the night before, giving me a head start the next day.  I always have all the laundry in one place, so I'm not scrambling from room to room.

I always have at least one load ready to wash before I go to bed at night. By having a load ready to go in, I can wash it first thing in the morning, before having my three cups of coffee to make me coherent enough to sort out a load. I don't put the clothes in the washing machine because if I wash them, they will be musty by morning, with the warm summer temperatures.  If I don't wash them, there is the risk that one of the girls will come with THIER load in the morning (before coffee!) and toss the still-dirty clothes in a basket.

Another way I keep up is to hang a load or two on our Windy Hills Maple Drying Rack in the rec room or living room the night before, so by morning it's ready to fold and put away.  In the winter, we rotate the racks among the bedrooms so the moisture goes into the air - a natural humidifier that makes sleeping much easier.

One other trick.  If you have children who are close in age and size, like our four boys, I suggest marking who's clothes are who's.  We just put lines on the tags with a Sharpie - 1 line for the oldest, 2 for the second, etc.  As each child grows into the clothes, we just add another line.  This way, anyone can fold and sort out the clothes, without wasting time trying to think who is wearing what size now.

What are your methods of keeping up with the laundry?