Keeping the clean clothes of a large family can be a juggling game. Organizing to put the washing machine, hanging, picking up and placing clothes requires good logistics, especially when there are more than five people at home. Each family has its own methodology, which can vary depending on whether there are babies or toddlers at home or teenagers. In any case, keeping clothes in order when there are many members in the home is not an easy task, although we are going to give some guidelines so that you can organize your best, saving time and money.
Get the most out of laundry
When you are many at home, every wash counts. A very large family cannot afford to put half-full washing machines, so it is essential that at each wash the maximum load of the washing machine is used. It is also necessary to avoid having to wash by hand, being able to select short programs for delicate or baby clothes. Machine washing, in addition to being more comfortable and faster, means greater water savings.
Also with the idea of saving a few euros at the end of the month, it would be ideal if both the washing machine and the dryer (if any), had a highest energy classification possible. This information, present on the energy label, indicates the energy and water consumption of each device. In this line, it is also possible to take advantage of the function that some programming washing machines have, and turn it on in the hours of lowest energy consumption such as during the night.
Planning and collaboration
If saving money is in the mind of any large family, the economization of time is also essential. A good organization of the entire process of performing laundry is essential so that dirty clothes do not accumulate. In this regard, we recommend plan the laundry, either by allocating a few fixed days a week to put the washing machines that suit, which can be five or six perfectly, or dedicate a daily time slot for this task. In this case, for example, you can organize to put a washing machine every day in the early hours, leaving the clothes hanging before leaving home.
The whole family can contribute in the process of keeping the laundry in order. Thus, the smallest of the house can, almost like a game, help put the clothes in the washing machine, classify the clothes according to colors or whites, and even turn on the button. Older people, on the other hand, can contribute when it is time to hang clothes or fold and place it. With this method, In addition to organizing more easily, you will help children participate in household chores and lend a hand at home.
Organize laundry by rooms
To speed up the process and prevent mountains of garments from accumulating in any room of the house, you can choose distribute laundry baskets in different rooms, such as in the main bathroom and in the children's rooms. At the time of laundry, you can put the clothes in a common basket next to the washing machine, where should do the classification of clothes by colors, by level of dirt, delicate clothes, towels and other clothes to wash with hot water, baby clothes ...
When it comes to tendering, it is very important stretch each piece well and place it strategically, causing the weight to be distributed down so that the clothes wrinkle as little as possible. Shirts and other similar garments can be placed on hangers directly and thus prevent the clamps from being marked in visible areas. In this way we avoid having to iron most of the clothes, a task that in such large families can be a luxury for the time invested.
Finally, when picking up the laundry, you can go sorting clothes according to the room where they are stored and folding it in order. First, that of the father and mother, then that of the baby, that of the older brother, the bedding ... In this way, the time to place clothes will be faster.
Take care of clothes to last longer
In a house full of children, the most common is that the clothes go from brother to brother as they grow. Therefore, it is very important that you take care of your clothes and treat them properly. On the one hand, you should avoid washing clothes when it is not necessary. Sometimes, we tend to wash clothes after each use, almost automatically, without being really dirty. In these cases, perhaps it would be better to stop before analyzing whether these pants or that shirt can be put on another occasion.
The difficult stains, so common in children, it is recommended treat them with specific products. Remains of porridge, fruits or grass can be removed from the white clothes easily by soaking the clothes with Neutrex for about 20 minutes, rinsing and washing in the washing machine later. The use of bleach will also allow you to keep the white clothes like the first day, so that they can go from the elders to the children of the house.
When you want to store a garment for a long period of time, we recommend that you wear a vacuum packing bag specific for it. This type of storage will allow you to place a large amount of clothes in a very small space, since when the air is taken out the bag occupies little space, in addition to protecting the garments from bad odors, dust and moisture.
We hope that, with these little tricks, the challenge of keeping the whole family's clothes clean is much more bearable. It is mainly about organize the laundry well and involve the whole family in it, always trying to save time and money during the process. And you, how do you organize the laundry at home?
Photos | iStock: monkeybusinessimages / kzenon / Choreograph / Martinan
