Laundry Slave and Double Rainbows

In my own little home I used to be completely and eternally tied down.

I always had this looming dark cloud hanging over me. I was not free. I even attempted to leave the house often to escape the feelings of shame and unlaunderedness. It was all in vain. And it always came back to tie me down again.

laundry monster

I was after all still a slave. Little did I know I was free to escape at anytime. I could slay this evil monstrous master of all things dirty and cloth. I just didn't know how to combat it and keep it from hatching as a small egg in my home again and again even though I had already killed it. Then it would grow so quickly and with so much power that just the sight of it sent my washing machine into shock.

In all seriousness though, my washing machine did go into shock. Its little light went out. Died. I had to get a new one. One that saves the earth with its teensy water cycle and can wash comforters with ease. It came delievered by 2 strong men in a white truck. I think they were from heaven. 
I thought this new machine could possibly help me slay this hideous beast. But was it enough? No. No way.

So many times I vaporized this monster into thin air...and then miraculously or omenously it reappeared, sometimes with renewed vigor and size!

Then it hit me. This was my cycle from college days which turned into 4th floor apartment living when I was married:

1. Grow a giant laundry monster.
 2. Feed it daily
 3. Kill it (Wash clothes every 1-2 weeks or when you run out of clothes.)
 *Then as our family grew I washed even every few days but it was equivalent to my 1-2 weeks previous pattern.
 4. Repeat. For life.

Then one day I read in multiple places that it can be helpful to do a load of laundry a day. So naturally I thought of several viable reasons why that is a horrible idea.

Here they are:

1. you are hurting mother nature (water waster and baby fish killer)
2. there is no way we have that much laundry to do a load or two a day!
3. wow what waaaaaaaste of time-it is much more time efficient to do a lot at once.
4. most importantly-I hate laundry and I will never do it everyday because that would be nuts

Ironically if you would have asked me how often I did laundry while the monster was alive and well. My answer=every day. This was because I would do one of the processes of laundry once a day.

 Gather. Sort. Carry. Pre-treat. Wash. Dry. Fold. Put Away.


Basically now I am mostly freeee of this sick laundry cycle. It has taken a lot of discipline and actually completing all of the processes of laundry every day.
And since I hate putting clothes away, when you have tiny loads...you only have to put away a tiny pile of clothes. Eureka.


If you are trying to kill the laundry monster at your home and you have a washer and dryer in your place of residence just do it. Gather. Sort. Carry. Pre-treat. Wash. Dry. Fold. Put Away. And do it everyday.
Do it for 27 days- According to Marla Cilley @ FlyLady

She is teaching me to be a housekeeping rockstar. And I like it a lot.


Disclaimer: I am not a professional and still slip up now and again. The difference is that I have tasted the sweet nectar of all clean clothes (most) of the time and I will not give it up. The good news is that now I don't have a sick looming dirty laundry feeling in my stomach as I leave the house to do something mommy related and fun with my girls. wooohooo.

And I feel double rainbow good now. And after you click on that link, click on this song to get you motivated to start hiking Mt. Washmore.