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Laundry Woes



Someone’s got to say it. I hate doing laundry. To put it mildly , It’s my least liked chore. I can even clean a blocked vacuum cleaner . That’s how much I despise it. But it’s got to be done. When you’ve recently had another baby, laundry gets a promotion. More clothes and what’s this? Bibs and socks and washcloths AND burp cloths. The washing machine is expected to perform at its best. Dare it show any signs of a potential breakdown as it definitely would cause a huge part of my sanity to ‘vanish’. Sorry about the pun but I couldn’t let it go. 


I’m trying to be eco friendly so I end up air drying the clothes. But you know what gets to me? The tiny socks. I mean I get really wound up when I have to air dry seven such pairs. I’m always cursing under my breath because obviously the seven pairs have been separated at a bustling carnival aka the washing machine and the chances of these reuniting is a very remote possibility. 


Now sorting and folding dried laundry is a whole different ball game. Do you fold and then sort or the other way around? Which one is more efficient? Does it depend on how many family members are there? Do we really need to fold socks? I have now started folding them in together so they remain that way until they reach the abyss of the washing pile. Also, When do you fold laundry? To be honest, this sits at the absolute bottom of my to do list and I end up stress folding some three lots at once. It’s becoming a problem. But you see as a mum with 2 very energetic young kids I have to choose my battles.


Oh my toddler when he was about 17 months used to get very excited about helping me with laundry. I too was thankful for his help as it taught him some practical skills and it taught me patience. Have you tried doing laundry with a toddler? I can see you nodding and I hear you my friend and you, with that smirk on your face, why don’t you try it out before your smugness gets the better of you. 


I have about 4 laundry baskets across the house and somehow, however conscientiously I do the laundry, all 4 baskets will be relatively full. Either with dirty clothes or fresh clothes. 


Don’t even get me started on linen. The other day I read a tweet that there are people who wash their pillows. I mean who are these people? Please make yourselves known and share your motivation with the world. People like me need you to educate us, to inspire us. Also I know of people who love to do laundry! I find this extremely inspiring. So, how is life on the other side?


Moaning about laundry reminds me of a popular meme that said “Even if noone is there for you, laundry will always be there for you”. It never fails to crack me up. It’s way better than a very sanctimonious tweet I read “I complain: The laundry basket never stays empty, God reminds : Your family never goes without clean clothes to wear”. Alright then, Martha!!


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