icollectkids Posted April 11, 2014 Share Posted April 11, 2014 It's all clean, but piled waiting to be folded or only when it's all clean, folded and put away? *staring at the mountain of laundry awaiting my attention* (but hey, it's all clean!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seasider Posted April 11, 2014 Share Posted April 11, 2014 I try and try to tell myself it's caught up if I've washed the last load. But the truth is, as long as I can see a pile of clothes that still have to be handled (to be put away, ironed, whatever), it weighs on me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RebeccaS Posted April 11, 2014 Share Posted April 11, 2014 Only when it's clean, folded, and put away. Which I'm not very good at doing. Clearly. Since I'm here. And I have about 4 loads in the waiting to be folded and put away stage. :P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
icollectkids Posted April 11, 2014 Author Share Posted April 11, 2014 I have probably about 6 waiting. I'm sitting here wasting time until I have to leave for my midwife appointment. The hamper is empty and the very last load is IN the wash. Guess how I'm spending my Friday night???? LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted April 11, 2014 Share Posted April 11, 2014 Close enough. Take yourself out to dinner as a reward for a Job Partially Well Done. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happi duck Posted April 11, 2014 Share Posted April 11, 2014 I feel caught up if there isn't enough for a full load and the clean stuff is where it belongs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trulycrabby Posted April 11, 2014 Share Posted April 11, 2014 ...please explain this "caught up on laundry concept." I am completely baffled and confused. :o Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TammyinTN Posted April 11, 2014 Share Posted April 11, 2014 Everything must be cleaned, folded and put away.....but that's just how I roll. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gil Posted April 11, 2014 Share Posted April 11, 2014 It's all clean, but piled waiting to be folded or only when it's all clean, folded and put away? *staring at the mountain of laundry awaiting my attention* (but hey, it's all clean!) Only when it is all clean, folded and put away. A tip: Recruit at least 2 kids and tackle the laundry right after it comes out the dryer, set a timer for 5 minutes to have it folded and 5 minutes to have it put away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marbel Posted April 11, 2014 Share Posted April 11, 2014 I'm caught up when everything that is clean is folded and put away. But that does not mean everything we own is clean. That is an impossibility as there is nearly always going to be something dirty. So in addition to the above, I consider myself caught up if everyone has something to wear the next two days, there are clean towels (bath and kitchen) to use the next day, and fresh-enough sheets on the beds and/or clean sheets to put on the next day if necessary. I honestly am baffled by anyone who considers themselves behind on laundry if there is anything in the hamper/basket/pile on the laundry room floor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unicorn. Posted April 11, 2014 Share Posted April 11, 2014 Caught up if it's all clean. On the rare occasion when it's all put away, it's cause for a celebration! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Word Nerd Posted April 11, 2014 Share Posted April 11, 2014 DH and I would answer that question differently. He says he did the laundry if he washed and dried it. If it's dumped on the bed waiting to be folded and put away, I say that the laundry is not done yet. In fact, the real chore of doing laundry has yet to be done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted April 11, 2014 Share Posted April 11, 2014 I am "caught up" if all family members have clean clothes in their closets and the hampers are not overflowing. In what state the current load of laundry is is irrelevant, since laundry is an ongoing process. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seeking Squirrels Posted April 11, 2014 Share Posted April 11, 2014 Right now I say I'm "caught up" if all loads that need to be washed, have been washed and dried. So there may be clothes or towels dirty, but not enough to make a load. But I don't truly consider this to be caught up. I don't feel good about it until they're put away. So I might say to DH "I'm finally almost caught up on laundry" when the last load goes into the dryer. But I know I'm not truly close because there are 6+ loads sitting on my bed in need of folding. So then I drag myself back there and stare at piles for a while. They either get worked on (yay me!), or put into baskets and set aside. I spend so much more time every day digging through baskets and piles to find the clothes we need than it would take to just put them all away as they come out of the dryer. It's ridiculous. Wednesday night I spent an hour folding clothes and I still didn't finish. But I felt I did a ton, so I haven't done anything since....oops. So now I have the remaining two loads that didn't get put away, a load in the dryer, a load in the washer (uh, restarting that now), and 2 loads that need started. I hate laundry. I will be completely honest and say I cannot wait until my kids are big enough that I can assign it as a chore. I would rather scrub a toilet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted April 11, 2014 Share Posted April 11, 2014 I fold it immediately as it comes out of the dryer. How does clothing not wrinkle to heck otherwise? I've never pulled it out and piled it up. yep, that's what i don't get either. Take item out, fold, put on stack. Normally I use a clothes line: take off, fold, put in basket. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinder Posted April 11, 2014 Share Posted April 11, 2014 Washed, dried, folded and put away. Which is why I'm never caught up on laundry. :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKL Posted April 11, 2014 Share Posted April 11, 2014 I'm in the "clean, folded, and put away" camp. I abhor clutter, which stray laundry (clean or dirty) is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melbotoast Posted April 11, 2014 Share Posted April 11, 2014 I count myself "caught up" if the load that is scheduled for the day is folded. Putting it away is everyone else's job, which is why there are piles of folded laundry hanging out in everyone's rooms. :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomtoCandJ Posted April 11, 2014 Share Posted April 11, 2014 When all is folded (maybe not put away properly) each room/ person has their own basket so I'm considered caught up their basket is in their room :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meadowlark Posted April 11, 2014 Share Posted April 11, 2014 Only if it's out of the dryer, folded, and put away. I never ever allow laundry to sit in a basket longer than an hour or it gets wrinkly. Wrinkled work clothes equals cranky husband! I finally have a good system down. I throw in a load after supper and fold when I'm watching TV at night in my bedroom. It doesn't feel like work if I'm watching TV. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbgrace Posted April 11, 2014 Share Posted April 11, 2014 All clean would be caught up for me. I'm ok with clean in a basket or a load in the dryer waiting to be pulled. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamaraby Posted April 11, 2014 Share Posted April 11, 2014 Get someone to make you (or make it yourself) the laundry basket dresser from Ana White (http://ana-white.com/2010/11/laundry-basket-dresser). Put it right next to your dryer. Assign baskets to each family member and if there are extra baskets, assign those to towels or whatever. If you are creative, make labels, laminate, and hang them on the baskets with those ring-thingies. Then, fold clothes as you remove them from the dryer and place them in the appropriate basket. Repeat until the laundry is finished. Tell your family members to come and put their laundry away when you're finished. If they do, great. If they don't? Meh, who cares - at least it's finished. If they have to make a trip to the laundry room in order to get dressed every morning...well, then that's their choice. :0) At least that's how laundry gets done around here. The only exception is socks and underclothes. They'll go in a basket and I'll fold them later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NancyNellen Posted April 11, 2014 Share Posted April 11, 2014 I fold directly from the dryer, as I can't stand clean but wrinkled clothes. I consider myself caught up when it is all put away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hmvaughan4 Posted April 11, 2014 Share Posted April 11, 2014 We're supposed to put the laundry away?! If it's clean, I'm caught up. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted April 11, 2014 Share Posted April 11, 2014 I fold directly from the dryer, as I can't stand clean but wrinkled clothes. I consider myself caught up when it is all put away. Same here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tmhearn Posted April 11, 2014 Share Posted April 11, 2014 If I had 7 kids and one on the way, I'd consider myself caught up on laundry, if everyone had at least one outfit to wear that didn't have visible stains. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OH_Homeschooler Posted April 11, 2014 Share Posted April 11, 2014 Sorry, but no I don't. But clean and folded gets the job done in a crunch! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OhanaBee Posted April 11, 2014 Share Posted April 11, 2014 Thanks to an old lady incontinent dog, I am NEVER done. Clean, folded and put away, with nothing left to do is a thing of the past. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MicheleinMN Posted April 11, 2014 Share Posted April 11, 2014 Folded and in the child's room waiting to be put away or (hopefully) already put away. I do NOT like to fold cold laundry, so I fold each load as it comes out of the dryer. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HS Mom in NC Posted April 11, 2014 Share Posted April 11, 2014 Only when it's put away. That's why, when I was homeschooling 3, we had a laundry day where in laundry was the only chore other than the daily maintenance stuff. ALL kids bring all the laundry down and sort it start the first load school the kids move laundry along school the kids the second the buzzer goes off ALL children and mom drop what they're doing and help put the laundry away move the laundry along school the kids the second the buzzer goes off ALL children and mom drop what they're doing and help put the laundry away move the laundry along school the kids make a super simple lunch like sandwiches served on papertowels (just like at Subway) put dinner in the crockpot the second the buzzer goes off ALL children and mom drop what they're doing and help put the laundry away move the laundry along school the kids the second the buzzer goes off ALL children and mom drop what they're doing and help put the laundry away move the laundry along school the kids the second the buzzer goes off ALL children and mom drop what they're doing and help put the laundry away move the laundry along repeat until all laundry is done and put away eat dinner on paperplates Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coffeemama Posted April 11, 2014 Share Posted April 11, 2014 Only when it is all clean, folded and put away. A tip: Recruit at least 2 kids and tackle the laundry right after it comes out the dryer, set a timer for 5 minutes to have it folded and 5 minutes to have it put away. Help is key! I usually wait until I have two loads ready to hang/fold/put away and call the kids to help. Goes much faster! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hypatia. Posted April 11, 2014 Share Posted April 11, 2014 If the hampers aren't overflowing, the baby has clean diapers, and nobody is (involuntarily) going commando then I call it good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kewb Posted April 11, 2014 Share Posted April 11, 2014 Caught up = All clean. My dream home-everyone has shelves in the laundry room-go fetch your own laundry. Now, I usually have one of the kids bring the laundry basket up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie Smith Posted April 11, 2014 Share Posted April 11, 2014 No. I am good at getting the kids to wash and dry clothes, or doing it myself. It's the fact I usually just pile it higher and higher on the dryer or table beside the dryer. I don't fold or anything. :$ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted April 11, 2014 Share Posted April 11, 2014 I have five loads folded on my bed. I'm supposed to be packing for a weekend trip. I'm sitting here in denial. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
icollectkids Posted April 11, 2014 Author Share Posted April 11, 2014 Only when it is all clean, folded and put away. A tip: Recruit at least 2 kids and tackle the laundry right after it comes out the dryer, set a timer for 5 minutes to have it folded and 5 minutes to have it put away. I recruit often.(ok, delegate...LOL) It's been a hectic busy week here this week, though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LMD Posted April 11, 2014 Share Posted April 11, 2014 clean is good. I currently have clean clothes on my floor, they've been there a few days. I have 3 more loads to fold & get put away today (older 2 do their own). Folding & putting away is my most hated chore... I am barely domesticated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsMommy Posted April 11, 2014 Share Posted April 11, 2014 I wouldn't consider it caught up, but I would consider it good enough. (My laundry hasn't been completely caught up in at least two years!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PinkInTheBlue Posted April 11, 2014 Share Posted April 11, 2014 I consider myself finished if it's all washed and put up but not necessarily all ironed. I don't iron a bunch but I consider the job of ironing separate from washing and returning. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freeindeed Posted April 11, 2014 Share Posted April 11, 2014 Clean, folded and sitting on our dressers waiting to be put away...and waiting...and waiting... But I consider it caught up! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bolt. Posted April 11, 2014 Share Posted April 11, 2014 I consider laundry an ongoing task, not one that has an end point, so I don't have a definition for "caught up". My definition of "not behind" is simply that the 3-load family hamper is less-than-full, and the "tower" of nested clean (full) laundry bins has less than 4 baskets, and everybody has at least 2 pair of clean undies (aside from the ones on their body). Therefore, your status would be "not behind" if there are less than 4 clean loads, and if they are tidily contained/piled somewhere where they don't bother anyone. (Assuming that no one is running out of underthings.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppy Posted April 11, 2014 Share Posted April 11, 2014 No. I'd rather have dirty clothes than depressing piles of clean stuff to put away staring at me. I hate laundry. Best laundry experience of my life was the apartment I had without a washer where we used a wash-dry-fold service. It was expensive but glorious. Give them bags of dirty laundry, come back 2 days later to pick up clean folded laundry neatly stacked in bags. Heavenly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Upward Journey Posted April 11, 2014 Share Posted April 11, 2014 Clean, folded & put away, all baskets empty. However, now that we live in an apartment and share one small washer & an under-performing dryer with everyone on the floor, I am officially never done. And of course we have to pay for the "privilege" of using them :thumbdown: It is hands-down my least favorite part of living in the city. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
umsami Posted April 12, 2014 Share Posted April 12, 2014 Has to be put away because that is the bottleneck in our house. I'm great at washing and drying. OK at folding. Horrible at putting away. I fantasize about one of those family closet/laundry rooms some days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
icollectkids Posted April 12, 2014 Author Share Posted April 12, 2014 I fantasize about one of those family closet/laundry rooms some days. I've been trying to figure out how to make that work. We have a nice size laundry room. It fits the washer/dryer, upright freezer and smaller chest freezer, the vacuum, cat box and still has cabinets and storage for cleaning supplies. I don't have anywhere else to put the freezers. The smaller one isn't in use right now so we might be selling it soon. A family closet thing has always been on my want list! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy in NH Posted April 12, 2014 Share Posted April 12, 2014 Nope. And if I have a mountain then I have a folding party and everyone in the family is invited. (mandatory) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 12, 2014 Share Posted April 12, 2014 I am rarely done but.... If there are no visible dirty laundry piles and no forgotten wet smelly moldy load in the washer, I'm doing good. If you can't find what you're looking for on the closet or the dresser, it's probably in the dryer. If me or the resident adult kid needs the dryer and it isn't empty, there is a designated place to put it until the other adult has time to fold. That's not a pile of laundry behind the couch, it's where ds's Army gear belongs until we finish decluttering dd's leftovers and find a nice dresser for his room. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wapiti Posted April 12, 2014 Share Posted April 12, 2014 If I procrastinate on putting away, and someone needs to grab clothes right out of the basket to wear, then I've saved myself some effort. (folding? what's that?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammi K Posted April 12, 2014 Share Posted April 12, 2014 I think it's a good day when only a minority of us are going commando. :rolleyes: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cindy in FL. Posted April 12, 2014 Share Posted April 12, 2014 It all has to be folded and put away to be considered caught up around here! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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