How Mama Got Her Laundry Groove Back {Thanks to the Whirlpool Duet}
What are three things ALL moms are searching for more of?
- Time
- Energy
- Money
{Nod your head if you’re in agreement.} I know for me personally, laundry can “wash” these valued resources in a hurry and leave ME on the spin cycle rather than my whites. Since the boys were born, laundry has been a struggle for me. I’m always drowning in overflowing laundry baskets and unable to keep up.
That was until I got my laundry groove back when this pair walked into my life…
So how are these Whirlpool Duet beauties saving me time, energy, and money and getting me back in the laundry groove? Here are some of the highlights:
1. I started following a laundry routine.
- Mondays = Little People Laundry (Wash/Dry/Fold)
- Tuesdays = Big People Laundry (Wash/Dry/Fold)
- Wednesdays = Fold Any Remaining Loads and Put Away
- Thursday – Sunday = Emergency Loads Only
This has been a life saver! I’m actually able to keep up and I even get a break from laundry. By following this routine I’m spending LESS time doing laundry per week. {Happy Dance!!!}
2. The Whirlpool Duet is making the laundry task more efficient.
- I’m no longer wasting time drying loads several cycles to get things fully dry.
- The capacity of both the washer and dryer are larger, which means I’m able to combine loads into larger loads.
- I’m able to time loads via the minutes left on the LED screen displays, which are determined by sensors. No more guesswork!
- The front-loading feature allows the boys to be an ENORMOUS help by switching out loads and placing finished loads in laundry baskets. Talk about HELPFUL!
3. We’re saving money by using the industry’s most resource efficient laundry pair.
- Faster spin speeds, sensors, and Eco Boost options allow less energy to be used as well as less water. (We could save as much as $3,300 in lifetime energy costs by using this washer and dryer in our household!)
- Again, the dryer is drying clothes perfectly every cycle so I’m not wasting money by running the dryer additional cycles per week.
So I’m curious, are YOU in a laundry groove? Do you have a laundry routine? What are some of your time/money/energy saving tips?
(In case it needs repeating, I wrote this review while participating in a test-drive campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Whirlpool and received a complimentary Whirlpool Duet washer and dryer to facilitate my review. Whoohoo!)
When it’s not raining (so about 3 months out of the year, haha), we use a clothesline. It definitely saves us money and the clothes smell so good! 🙂 I also follow a routine similar to yours for washing. I DIG organization!
I agree on getting my groove back! I love these machines, they have such a huge drum! What a time saver! (very cute title btw!)
I like this idea of doing a “laundry schedule”. Since I have certain clothes that I have to wear to work, I have a schedule for when I do those loads. I do those loads 2 times a week, since I have 2 sets and work that job 6 days a week. My wife does hers and our children’s once a week and usually also does either towels or sheets. (I think she alternates the weeks on those.)
Newer washers are definitely more energy efficient and use less water, both of which save money. So if you have an older appliance, it could very well be worth getting a new one.
Thanks for sharing!
I also have a ‘laundry routine.’ And I’m kinda glad to see I’m not the only Mom who washes the “little kids” laundry separate from the “adults” laundry. I find it less overwhelming to split it up AND easier to put away.
I usually do the kids’ laundry on Friday night or Saturday during the day then our adult laundry on Sunday. I do sheets and towels in the evening Sunday or Monday. I also fold the laundry in an organized fashion. I have 1 basket for the twins’ room – boy stuff on one side, girl stuff on the other. Then another basket for my younger son’s room, then a basket for hubby and I, also with his stuff on one side and mine on the other. Makes it easier to put away!
I’ve really worked out a system for our family.
I have two little boys who are only a size apart and top that off, the younger seasonally matches the older one so he wears his big brother’s handmedowns some of which I have an association more strongly connected with the older one. So, if I do their clothes together it takes me a LONG time to sort them and I have to even look at tags on pants/jeans because the sizing is so similar. We have Mon: Daddy clothes, Tues: Boy 1 clothes, Wed: Boy 2 clothes, Thurs: Mommy clothes, Friday: alternate between sheets/towels. It saves so much time only having to put like MY clothes away rather than separating clothes and then putting them away.
My biggest thing though is to put away what I wash and dry that day. The washer dryer is not the end of the cycle but the middle. So, I try not to do more than two loads or try to get ahead of the schedule because I won’t put the clothes away if I’m intimidated by the pile!!!
Another tip I have is that I put the dirty clothes basket out in front of the washer the day before and the very first thing I do I run that load. My goal is to get one load run and dried and the second load run with a 10min dry before I leave for the day. This means that my chore is about done when I leave with the kids for wherever and then I put the clothes away that night after they go to sleep. In the winter, I can run the fleece pjs one load and hang them up to dry in the laundry room so that I only have to run the dryer once for two loads of wash.
I also make clothes into ‘kits’. I bought a hanging shoe rack for a closet and pack a shirt with pants folded over each other for the pair to have a full outfit for a day. That way I dont’ have to think through the clothes. I also have a hanging clear shoe rack on the door and a pack pj pairs into those with the smaller pjs on the bottom rows.
Finally, I try not to buy whites for the kids but I have started not separating whites/darks per person. I have a spot for stuff that needs special care. I feel like the detergent these days does a great job on keeping clothes bright.