I tried doing once-a-week laundry a while back [I guess it was probably a year ago]. I did it successfully for a while. But it was tough with my old washer and dryer. I was rushing to get it done.
I rarely got it all done in one day. And eventually, my one day a week of doing laundry led into starting it the night before, and getting the last load [and sometimes putting in the last load] out of the dryer the next day. And then folding and putting away was always the following day. It wasn’t working.
Once-a-week laundry was about to be a thing of the past and I was thinking of going back to doing it ‘as needed’ throughout the week. A load or two a night before bed, or putting one in as the kids took a nap, and whatnot. But I always find that when I do it sporadically throughout the week, they rarely get folded. And never make it back into our dressers.
What is Once-a-week laundry?
Its something that Jackie over at Happy Hooligans gave me the idea for. Simple enough. You pick a day [any day you want!] and dedicate it to washing, drying, folding and putting away all of the laundry that day. Just one day. Do it all and be done with it. Don’t think about it the other 6 days of the week.
If it’s not in your dresser or closet, you know its in the hamper and its dirty. There’s not a chance that maybe its in the washer, or the dryer, or in the laundry basket needing to be folded…. or folded and just needing to be put away! You know right where it is. In your dresser or closet and clean, or it’s not.
I got back into the once-a-week laundry system.
The Maytag Bravos XL is such an eye opener again! Have I mentioned that its huge? Seriously, XL means Extra Large [though I think it should be XXL]. I have yet to let my kids climb into them but I seriously would bet that it could fit both of them at the same time [I'm really not exaggerating there for effect].
My many loads of laundry each week [probably 6-8 full loads per week] have gone down to 4 loads per week. And that’s when I feel like being extremely cautious and kind to my washer and put in, what I call, a normal size load [it looks so empty in the washer]. I have even done a few weeks of once-a-week laundry in only 3 loads, it can handle it, easily.
Twenty-one large bath towels in one load. Easy.
It says the dryer is 7.3 cubic feet, but that number doesn’t mean much to me. It might to you though. So I’m just throwing that out there for your own benefit. The washer’s 4.6 cubic feet if you wanted to know that, too.
Have I mentioned the Maytag Bravos XL Laundry pair is quite fast too? Last week, my husband actually laughed at me at lunchtime. “You’re done with laundry already?” … well, I just put the last load in the dryer.
Plus, it was folded and put away. In one day. Not even. In one morning.
Laundry done.
Have you tried doing laundry once-a-week?
Note: I wrote this post participating in an Maytag Moms Dependable Laundry Ambassador program by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Maytag. I was provided with the Maytag washer and dryer set to facilitate my post.
About Jamie Reimer
Once a week, ey? Definitely something to think about. Laundry does have this nagging feeling. Perhaps reducing it to that one dedicated day is a good plan. Thanks for the tip!
I have a once a week laundry day – either Saturday or Sunday depending on our plans. I love it and hate it. Love that the rest of week I don’t even think about dreaded laundry but that one day – is so filled with laundry. It is a huge time suck and do I even need to mention that I don’t like doing laundry! Ugh! I love your sparkly new washer and dryer. I need new ones but alas it has to wait until I can afford to replace the old ones or the washer and dryer fairy pay me a visit. hey, a girl can dream right?
That is crazy! I can’t believe it can hold that much more than a regular washer and dryer! Laundry the week done in one morning is awesome!
Yay! I’m so glad you’re loving the once a week laundry, Jamie! That new washer/dryer makes it even less of a chore! After doing the once a week thing for a couple of years now, I wouldn’t go back to the other way for anything. Yes, that one day, it’s work. But the rest of the week is AWESOME!
Thanks for the mention!!
I don’t think once a week would ever happen in this house but I love your new washer and dryer.
Wow, once a week laundry sounds like something to try out. My washing machine would need more than 4 loads, though!
I’ve been doing this for a long time. Love it!! I keep telling people how much better it is, but no one believes me, lol. It’s way more efficient. I just set that day aside as my laundry day, and tha’s all the housework I do that day ( other than daily stuff).
I make a huge pile, sort all @ once, run the loads through, hang up clothes as they come out, then make another huge pile & fold & put away. (Sometimes that happens the next day.)
Plus, DH knows when to pick up his clothes, haha.
I typically do laundry once a week, mostly because the rate of electricity is too high during the day to do it. So I save it for the weekend, when rates are lower
I’m not sure why this is ‘news’. Or it is just an ad? What is so hard about once a week laundry? That’s all my family has EVER done. Get up early on Saturday, throw your load in, clean and do chores, switch the load, etc. Even when I didn’t own a w/d, I went to the laundromat and got everything done at ONCE. That’s even BETTER than on one day, all day long… Of course, it was a LOT more expensive. Even with just our ‘normal’ washer and dryer, we have a treadmill and tv downstairs near the w/d… easy to tackle laundry and still workout and watch tv.
Once a week laundry just isn’t feasible for me. I wish it was, but at this point it’s not. My husband has company issued uniforms (really just a shirt) but he doesn’t have enough to get him through a whole week
How wonderful it would be to be able to have a laundry day (or morning) and have it be complete for the rest of the week?! A new washer and dryer would be nice too 
Do they make something to fold my laundry?
Can your boys actually SEE the laundry being washed? That would be sooo cool – great science experiment and even some neat engineering discussions from that aspect. And I love the idea of all those towels fitting into one load – that would be great!!
just wanted to chime in and say my Maytag front loaders, same size, can do all my laundry in one day. I just have to keep on it and get them into the machines….
Really impressive when you know we are a family of seven.
I think I may try it. For a month I did one load a day and that at least got me DOING laundry! Ha. I am terrible about it. Thanks for the idea!
Ohhh I like the sound of this… I wash on and off most of the week currently have a load in washer, a load in the drier and 2 loads folded but yet to make their way back to the drawers. I think if I did it I would have to get a bigger laundry basket and more clothes as I’m sure we would run out
I do my laundry twice a week (Monday and Thursday), but only because we don’t have enough clothes to last us a whole week! =) I’m not sure either why this is such ‘huge news’ to choose a laundry day. It is what I and my family have done my entire life. Saves time, money, water, soap to do it this way, versus doing tons of little loads throughout the week.
I’ve long done laundry twice a week. Only on Thursdays and Sundays. Now I’m inspired to get that down to one day!!!
I love once a week laundry. I’ve done it for over 30 years. We have a small business that I can get the paperwork done in a few hours a week so Monday is office/laundry day. I make no appointments on this day, I do all the business and household paperwork (including filing) on this day. I switching out the laundry gets me out of my chair every hour. It really helps not to have those important things hanging over my head the rest of the week. Sunday is pretty calm with church and family, Monday goes smoothly with this routine then Tuesday through Saturday generally start heading downhill fast, but all the bills get paid on time and no one has to go commando!
I couldn’t end the article because… I started doing my laundry!
I live in an apartment, no washer/dryer. We only do it once a week, on the plus side, 4 or 5 loads done in 2 hours, on the negative side, it costs money. But even when I had a washer drying in my home I only did it once a week.
I think once a week laundry is a depressibg way to do laundry. Instead, i talked to a really organized mom of quads and picked up her system. I have an XL capacity nice top loading and i do at leadt 10 loads of laundry a week for our family of 5. I dont dread the laundry and it is usually caught up cause i only have 1-2 loads to put away.
The system is to have one persons laundry day. I put tge clothes basket in front of tge machine the night before. I dont separate. I put the laundry in first thing and get breakfast going. By the time im done getting ready i can put it in the dryer and start my second load. I try to get at least 10 min of laundry done in second load. That night i have to put that day away but we dont use dressers
I put pj sets in plastc shoe holder on closet door with all items. Then i sort clothes into 7 outfits and put in shoe hanger on door. I dont have to sort peoples clotges apart cause i only washed one persons stuff. I keep socks in a hole in shoe holder by the door for now.
I take sat and sun off so i get a break. I always know we have enough clean clothes to the next week cause i put them away.
My hubby is an industrial engineer and he loves how LEAN the laundry is now.
Yes I do something similar! I wash diapers twice a week and then one day each for me,Hubby and the babe and one day for sheets/towels. So I get one day off. It isn’t bad at all! It is SO much faster putting everything away when it all belongs to the same person.
Meg I LOVE YOUR IDEA! In fact I am copying your post and pasting it into a reminder for myself later so I can set up something like that! LOVE IT!
But that would mean ironing for the whole day!! I’ve got so many clothes that needs to be hand washed. So not possible for once a week!
I didn’t realize people still ironed laundry! Some wrinkle-resistant fabrics would benefit you greatly!
Do laundry once a week. Been doin’ it for 20 years now. Absolutely love it that way! It’s just like you said. It’s done. Don’t have to think about it again for 6 more days. I clean house that day too. It is absolutely awesome to sit down on Monday night and know that everything is done. I usually light some candles and turn on a lamp or two and just enjoy the smell of clean!
Sounds great for a small family. However, with 6 kids, daycare kids, a farm, and homeschooling, not only would our laundry not FIT in a day, I don’t HAVE a day, lol! What works for us is daily laundry. Every weekday, and on weekends if I’m around. I just toss loads in anytime it’s empty, and switch loads, hang out on the line, fold, etc whenever I have a minute. I aim for 4 loads a day, but am happy with 3. I’d estimate 15-20 loads most weeks.
Erin – that’s what I was thinking too! Between 5 children, hubby, myself, linens, husband’s work clothes, baby items, I could never get it all done. Plus, with 5 children to care for, teach, and love, I simply couldn’t squeeze it all in with out staying up all night! I find that if I load the washer before breakfast, switch it at nap time after lunch, and empty the 2nd load after dinner, its just as easy as loading and unloading a dishwasher!
We do not carry clothes up and down the stairs either. I have a rack where all the clothes are hung, smallest to tallest. There are bins for socks, under garments and p.j.’s, as well as two large bins for towels and linens.
That alone is a huge time saver!
I LOVE your idea Michelle! I am going to talk to my husband about that! What a huge time saver. We are only a family of 3 but that would still save us a lot of time.
I typcially do laundry on Saturday’s, but have lately gotten sick of spending my Saturday’s cleaning and working on laundry. So I am thinking I am going to pick an evening and just do it (I work M-T). With a family of only 3 I’m pretty sure I can get a weeks worth of clothes washed in a 4.5hr time period. I maybe outta my mind, but we will see! hahaha I also don’t YET have the Maytag system but as soon as my current washer and dryer crap out, I plan to get them! They sound/look AMAZING!!!
I am the mom you described in the beginning with clean clothes in the washer, dryer, hamper, laundry baskets, dressers, and on the floor! So ashamed
I would love to try doing it once a week, but I so loathe folding clothes. If Maytag invents an automatic clothes folder, I am so getting it!
I have been married for 13 yrs and we are a family of 3 and i have never made laundry a chore, never designated a day or have just thrown in a load just to get it done. When i have an afternoon or evening i throw it in and fold when it comes out. I have never left it in the dryer or sofa etc.. i learned from my mom, she never said oh i need to do laundry, we never excluded daily activities or outings, it will get done. I find when we are home in the eveing, i do it watching tv and about 4 loads are done in one evening. Thanx for the article, fun to read.
I’ve got a large MayTag, but mine is a front loader and it takes from 1 – 1.5 hours per load. My problem is that since it takes that long, if I forget to get back and unload that load and get the next one in, pretty soon it’s evening and I’ve only done three loads. I can’t imagine getting our family of five’s laundry all done in a day, but I’m tempted to try….maybe I just need to set a timer so I don’t forget. I could see doing one day of clothes and one day of towels/sheets.
Also – your boys are SO CUTE on top of the washer.
Nice commercial
I homeschool and have my own business. I choose not to do laundry on the weekends as that is precious family time with all of us home. I put in a load before bed and set the delay cycle (my fav feature on my front loaders). That way the load is done when I get up, I put it in the dryer and wash a second load. I fold and put away #1 and dry #2 during our morning school break. By lunch the second load is done. Sometimes I do three instead depending on how many linens/sheets/blankets etc there are. So I get 10-15 loads done per week without feeling like I am a laundry slave!
I have 4 baskets in my laundry closet. Each holds 1 load. My family of 4 (2 teenage boys) uses the baskets as hampers. All dirty clothes are deposited there daily. When a basket is full, I do it. I also hang clothes immediately when they come out of the dryer. I do at least 1 load per day, but usually 2…it’s never a big deal. Also, I always make sure sports clothes are washed immediately. I time my washing based on the boys’ stinky clothes. LOL
I have a standard top loading washer and slow dryer…we do not have money to buy an elaborate set like you have shown. I also have a family of six, would this system still work for us? I could see it being beneficial to have all of my husband’s dress clothes ready for the week instead of trying to search on a daily basis for what is available…I cloth diaper too so it would be amazing to only have those to wash every other day throughout the week….
Jen,
I have a regular washer and dryer and large family i always do all laundry sunday the kids and my husband are responsible for putting away their own clothes i never did it any other way so its very doable