What's the opposite of an ode? Because that's how I feel about laundry. Good Lord, I hate laundry. I just finished folding three loads of kids' laundry. And in five days I'll do it again. I'm both horrified by how few pairs of underwear I folded and mystified by how many pairs of pajamas my kids own. How does that happen?
And really, I don't mind hauling the laundry to our basement machines. And while I have a hard time remembering to rotate it (who among us hasn't rewashed a load or two in our day? Though, honestly, the privilege of being able to do that always embarrasses me, so I'm trying to do better.), I don't mind managing the process.
My favorite part of the laundry process is folding. Yes, I love the smell of freshly laundered t-shirts. And if it's still warm from the dryer, it just feels so cozy. Mainly, though, I like folding because it gives me an excuse to sit on the couch and watch tv for a bit. If I could do all chores while streaming Netflix, my house would be so clean.
What I loathe the most about laundry is putting it away. The kids laundry gets shoved into drawers and inevitably I fall down the wormhole of re-organizing the drawers. Which leads to switching out seasons, or pulling out clothes that are too small. And before you know it, I've created an even bigger mess, so I end up shoving it all back in the drawers, making it worse than before.
I hate putting my own laundry away too. In our bedroom we have a huge, comfy chair. Greg calls it my chairdrobe because it's always covered in piles of clothes -- stacks to be put away, clothes I plan on wearing again, scarves that don't fit on the hooks. You know, just the stuff of my life. (I guess Greg has a floordrobe...it's just hidden on his side of the bed.)
So, while I'm thankful that we have clothes, and machines to wash them, and closets to hold them, I can't wait for the day when my kids take over this chore (which reminds me...I should start working on that).
This is a wonderful piece of writing. And I couldn't agree with you more regarding laundry.
ReplyDeleteLaundry is awful--agreed! I agree with this, too: "If I could do all chores while streaming Netflix, my house would be so clean." Isn't that the truth? I've recently gotten into podcasts (late to the party!) and I'm thinking they might help me get more done and break the monotony. :)
ReplyDeleteI love podcasts! What are you listening to? I've been thinking about slicing about podcasts!
DeleteYes! Yes! Yes! You nailed it on this post. I don't mind washing, hanging, or even folding (although matching socks can drive me bonkers!), yet I never seem to leave enough time to actually put all those clean loads away. :)
ReplyDeleteI was thinking "me too" while reading your post. Laundry is my least favorite chore. Your last line is a thought I think often too! Have a great week!
ReplyDeleteAh yes, laundry. Never-ending. I taught the girls how to do their own laundry when they were freshmen in high school because I couldn't take it anymore - the once worn jeans, the once used towel, and the "Where is that one shirt that I need right now - you know it had to be clean" kind of days. ;-) They took over beautifully, and it saved me a lot of angst. Love the terms chairdrobe and floordrobe, BTW!
ReplyDeleteI feel your pain. To me, I am off to a great week if my laundry is done and put away by Sunday night - but I live many weeks with a basket to the side of my bed and clothes strewn on my "chairdrobe" (love that term!).
ReplyDeleteI can definitely relate to this! I also have a chairdrobe and a bathtubdrobe as well! This piece reminded me of a piece you wrote several years ago about cleaning the floors. Might be a good slice topic to revisit. 😘
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