Laundry Hacks for a Busy Toddler Mum

In this article, we delve into a collection of practical and time-saving laundry hacks tailored to the unique challenges faced by mothers with energetic toddlers.

Discovering effective strategies to manage laundry while juggling the responsibilities of motherhood can be a game-changer for any busy toddler mom.

From stain-fighting techniques to streamlined sorting systems, these hacks are designed to simplify the laundry process, allowing you to reclaim valuable time and make the most out of your busy schedule.

Let’s dive in and explore how these innovative approaches can revolutionize the way you handle laundry as a multitasking mom.

Laundry hacks for a busy toddler Mum

I understand that managing laundry as a busy toddler Mum can be challenging.

There is not much that compare to the feeling of reaching for the last soiled sock in the hamper, throw it into load in the machine only to walk into the next room and discover the beginning of the next load.

Close you eyes, big breath in…. hold it… and let it go.

How do Mums keep up with laundry?

Here are some laundry hacks to help make the process easier and more efficient so that looming pile of clothes is no longer taunting you each time you walk past.

1. Sort as You Go:

Have separate hampers or bins for different types of laundry, like whites, colours, and delicates. This will save you time when it’s time to do the laundry. Simply empty your pre sorted laundry when it is wash time. No more reaching down through the darks to find the pink shorties at the bottom.

2. Use Mesh Bags:

Put small items like baby socks, mittens, and underwear in mesh laundry bags before washing. This prevents them from getting lost in the machine and makes sorting easier after the wash.

Also velcro. Add anything with velcro into your wash bags to prevent damaging other items in the same load.

If your Duplo gets mucky, wash bags are super useful for cleaning plastic blocks and your pom poms too!

3. Stain Removal Station:

Set up a stain removal station in your laundry area. Keep stain removers, old toothbrushes, and other stain-fighting tools handy to treat stains as soon as they happen.

It need not be fancy. Just a container under the sink with everything at the ready.

And then actually treat these stains as they happen. Soiled clothes waiting for pre treatment will be all you see in your laundry area until they are done. Which leads to the next tip…

4. Pre-Treat Stains:

As soon as you notice a stain, pre-treat it with a stain remover or even a simple mixture of water and liquid dish soap. Let it sit for a while before washing.

Be kind to yourself and just get it done. It a few minutes out of your day rather than the internal monologue of ‘I need to get onto that’ every time you walk past.

I love Sard Wonder Soap and good old dishwashing liquid to lift stains.

5. Choose Easy-Care Clothing:

When shopping for your toddler’s clothes, opt for items that are easy to care for and resist stains. This can save you time and effort in the long run.

If something is dry clean only, needs specific laundry soap or needs to be dried flat, is this something you are willing to commit too?

6. Quick-Fold System:

Develop a quick and efficient folding system for clothes.

Fold laundry as soon as it’s out of the dryer or off the washing line to prevent wrinkles and minimize the time spent on folding later.

Again, be kind to yourself. Having a basket of clean laundry hovering over your life waiting to be folded is nobodies idea of fun. Realistically it could be five minutes of folding and its done, rather than a day long side ways glance at a reminder of an unchecked mental to do list.

7. Set a Schedule:

Establish a regular laundry schedule that works for you.

This could be a certain day of the week or specific times during the day when you tackle laundry tasks.

Bed sheets are washed Mondays.

Bath towels are washed on Tuesdays and Fridays.

I always wash uniforms on Wednesdays to suit the number of uniforms each of the older children have.

Early mornings are my go too. I love listening to the birds as the sun comes up as I hang out the washing. The children are usually more content in the mornings which makes it easier for me to hand it out quickly too.

In saying that, previously I would wait until 10am to utilise the solar panels on the house to maximise on the free power.

8. Do a Load a Day

Keep your Mount Washing-tonne a mole hill. A load a day keeps your washing at bay. Realistically if you have kids, its not likely that you are ever going to have an empty hamper for more than 20 minutes so let’s keep expecations attainable.

Yes, it’s such a great feeling to have those super-Mum days when you have done 4 loads of washing back to back, folded and put away however collectively 15 minutes of active time with your washing each day can mean not spending an entire day with your washing machine instead of your family.

9. Use Laundry Pods or Sheets:

Consider using pre-measured laundry pods or sheets for detergent. They eliminate the need for measuring and reduce the risk of overusing detergent.

Time Saving Laundry Hacks for Busy Mums

10. Teach Toddlers to Help:

As your toddler grows, involve them in simple laundry tasks like putting dirty clothes in the hamper or helping to fold socks. This can make laundry a fun and educational activity.

I love these Montessori practical life activities. They offer so many valuable life lessons. This includes things such as organising events, identifying attributes and motor skills.

We have a mini sized washing line which is perfect for Mr 2 to hang out smaller items such as socks, underwear and face washers. Pegging the clothes onto the washing line is perfect for fine motor skills development and hand eye coordination. Toddlers love helping out too.

Normalising chores from an early age and valuing their contribution can be useful for setting a tone for later expectations – not that my 9 year old would agree.

11. Minimize Ironing:

Hang clothes that are prone to wrinkling immediately after they’re dry to reduce the need for ironing.

I have found that hanging some coats and shirts to dry using coat hangers saves marks from pegs and the washing line cord too.

12. Dryer Balls and a Clean Towel:

Use dryer balls or clean tennis balls in the dryer to help fluff and separate clothes, reducing drying time and wrinkles.

If you need something dried quickly, throw a dry bath towel into the dryer with your damp clothes.

13. Use Stainless Steel Pegs

After years of battling brittle plastic pegs, I stumbled across stainless steel pegs. Nt only do they hold so much more weight, stainless steel pegs last. We have been using them for a good six years now and they still look brand new. I feel like I am going to be hanging the washing out with my future grand children in 30 years time, telling them how I used the same pegs to hang out their parents baby clothes.

14. Create a Space You Want to Be In

Remove the clutter and the endless cleaning supplies that have been lurking since you moved out of home 10 years ago and make a space that you enjoy being in. Hang a print, add a plant and some decorative beads, pop a wireless speaker in there. Make your laundry a space that is practical, functional and inviting. Like it or not, your laundry is a room you are going to be spending time in so make it a space you can find some pleasure in.

15. Have a Washing Line in your Garage

There is a way to not let the winter rain dampen your line drying. Yes, drying racks strategically positioned to catch the warmth from the heaters is effective, however I find that I always need more space than what they offer and that’s using two airers plus the back of every chair in the house. Having a washing line in the garage has been a game changer this last winter.

The washing is hung out in the morning and then come the evening, I throw it into the dryer for ten minutes to remove the last bit of dampness from the clothes. We are using less power and our living areas are not looking like a laundromat.

Remember, it’s all about finding a routine and strategies that work best for you and your family. Over time, you’ll develop a system that makes managing laundry as a busy toddler mom more manageable.

Do you have some laundry hacks that could help out other mums?