Weekly laundry schedule ideas: How to keep up with laundry

Why a laundry schedule matters

A well-planned laundry schedule can help you maintain a clean and organized home, reduce stress, and free up time for more enjoyable activities with your family. By establishing a routine, you can help prevent laundry from piling up and becoming overwhelming. Understanding how often you should wash your clothes can also help you create an effective schedule, as different items often require different washing frequencies.

How to determine the best laundry schedule for your family

When finalizing your laundry routine, try the following:

1. Assess your family's laundry needs

2. Consider your current weekly routine

3. Evaluate your available time

4. Account for special circumstances (sports, work uniforms)

5. Determine your laundry capacity

6. Set realistic goals

7. Be flexible and adjust as needed

When creating your laundry schedule, it's important to consider your family's unique needs and lifestyle. A family of four will have different requirements than a family of six or a single person. Additionally, knowing how long a washing machine takes to wash clothes can help you plan your schedule more effectively.

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Types of laundry schedules

There are many ways to tailor a laundry schedule to suit a variety of households. Find the one that works best for you and adjust it to fit your lifestyle and laundry needs. Schedules can be based on daily or weekly routines or based on the size of the family.

Daily laundry schedule

A daily laundry schedule involves doing one load of laundry each day. This approach can be useful for large families and can help prevent laundry from piling up and becoming overwhelming.

Weekly laundry routine

A weekly laundry routine involves dedicating one or two days a week to tackle all your laundry needs. To make this routine more time efficient, and  try prepping clothes for the wash ahead of time. Have a basket for darks, lights and delicates so you can sort as you toss them in your hamper. Check pockets and turn delicate items inside out as you take them off. Consider implementing some helpful laundry tips, such as selecting the right water temperature and cycles to make sure you’re providing the right fabric care.

Family laundry schedule

Tailoring your laundry schedule to your family size is helpful when you’re trying to make the best use of your time. Here are some examples that divide laundry tasks up per day according to the members of the household. Alternatively, you can also divide each day up by white/light/bright/dark colored clothing loads, if that works easier. This system allows you to gather everyone’s clothing in a central area for washing, instead of trying to keep each person’s laundry separate.

Laundry schedule for 1 person

For individuals living alone, a simplified approach can work well:

• Wednesday: Wash clothes

• Sunday: Wash towels and bedding

What to wash and when

Here’s a general run down of what items to wash and how often to wash them. Always make sure to follow the instructions on your care labels and make sure your items are machine washable before putting them in the washer.

To ensure proper care for all your items, it's helpful to familiarize yourself with the washer care symbol guide.

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A matching washer and dryer set from Whirlpool brand can help streamline your laundry routine. Many of these appliances work together seamlessly—with shared cycles and complimentary capacities—to help provide optimal cleaning performance and fabric care, so you tackle your family’s laundry with ease. Choose between top load vs. front load sets, so you can wash and dry the way you want.

Free printable laundry schedule template

Using a laundry schedule template can help you stay organized and on track with your laundry routine. This free printable laundry schedule template (located just above) allows you to customize your schedule based on your family's needs and preferences. The benefits of using a template include:

• Provides a visual reminder of laundry tasks

• Helps distribute workload throughout the week

• Allows for easy adjustments as needed

• Helps you assign various laundry tasks to family members

To use the template effectively, fill in your preferred laundry tasks for each day of the week. You can also include specific family members' responsibilities if you're dividing the workload. For additional organization tips, consider exploring laundry room organization and storage ideas.

Laundry chores for kids of various ages

Involving children in chores can help teach them responsibility as well as handy life skills. Here are some age-appropriate laundry tasks for children:

Washer and dryer features to help keep up with laundry

Modern washers and dryers offer features that can help streamline your weekly laundry routine. Understanding these washer and dryer features can help you choose the appliances that best fit your needs. Also, to get the best performance out of your appliances, it's important to know how to choose laundry cycles for different types of loads.

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Take control of your weekly laundry routine with Smart washers and dryers from Whirlpool brand that offer remote start and monitoring capabilities. These appliances allow you to manage your laundry from anywhere, helping you stay on top of your busy laundry routine as you send and receive timely reminders about tasks as they are ready to be completed. Select models feature the Load & Go^™ Dispenser, which automatically senses your laundry load size and adds the right amount of detergent, so you don’t have to do it every time.

FAQ

Here are some frequently asked questions when it comes to setting up your family laundry schedule:

What is the golden laundry rule?

One of the golden rules of laundry is to try to run a load a day. This approach can help prevent laundry from piling up and becoming overwhelming, making it easier to maintain a clean and organized home—especially for larger families.

What day of the week is best to do laundry?

Many households do laundry on Sundays, setting the tone for a fresh week ahead. However, with modern lifestyles and newer laundry technologies, the choice of laundry day is more flexible than ever. Whether you prefer a dedicated laundry day or spreading tasks throughout the week, creating a personalized laundry calendar can help streamline your household chores.

Here are some laundry routine tips to help you choose the best day of the week for your laundry tasks:

• Monday: Start the week fresh by tackling laundry on Monday, ensuring clean clothes for the week ahead.

• Wednesday: Break up the week with a mid-week laundry day, ideal for families with busy weekends.

• Saturday or Sunday: Use the weekend to catch up on laundry, involving family members in the process.

• Avoid weekdays with busy schedules: Choose days when you're not rushed to ensure you have time to switch loads and fold clothes.

• Consider peak energy hours: Opt for off-peak hours, like weekends and holidays, to help save on energy costs.

By tailoring your laundry routine to fit your family's lifestyle, you can help ensure a smoother week and more quality time together. Use these tips to optimize your laundry calendar and help make laundry day run smoother.

How many loads of laundry per week is normal?

This depends on the family, but generally speaking, a family of four, will often run anywhere from 4-8 loads per week. However, this can vary based on lifestyle, clothing habits and specific family needs. Larger families may require more loads, while individuals might only need 2-3 loads weekly. Families with kids in sports or people who hit the gym regularly may also find it useful to wash more loads per week to help prevent laundry from piling up.

Find a weekly laundry schedule that works

By implementing these laundry schedule ideas and leveraging convenient appliance features, you can streamline your weekly laundry routine and keep up with this essential household chore. Remember to be flexible and adjust your schedule as needed to find the perfect balance for your family's needs.