The House stinks! Help!

**loria** · 03-18-2011, 11:12 PM

I am having a realy hard time catching up on the laundry right now. I am pregnant, homeschooling, with 4 kids (one eating solids in cloth diapers) and my hubby milks our cow twice a day, and works in a grader the rest of the day. I am slowly seeing the pile of regular laundry go down, but the baby clothesand diapers are taking up all the time. I dont even remember the last time hubbies barn clothes made it into the washer. The combo realy stinks up the house. Any sugestions on how I can ballance the laundry that is being done? It would be nice to find time to get some bedding into the wash before 2012 comes

**frugalwarrior2** · 03-18-2011, 11:22 PM

Hire a mothers helper. I used to do that when the kids were little but not to go out on the town.
-to catch up on laundry
-paint the bsmt. (no not you)
-get the sink cleared.
I had a very responsible 14 year old who took them to the sandbox in the back and played games. I paid about $2.an hr. (1990) and she didn't have to do diapers. My parents were too old and sick to help. Maybe an hour nap for you while the washer and dishwasher do their thing?

Also forgot to say-I invested in a honeywell lifetime filter air cleaner -a big one. We have cats and must plastic the windows in the winter. I don't like the toxins in house from cleaning or pets. $120.ish

**ladykemma2** · 03-18-2011, 11:39 PM

get a roll of quarters and a box of tide and go to the ginormous machines at the laundromat

**2ndGenGranola** · 03-19-2011, 04:56 AM

I agree with the mother's helper idea.

If paying a mother's helper is an issue, see if you can trade services. Maybe there are a couple of young but mature girls that still do not stay home alone that you could "baby sit" in exchange for their help.

You also do not say how old your kids are. Mine knew how to run the washer at 5.

**Daisygirl** · 03-19-2011, 06:50 AM

I'm sorry that you are feeling so overwhelmed right now. I know how tough it is when the kids are little.

My adivce is two fold. First, check out the Flylady website. She has so many amazing ideas about getting your household together that work with any schedule. Here is a link.
FlyLady.net: Your personal online coach to help you gain control of your house and home

Secondly, sometimes we have to seriously cut corners. I'd suggest this system: store the clean stuff in the laundry area too. Have hampers for hubbys clothes, baby stuff, diapers, etc. Then when it comes out of the drier, shove it into a pile into the appropriate hamper and that is that. Don't worry about folding things and putting them away - there is time for that later.

so:
~ Have a hamper for each type of clothing: one for clean and one for dirty. Sort by immediately tossing the dirty items into the proper hamper. When there is enough for a load, dump it all in. Move it to the dryer, then dump it into the clean hamper. It might not be pretty and perfect but it will get the job done.

Take it a tiny step at a time and try not to feel overwhelmed.

**loria** · 03-19-2011, 10:46 AM

I know that there will be an end to the overflowing laundry pile (but not the laundry) if we just keep at it. Putting any extra money into this laundry issue is not an option, Hubby just told me that he has not been able to pay the rent to his parents in a while. I realy want to find more things I can do to help with the money, but I am on my feet from 8am to 8pm (not including meals). I am into the second trimester now so there is a lot that needs to be caught up on from the morning sickness months.
My kids are 7, 6, 4, and 9 months old. Since the baby was born (I did not realise this but) I stopped making the kids help around the house, lucky for us I got back to reality and have them helping again! My 7yos loads and empties the laundry ( I do diapers and dads clothes and bedding) he also empties the dishwasher. I have started to get him to help with the folding by separating the clean clothes and putting them away (unfolded, they are unfolded by the time they make it on their backs anyways!) I fold what I can if I have time, he also puts away all supplies from me making the meals, he does all this as many times as I need per day. 6yod tidies the kitchen and livingroom floors, and has started sweeping one of those rooms everyday, wipes toilets, and after meals she clears the table of leftovers and condoments. 4yod puts away all writing and coloring stuff after lessons, tidies both entries, puts away the baby toys, sets the table for all meals. And all of them make their own beds and pick up and put away all books and lesson supplies. This has helped a lot!
What do I do??? Well if you homeschool, farm, have many kids, a husband, have to deal with all that milk, and make most food from scratch, I suppose I dont need to make a list of what I do for you.
I would love to have everyones laundry in the laundry room! I dream of that!
I suppose I need to just keep at it, keep the kids helping, and anytime I have the extra time, just do a little do cut down on the stink!
I had forgoten about flylady! I found I got disapointed because I could not do it all. But that 15 minute timer, I am bringing that back! Thanks. Also I found a roll of the disposable diaper liners! Ya! Would it be wrong if I put the pee diapers in the washer with hubbies barn clothes sometimes? That could save a lot of time?

**Droppedonmyhead** · 03-19-2011, 10:53 AM

Bless your heart. This is what I would do to keep up with the laundry:

1. Put a load in the washer before retiring for the night.
2. In morning, put load in dryer and wash another load.
3. Wash and dry a load of clothes 2 more times ending with a washer load at the time you do to bed. AND I would make the last load of the day your husband's work clothes.

And every load that comes out of the dryer, gather the children around to help you fold and put them away.

**loria** · 03-19-2011, 10:56 AM

Sorry about that one guys!

**monkeywrangler71** · 03-19-2011, 12:35 PM

I think sometimes you just need an all day laundry marathon. I normally hang to dry, but that typically means I can only do one load a day. Every now and then it just gets behind and piles up.

Yesterday I just did one load after another, all day long and put everything in the dryer. My dryer has an alarm that goes off when it's finished, so that kept startling me all day and reminding me to put another load in. Probably cost me a fortune in electricity, but I was able to do about 8-10 loads and get caught up. I dumped it all in one giant mountain on the bed and folded all evening while watching tv.

**stinkbug** · 03-19-2011, 10:00 PM

Is there anyone who can help you??? Any relatives that live near you? My dd has a 13 year old, a 10 year old and an infant. She works full time and her husband is deployed. I go over about once a week and work on laundry for a full day and get it caught up for her....It's the only chore that she just can't keep up with!

**loria** · 03-21-2011, 12:27 AM

Right now I am the one helping family members that I can, so right now there is no help. Not to mention that we live 45 mins from our closest family and friends. Not including my mother, but she has a hard time with the amount of children we have ( does not approve) so I am on my own when it comes to that. We have a few family members that are dealing with cancer right now.
We will keep plugging away at the clothes and the house. I have started getting my son to empty the dryer and washer for me as part of his bedtime stuff, when they are in bed I have been able to put the baby clothes and diapers in the wash while hubby is milking the cow. Then I put his in the washer when he is done, and he found room to put a curtain rod up above the washer and drier for me so I can hang the diapers and baby clothes (its only 4 feet long), his wash is ready for the dryer by the time the milk is ready to take out of the freezer and for me to go to bed. The baby stuff is dry in the morning too. This is making it so that a few loads a day are done by my son, and two by me. I think if I keep at it, we can get back on track.

**Droppedonmyhead** · 03-21-2011, 01:43 AM

Sounds like the laundry is coming along nicely so far. Rome wasn't built in a day so don't get discouraged. You're making progress. Just try to get yourself in a routine and you'll get and stay caught up with it. You have a LOT on your plate right now, so I think it's just a matter of organizing it to fit your life. Good luck!!!!!

**nuisance26** · 03-21-2011, 10:08 AM

~I've discovered that chores are a good transition between subjects for busy young kids. You can get your older kids to load and start the washer and the younger kids can help put things away.
I do laundry on Mondays and Fridays, about 4 loads each day(including diapers). My 6 and 8 year olds are a big help!~

**bumplett** · 03-21-2011, 10:41 AM

Can you recycle some of your clothes daily?

I know, I know - but hear me out...

IF your kids are just wearing pajamas to sleep in, are they really dirty? Wear them for another night.

IF your kids don't go outside to play because it's raining - are their clothes really dirty? Wear them again tomorrow. (obviously changing the undies & socks)

I don't know what you wear normally, but I wear jeans as much as possible - so, if they aren't too dirty, I'll wear them again the next day.

This helps me tremendously....

**loria** · 03-21-2011, 12:27 PM

thanks guys! The sometimes girls change their clothes 3 times a day! But they put it back with the clean clothes when they change that many times! My son wears his clothes two days in a row, and all the kids wear their pjs a few days in a row (they put them under the pillow in the mornings. I wear house dresses, and skirts right now, I grew out of my pants! I use about 2 skirts with 3 shirts and 1 dress a week, unless they are spit on by the baby, I just have a basket that I throw my clothes into during the week and rewear as needed. Sat nights are when my clothes get cleaned or with the baby clothes if I got leaked on by the little boy! Just have so many from being lazy during the first trimester!