The sock monster had well and truly invaded my house, and left the carnage of matchless socks behind it. The children were growing out of their clothes at rapid speeds that I wasn’t keeping up with, and I was sure that one of my “angels” had been putting their clean clothes into the laundry hamper…hmmmm..

All this equaled MOUNT WASHMORE!

Peace has been restored on the laundry front, and here is how I did it:

• Buy multiple pairs of socks that are the same colour/pattern. This has saved my life!! No longer am I searching for the illusive striped or flower sock, I just need to find the similar coloured sock, and match away! I also put the socks in a mesh bag, which makes finding socks a lot easier (I put the mesh bag straight into the dryer too!). My friend pegs matching socks on the washing line and then folds them together when they dry to combat the sock monster. (Her sister was the one that got me onto buying multiples of socks…fountain of wisdom between the two I tell ya!)

• Have a holding bay for stray socks. Create a holding bay for your matchless socks. As a stray sock comes through the wash, check the “holding bay” to find a match. Purge the “holding bay” often! (It is not ok to have baby socks in your holding bay when your youngest is 3…yes I am speaking from experience!)

• Take it out of circulation. You KNOW the top is too small for them/too uncomfortable/they just don’t like it and they never wear it, so why does it continually turn up in your laundry pile, or your child’s drawer? As you sort your clean washing, and you come across something your child no longer wears, put it in one of these containers to 1.Store it (for the next child), 2.Donate it (get it out of your house asap), or 3.Sell it (get on trademe and make a bit of change), 4.Mend it, or 5.Throw it away…but whatever you do, DO NOT put it back into circulation!

• Get the kids involved. Have you thought about getting your kids involved? Maybe they can: Help separate and sort the clean laundry. Assist with the loading and starting of the washing machine and/or dryer. Fold clothing according to their capabilities. Put away their clothes (even if they are young, and can only manage their socks and underwear). Learn to put their own dirty laundry IN the hamper.

• Get a routine that works for you. Whether you do multiple loads in one day, or you do a load a day, the key is to find a routine that works for you. If you are constantly searching for clothes, then it’s time to re-visit the routine and try something different! Since I am constantly in and out of the house, I use the act of returning home as a trigger to do the next step in the laundry BEFORE I do anything else. This way, it is always small and manageable and means it is less time consuming, and can slot into my schedule easier.

Happy Laundry Days everyone!