Laundry used to rule my life. Every time I thought I was caught up, there’d be a new pile waiting. And the worst part? Folding. It took forever, and the moment I turned my back, the kids would dig through and undo all my hard work.
So I stopped trying to fold everything. And guess what? We didn’t fall apart. Clothes still got worn, drawers still closed, and my stress level dropped. Here’s how you can stay on top of laundry without spending your life folding it.
1. Stop Folding What Doesn’t Need It
This is the secret. Not every item needs to be folded perfectly—or at all.
Here’s what I don’t fold anymore:
- Kids’ pajamas and play clothes (they go in labeled bins or drawers)
- Socks and underwear (just toss them in a small basket or drawer)
- Workout clothes (they’re stretchy and don’t wrinkle—no folding needed)
- Towels (I stack or roll them quickly, no fancy folding)
Now I only fold a few things: my nicer tops, jeans, and anything that wrinkles easily. The rest? I sort and stash in seconds.
2. Use Bins, Not Drawers
Instead of stuffing everything into drawers, I started using open bins for each category. One for pajamas, one for leggings, one for t-shirts. I even put labels on them so my kids know where things go (and where to find them).
It’s way faster to toss clean clothes into a bin than to fold them and hope they stay that way.
Bonus: it also helps kids with laundry—because no folding = fewer battles.
3. Do Smaller Loads More Often
Folding less also works better when you’re not drowning in laundry. I started doing one small load a day (or every other day), which means:
- Less laundry to deal with at once
- Quicker turnaround
- No giant mountain of clean clothes sitting around getting wrinkled
And with fewer items, it’s easier to stick to my “fold what matters, skip the rest” rule.
Final Thoughts
Laundry doesn’t have to be a full-time job. Once I stopped folding everything and used bins instead of battling drawers, it got manageable.
Now, I stay on top of it without spending hours folding stacks of tiny clothes that just get messed up again. Try it—skip the folding and see how much time you get back.
