Wednesday, April 7, 2010

L is for Laundry


You've already learned some of my quirks, like the whole add to the list then cross it off thing. And some of you also know that I'm a math nerd and love numbers, and am freakishly able to remember almost all the phone numbers that I've dialed. Even once. And that I still know that Darlene's phone number from seventh grade was 593-5952. It's still in there. But you don't yet know about my laundry thing. I love doing laundry. Don't worry, this is not turning into one of those blogs. You know the ones. Happy Homemaker sharing all her tips about buying in bulk and growing her own wheat and making her own shampoo. Not that there's anything wrong with that. At all. I'm just not her.

I'm a horrible housekeeper. My dustbunnies would frighten yours right out of your house. I'm the one who sweeps the room with a glance, not a broom. And I have a closet full of boxes from when we moved into this house nine and half years ago that I haven't unpacked. I can fake being sorta ok at housekeeping with my clutter-free zone (what can be seen from standing at the front door), but my friends know the real me, and she is a pack rat and a piler. But I'm really, really good at laundry.

I think it started with helping Farmor with laundry. (If you missed my Tuesday post, she's my Swedish Grandma.) Farmor did laundry the proper Swedish way which included hanging it outside to dry in the summer. Oh the lovely, crisp cotton sheets dried in the sun. I know various companies have tried to bottle this scent but they can't. There's just no substitute. I hang my laundry out in the summer, too. Ok, not just the summer. In Colorado you can get away with hanging out the laundry about nine months out of the year. And there was that one time I went out the in my boots, in the snow, to hang out the comforters. It was about 60 degrees out. The snow just hadn't melted yet.

It's not just the drying in the sun thing I love, though. I also love the folding the laundry. I love making the lines crisp and smoothing out the wrinkles and making it all symmetrical and perfect. I don't think this makes me weird or a control freak. (I don't. Maybe you do...) Maybe it's mathematical, all those straight lines and the proportions and symmetry. After all, I'm not the accountant type of mathematician. I'm more the geometry and number theory kind of girl. (And you'd believe me if you saw my checkbook. Like they say, I'd rather check my facebook than face my checkbook.) And then when I'm done I can look at all those piles, sorted by whose they are and which drawer they're going to be put into.

Doing the laundry gives me a sense of accomplishment. You start with a mountain of dirty stuff piled on the laundry room floor, and you end up with neat piles of clean, nice smelling, organized clothes. Let's face it, a lot of household chores are repetitive, and there's not much to show for your work at the end of the day. If you organize say, your son's hideously disarrayed closet so that he can find his stuff, you don't really notice, because the closet door is closed. You don't walk by and say “Wow, look how nice that looks.” But at the end laundry day, the baskets are empty, (Alright, I can't resist one tip: get one of those hanging rack arrangements that let's you sort by colors. When the white bag fills up, do a load of white. And so on. No more sorting of the pile on the laundry room floor!) and the drawers are full, and you did that. Your husband is no longer asking, “Honey, do I have any socks?” and your son isn't saying, “Mom, I can't find my favorite sweatshirt!”

Just don't ask me to put it all away. That part I HATE.

This post is linked to Jenny Matlock's Alphabe-Thursday. Go check out what the rest of the class wrote about the letter L!

32 comments:

Jo said...

we all have our own zen ... maybe yours is laundry??? great L post ... and i hate the putting away part as well

RNSANE said...

Great post. I don't like doing laundry and, even more, I hate ironing. 45 years ago, when I finished nursing school, I threw away a bag of ironing that had been in my closet the entire three years!

I really don't enjoy any housework but I do love cooking and have 500 cookbooks from all over the world...perhaps that's why I can't seem to lose weight.

People Who Know Me Would Say: said...

I can look at this post two ways:

1. As if it were an inspiration for each of us to find our zen, our zone, our 'something special', in even the most rudimentary and mundane tasks.

2. You're insane. :)

Unknown said...

I bet the laundry fresh from the outside smells great!

Viki said...

Laundry is about the only thing I do keep up with in my house. Great post.

Christy said...

Laundry could never be my happy place but you are right, when the bags are empty I am happy!

Rocky Mountain Woman said...

I am ok with laundry these days. I bought one of those high efficiency washer/dryer combos and it saves so much time! I can do a whole week's worth of laundry in one evening and watch a chick flick at the same time!

Amanda Lee said...

Gosh, we should have teamed up on house work when I lived there. I HATE doing laundry, but love to dust and polish. We could have combined social time with housework! Of course, between Bruce and Janice blaring in the background, we might not have been able to hear each other talk!

Julie Kwiatkowski Schuler said...

meh. Laundry is ok, I guess.

GardenOfDaisies said...

I love folding clean laundry too!!! It smells so good!

Steph said...

Thanks for stopping by and following my blog.

I don't LOVE laundry but it isn't my most dreaded chore either. I, like you, am a math girl. I constantly think in numbers. I'm in College Algebra this semester and after taking a 10 year break from school, I must admit I catch on quicker than 95% of my class.

VKT said...

I wish I could say the same but laundry....yuck!This is my first time participating in alphabet Thursday! What fun!

Jenny said...

I just came in from taking sheets and towels off the line. They dry so quickly here and I think this time of year they smell just a bit of orange blossoms and sweet peas...a very lovely way to go to sleep for certain!

Thank you for this lovely post.

It is nice to think if simpler things!

A+

PS I remember numbers forever, too. Although my ability to remember names is less then stellar.

Pat @ Mille Fiori Favoriti said...

I am not a numbers person but my husband is. I envy his talent but he envies my ability to write well, so I guess we're even? :-)

I love laundry hung out in the sunshine...there is nothing that smells better!

Brenda said...

My husband can remember phone numbers in a minutes. I am not a good number person at all. And I dislike doing laundry so much that hubs does his own. There is just the two of us now that all the girls have flown the coop so we just each do our own.

mrs. c said...

Since my hubby is retired and I still teach, he does the laundry. I never minded doing it, just I do not like to wash clothes that were just "tried on" and never worn, I think that is a waste of time and resources. We all have those things that make us feel good about what we do, mine is cutting the grass.

Mary Beth @ Live. Laugh. Make Something said...

I fold and sort. Everyone puts up their own. That was my rule when they were little. Now everyone does their own. Sixteen year old son even irons his own clothes... trying to produce great hubby material! I hopped over from Alphabe-Thursday and am so happy that I did! I am the new kid in class, and learning my way around. Please accept my invitation to drop in at my place one day this week when you get a moment. I have become a follower and hope you'll do the same. until later...

Heather said...

I love that you hang your laundry! I would love to do that.

Kat said...

This cracked me up, I am SO not a Susie homemaker. I don't particularly care for laundry, but I LOVE too cook. Just hate to clean up after. I too have a "clutter free" zone, but it seems to be shrinking. And I've got you beat, I have a couple of boxes in the attic that we never unpacked when we bought our home - 22 years ago:) Kathy

Linda @ A La Carte said...

I think you L post is Lovely! Fresh Laundry is a nice thing. Can you come do mine when your done with yours????

Betty said...

I have to give my laundry tip. Above my washer and dryer I have one of those shower curtain rods that just hold to the wall with tension. I hang the clothes as I take them out of the dryer. That rod can hold a lot of weight. It's never fallen down and I love the convenience. I do have cabinets above the washer and dryer and they still open with the rod there.

Pondside said...

Good morning, Tina
I love laundry - the only domestic task that gives me any particular pleasure. I like to hand bed linen out in the breeze because I especially like to get into a bed made up with line-dried sheets.
The Great Dane was born in Sweden (long and complicated story!) He isn't a Farfar or Morfar, but a Bedstefar, which our Danish family tells us is a very old-fashioned title - but he loves it and that's what he is to our grandchildren.

laterg8r said...

i don't love laundry but i don't hate it either. great post :D

Unknown said...

I am still a caterpillar too.

Kim @ Savvy Southern Style said...

You can come do my laundry anytime!!

Debbiedoos said...

That is a good one!~ Doing laundry is always a good feeling when done! You know what I hate though? Where is the other sock? Happens all the time in my house, two boys and my husband is just as guilty!~

Red Couch Recipes said...

Well, you wouldn't want to see my piled up laundry! Joni

Nadeen said...

I had a mother-in-law that loved doing laundry too and she did it so well. So well that my husband still buttons the top button of his shirts when he hangs them up if he EVER takes laundry outa the dryer (and hes almost 60) and I never do as I think it is a waste of time but she instilled him that this is something you just do. Bet he's disappointed that I don't. Oh Well.

lissa said...

I used to like doing the Laundry, at least the part where I take in the clothes and fold them, I think there is something about clean clothes that just makes it seem like you can restart anew

thanks for your visit to my alphabe-thursday

Steph said...

You make me smile. I wish I loved doing laundry and a lot of other housework things. But I can relate to the joy of seeing it accomplished. (Also the whole writing and scratching off the list thing.)

laterg8r said...

that is not my handwriting but i have adopted it as my own :D

it is ck ali's font (google it and download it for free) or scroll back through to my "secrets" post and click on the link :D

Personalized Sketches and Sentiments said...

haha...love your humor! I love to hang out laundry and love to fold too...My hubby enjoys ironing...and lists are great to have for me to help remind me of the myriad of things to do...

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