Laundry Schedules & Routines For Large Families

When you've got a large family, either with lots of kids, or lots of people living in the household, you know one thing -- there are lots of loads of laundry.


I have always been fascinated by big families, since when they have their households working like clockwork, and still have time for love and laughter, I think the rest of us should take note since it will probably work for us too!

I myself have three kids, so I know a thing or two about laundry, but the ladies who have shared their laundry schedules and routines below all have six or more kids, or a large household where they are responsible for overseeing the laundry.

Some of them have elaborate weekly systems, others work on it daily, and others supervise the chores done by their kids. There is no one right way, since if it works, its right.

On the other hand if it doesn't work, it is wrong since its not getting everyone clean clothes on a regular basis, while still allowing time for other activities in the home. Don't sweat it, if you're struggling - just try some of the ideas below until you find what works for you.

So for everyone wishing for ideas and methods for how to keep up with lots of loads of laundry, whether you have a large family or not, take note of what works for these women to get some ideas of your own!

Further, if you've got a laundry schedule thats working for you (whether you've got a large family or not) I'd love to hear it. You can share your own laundry routine here, to help us all get more ideas of what could work for us. I'll share the best one here on the site.

In addition, be sure to check out my article on making a weekly laundry schedule that works for you, for more ideas and guidance on this important subject in household management.

That includes lots of other different methods that work for people for getting their laundry done. Along with the ideas below, make sure to check out some of these articles to see if the ideas can help you:

• Daily Routines Can Reduce Your Laundry Pile


• Routines & Schedules For Moms With Young Kids


• Weekly Marathon Session To Tame Laundry Piles


• Keeping Up With Wash At The Laundromat

Now, scroll on down to read different schedules from large families, and get ideas for yourself!

Days Of The Week Laundry Schedule For Mom Of 6

by Gloria

Gloria doesn't wash all her kids clothes, but only some of them.

I have suggested that where you keep your laundry baskets in your home should depend on who is going to end up washing the clothes.

She has chosen a good strategy for how to make it most efficient for the person washing the clothes to have access to the dirty ones they are going to wash.

I also love how she has trained her family to
sort the clothes as they go, which is a great time-saving technique.

Here's her schedule:

Gloria says:

I have six kids, two of whom are still in diapers, plus myself and my husband in our home.

The two oldest children do their own laundry, so they have their own laundry baskets in their own rooms.

For everyone else, I do two loads a day, at least. All the rest of us put our dirty clothes each morning and evening in central laundry baskets in the laundry room.

We have several baskets, so we can sort as we go. These baskets are labeled as:

• Whites


• Colors


• Darks


• Bedding

We also have a diaper pail in the laundry room and a place for kitchen rags in there.

I do my laundry by the days of the week.

• Monday - diapers


• Tuesday - whites (generally two loads)


• Wednesday - darks / diapers (separate loads, obviously)


• Thursday - lights


• Friday - diapers


• Saturday - towels and bedding (one-half one week, then other half the next week)


• Sunday - darks

After the clothes are clean and dry I fold them and each person that is old enough puts away their own clothes, and I put away the rest.

Taylor says:

Thanks for sharing you laundry routine Gloria. You've definitely found a good system that works for you.

Remember as you read more of the schedules shared below that if you've got a routine of your own, you can share it with me! I'd love to hear it. Click here to share your laundry routine now.

Laundry Schedule (And Organization) For Mom Of 6

Every household manager needs to figure out a schedule for getting the laundry done that works for their family.

I found this family's laundry schedule recently on the web, and wanted to share it with you.

It is a family of 8, with 6 kids ages 11 to 1.

What has worked for this Mom of 6 is to give each person a laundry basket for their room, and then also assign each person a laundry day.

Doing each person's laundry separately makes it easier for her to know whose clothes are whose, so it is easier to return them to their rightful owner at the end of the laundry cycle.

I generally recommend that when you have small kids that you don't need laundry baskets in each persons' room, and to wash all the clothes together because you can sort laundry into big enough loads easier.

She has done the exact opposite -- but it works for her, so I say go for it!

There is more than one way to get your laundry in order, and no way is right or wrong. What matters is whether it works for you.

To see this Mom of 6's full plan for laundry organization check out Simply Grand Central.

She also has a great tip on how she got rid of her dressers to better organize all her kids clothes.

***Update from commenter: Hi Taylor, thanks for stopping by. Always great to meet another working mom in the blogosphere- esp. one in the legal field! Your site looks great and I am adding it to my blogroll....I'll come back and visit soon -looks like there is lots of good stuff here! ***

Photo by tandemracer

Tammie's Weekly Laundry Plan For 7 Person Household

by Tammie
(Horseshoe Bend, AR)

Here is Tammie's weekly laundry plan in her house with seven people that she has graciously shared with us.

Tammie says:

Monday am - bed linens all 7 beds
noon - towels
Tuesday - Jeans and dark shirts
Wednesday - whites
Thursday - towels
Friday - Jeans and dark shirts
Saturday - whites

All clean socks and undies get put into 1 laundry basket to be sorted and mated each night as we watch a movie together.

I am a stay at home mom and like others extremely busy. We have 3 children (2 teens and a tween), and my elderly mom in law who is bedridden, my sister in law who is mentally challenged (and loves doing laundry :) ), 2 dogs, a cat and 2 fish, not to mention me and hubby.

Once a month I wash all curtains in the house.

I never do laundry on Sundays because that's our family day.

Taylor says:

Tammie, thanks for sharing your family's weekly laundry plan with me.

With such a large household it is great that you have such an asset in your sister in law, who can help you with the laundry.

I'm seeing a trend with laundry schedules and routines for large families, which is that you can do it by yourself, if you have to, such as when your kids are very young, but if you can get help, you should. There is no reason that others in the household who are old enough, or capable enough, cannot help!

Photo by Average Jane

I Have Nine Kids So Only The Littlest Ones Don't Help With Laundry

As a mother of NINE I do quite a few loads a week.

I have a 14 year old, Natalee, who is in charge of how many loads each kid does a week, usually, my girls do more than the boys.

I have 2 that DON'T do the laundry but occasionally help my 2nd oldest daughter fold.

The kids that don't do it are Mallory, 3, and Max 4.

My youngest that DOES laundry is Kaitlynne and she's 6.

Each child does at least 2 loads a week and is in the room at least 8 times a week if its either to clean bathrooms, wash hands before dinner or do the laundry or iron or even fold. So the kids are very busy.

My oldest 3 do dinner and the next 3 set the table. Nat, Shawn, and Anna (14, 13, 11) make dinner while Austin (9), Sarah (8) and Owen (6) set the table often helped by Katie (6) she also does breakfast alongside of Max and Anna.

Anna is the helper of the family. She helps the little ones do their part of the family and do the elementaries do their homework and she gets help from Nat.

My family is usually chaos but when they are to work its GREAT!

Also each child has their own color and when they take their laundry down to the room they dump it in their bucket.

Only the older ones have a bucket and basket. So, Nat; yellow, Shawn; brown, Anna; green, Austin; blue, Sarah; purple, Owen; red, Katie; pink, Max; black, and little Mal; orange.

Photo courtesy of hfb

Two Loads A Day At Least But None On Weekends For Mom Of 6 (Plus Another On The Way)

by HM101 Reader

I have 4 boys, and twin toddler girls, with one on the way at the beginning of next year.

I have found that if I stick to two batches of laundry a day (at least) I never get TOO behind, plus I don't plan on doing any laundry on the weekend.

I try to cloth diaper my youngest 2-3 to help save money.

This is my schedule:

Monday - Sheets and Diapers
Tuesday - Towels and Parents Whites
Wednesday - Rugs and Parents Darks
Thursday - Girls and Diapers
Friday - Boys and Parents Colors

Photo courtesy of Sharon Mollerus

I Used To Feel Like I Did Laundry Constantly Until I Made A Schedule

by Kate S.
(Ft Fairfield ME)

I am a SAHM with seven kids, ages 17 down to 3 year old twins.

I seemed to do laundry constantly until I made a schedule! The worst part was we always seemed to scramble on the weekends to get clothes ready for the week.

I really wanted a schedule that left the weekend open. Sometimes, I throw a load in, but I don't feel I have to.

We also alternate the younger children's sheets.

Boys one week, girls the next.

They usually have a bath before bed, so I don't feel they need washed every week like the older folks in the house.

Here's the schedule:

Monday - Linens (sheets/towels etc.)
Tuesday - Jeans
Wednesday - 6 younger children's laundry
Thursday - teenager's laundry
Friday - Mom and Dad's Laundry
Saturday - none
Sunday - none

Photo courtesy of emily @ go haus go

Laundry Schedule For Mom of 8 (Soon To Be 9)

by Tina
(PA)

Tina has shared her laundry schedule and some advice and schedules for her eight children (soon to be nine) for household chores.

Tina says:

I don't do laundry (even though I do enjoy doing laundry & washing dishes - which I don't get to do either)).

Laundry, dishes and all other chores are our children's responsibilities - I am their manager to make sure they learn responsibility and how to complete a task at hand (skills they will need daily no matter what the Lord has planned for the rest of their lives).

We homeschool our 5 girls and 3 boys, ages 15, 13, 11, 9, 8, 6, 4 and 2.

Part of our daily routine is morning chores.

Along with all the other chores to be done, laundry is rotated between children every 5 weeks (Monday to Sunday). Laundry is only included in the 13, 11, 9, 8 and 6 year old children's responsibilities.

Our 15 yo girl is taken off daily chore responsibilities and now is responsible for dinner planning, preparations, and making every day which keeps her busy and I or the next girl (11yo) fill in to give her a break at times and to help teach the younger to cook as well as her older sister.

We wash 1 load every day (on occasion 2 if necessary).

We do not sort laundry, just wash everything from yesterday in one load on cold.

Weather permitting we hang the laundry outside and it is folded and put into either the boys or girls rooms and is the owner's responsibility to put them away before bed time.

We have been doing chores this way for at least 5 or more years and it has been working nicely. I am always interested in how others do it and may make revisions based on ideas that may make our system even better.

Taylor says:

Wow, thanks Tina for sharing your laundry schedule with us, along with more information about how you allocate chores amongst your kids.

I have to say your system sounds quite inspiring, and well thought out.

I also admire how you are teaching your children all types of chores and how to do various household tasks, because that will really help them feel ready to do it once they have their own families.

Finally, congratulations on #9!

If anyone else wants to share their laundry schedule, whether you have a big family or not, you can share it here, and the best ones will be published on the site.

In addition, don't forget to check out other laundry schedules from lots of other women and mothers, from all kinds of situations, including those who work outside the home, in the home, homeschool, have very young children, and even those who have to do their laundry at the laundromat.

You can read my article on making a weekly schedule for your laundry here, as well as other articles including:

• Daily Routines Can Reduce Your Laundry Pile


• Routines & Schedules For Moms With Young Kids


• Weekly Marathon Session To Tame Laundry Piles


• Keeping Up With Wash At The Laundromat

Photo by Leonid Mamchenkov

Related Pages You May Enjoy

Laundry Tips For Families

Schedules, Routines & Habits For Your Home

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