photo: Country Home magazine
Laundry: it has origins of being a much reviled chore, but our distaste for it has relaxed - softened even, as the decor world and technology has transformed it into a much easier and more attractive task... even pleasant at times. It is a chore one cannot ignore; it is difficult to hire out and, yet, elements of it actually appeal to me in a peculiar sort of way. Wash day in our house is a misnomer of sorts, as every day is wash day. The constant hum of the washer can be heard throughout my home, as I try to keep up with a husband who has work clothes, workout clothes, and casual attire to wash. My youngest son wears an item of clothing for ten minutes and deems it soiled (or actually does get it dirty), and then throws it all into the hamper... usually right on top of a wet bath towel...ensuring it's fate as "dirty".
For me, my least favourite part of the laundry ritual is putting it away.
photo: Toast UK
Heaps of clothing can pile up in my laundry baskets and on my bed, awaiting their proper homes. I have finally trained my boys to put away their clean clothes, and that helps me immensely. But...still...I sigh with dread at the thoughts of that particular task. My favourite task, on the other hand, is hanging my clothes out to dry. I love the element of order it inspires in me. Hanging things out in a methodical way: pants first, then shirts, shorts, and t-shirts...or even better - hanging just Sophie's clothes out, interspersed with some pretty tea towels. The line then looks so pretty and the clothes seem to dance more happily in the breeze. Of course, nothing beats the fresh scent of the clothes after drying all day in the sun. Try as they might, the detergent manufacturers just can't bottle that fragrance!!
What's your take on wash "day"? Do you hate it, enjoy parts of it, or do you "send it out" to your local laundromat (I sometimes imagine that New Yorkers must all do this...a la Jerry Seinfeld)? I think a huge deciding factor as to whether we enjoy it or not is the actual physical space in which we launder. Who would ever enjoy the process if they were stuck in a dank, dark basement as opposed to pretty spaces like these?
Many are choosing to situate their laundry rooms/closets on the same level as their bedrooms - simplifying the "putting away" process.The following photos show a great before and after transformation of a basement laundry area. Much improved!!
all laundry room images: Country Home Magazine