Organization in the laundry room on a "Thoughtful Thursday"

Okay so I was going to try to do something thoughtful for my husband today and make a conscience effort to do it weekly, "Thoughtful Thursday". My plan was to just be nice and do things for him without him asking and not asking a whole lot from him. Well, the way I should always be treating him but I don't. I sometimes do though. Anyway, I messed up, before the clock even reached 11 o'clock. I was mean to him on the phone. Well I guess I will try again next week. Maybe I can actually follow through. So I have decided instead to write a post about organization. No, it isn't at all related but I have been thinking about it so here we go.

After looking around other blogs I was feeling very unorganized, because certain aspects of the way we do things here at our house are not like other families. But I wanted to share a major organization step we recently took. Our laundry area. Laundry has always been an issue, washing, drying (forgetting about it in the washer, can you say mildew?), folding and putting away. We used to have mountains of clean laundry just waiting to be folded. It would first land on our bed. Then by the time we went into our bedroom, we were so exhausted so onto the floor it would go. Then in the morning, we would make the bed and pick it up off the floor and add to it with more clean clothes. This would continue until someone took the initiative and brought it out to the living room while we watched TV. Even then sometimes it wouldn't work. When it finally did get folded kids would be sleeping and we wouldn't dare risk going into their room to put the clothes away so in the hallway in front of their doors it would go. Only to be unfolded by one of the kids in the morning.
I decided that "system" wasn't working!!!! I did research on the Internet on how other families deal with laundry. And I incorporated many of their ideas. I have baskets on the shelf, one for each room, that I put folded clothes in so when they wake up I can put them away. I have a basket lined with a net laundry bag just for socks. Each person has their own type of socks, my husband has black Hanes on the toe, my daughter has white with bows, oldest son has green Hanes on the toe, the little boys have plain white. So I can sort them easier. I usually don't wear socks, I wear flip flops.
I also have a trash basket in there and my soap is huge and heavy so I wedged it behind the dryer so I can reach in it without having to pick it up. I used a shower curtain rod to hold hangers and shirts because at our house all shirts, except the babies, get hung up. We also have a three section laundry sorting basket that fits perfectly next to the dryer. All laundry goes there, towels, whites and darks. Then on the top shelf I have a small basket for my stain removers.This is also where bleach, an ddryer sheets go. I wash at least one load of laundry per day and if I want to dry that load, whatever is in the dryer has to be folded, right then. It does not get moved from the dryer in a bundle. I have to fold it. If I don't have time, the stuff in the washer has to wait. If I want to avoid rewashing because of mildew smell, then I make time for it.

This system has worked so wonderfully. I think my husband has only had to fold one load of laundry in the two months we have been doing this system, because I was sick. He really dislikes folding so having this system so he doesn't feel like he needs to help with folding or washing makes me so happy. He does so much for us and he works so hard that I absolutely want to have a system in place that takes stress off him, well everyone for that matter.

The empty basket on the right is the one for socks. They were being washed at the time of the photo shoot :)

I guess this has turned into a "Thoughtful Thursday". This system is in place so that the laundry burden is mine and that is fine with me. Makes free time for my Husband to play with the kids.

*The baskets were purchased at Wal-Mart.