Juggling work and family life is not an easy feat to say the least! It’s hard enough to get excited about laundry at the best of times. The amount of laundry waiting for to be tended can make the prospect of weekends less appealing. Make life simpler by changing your perception of your laundry routine; think of it as a ritual rather than a burden. Here are 3 hacks that will help you think about laundry in a different way. Who knows? You may even look forward to laundry day! In the spirit of the season, we’ve also added a few winter-themed ideas to bring a little cheer to your laundry room and routine.
1. Optimize your space
Whether you have a big, medium-size, or a closet-style laundry room, organising your workspace will improve your overall laundry experience. Save time and prevent laundry-related headaches by putting similar objects together in nicely coloured bins, glass- or ceramic jars with labels. If your laundry room does not have existing shelves or cupboards—and even if it does-- place frequently used items in a portable caddy. Organising dirty or stained clothes into a divided hamper allows you to skip the sorting step and save you some time. Another option would be investing in a hamper with wheels - a good option if your laundry room is on the main floor or close to bedrooms. This way, you can avoid backbreaking labour by simply wheeling your dirty and clean clothes to and from the laundry room. Make the space more inviting and personal with these tips:
- If you have a large space, you might want to combine your laundry room with a favourite activity space. For instance, you could designate a space for art or craft-making, a cosy reading nook, or perhaps installing a wall-mounted TV would create more of an incentive for doing laundry! If nothing else, use this time to listen to music you enjoy or catch up on your favourite podcast.
- If the smell of detergent and bleach aren’t your thing, aromatherapy might be the answer! Use a diffuser and your favourite essential oils to create a calm and peaceful environment.
- Small space? Closed storage areas give your laundry room a tidy, spacious look. You can also install retractable clothing racks.
- If you want to go even further, create a music playlist to keep you motivated!
2. Create a family laundry schedule
Once you have injected a little bit of cheer into your laundry room, show it off to your family. Perhaps, once the space no longer feels like it’s haunted, your family will be eager to help you tackle the laundry. Give your partner and school-age children a tour of your newly organized space so they know exactly where to find items and take advantage of their enthusiasm (while it lasts). Giving everyone in the family a role to play in doing laundry will simplify your home life. Assign age appropriate tasks to younger children, and make a game our of separating clothes, loading and unloading the washer and dryer. If you have teenagers, instruct them on how to do their own laundry. This clever laundry symbol chart- will make you smile and help the next generation of laundry-doers make sense of the arcane clothing care symbols. 
3. Make your space pleasant
Picture your laundry room. If yours is like most, it’s location might feel like an architectural afterthought. Dark, cramped, too cold or too hot, doing laundry can feel like a dungeon where you are being punished for wanting your family to have clean clothes. When you consider how much time is spent in your laundry room, investing in small improvements to the look and feel of the space suddenly becomes a lot easier to justify. No matter the size of your laundry room, a combination of colour and fun (but practical) accessories will make a difference. Light-coloured walls and cupboards will brighten your space and good lighting will help you identify and remove mystery stains (while also chasing away any spooky shadows). You can also personalise this space with cute accents with wallpaper, house plants, candles, or wall hangings. Depending on your taste and budget, adding a tiled floor, a deep sink, or splurge on marble or quartz countertops, and will give your laundry space a luxe look. As winter and the season's cooler weather take hold, you can add a cosy floor mat to keep toes warm on cold floors. Candles or a bouquet imbued with warm colours such as burnt orange, plum and brass can bring a flare to this often-overlooked space in your home.