Laundry day is a family affair in our house. Everyone pitches in to help, and I do mean everyone – even the baby has a job to do. We’ve been doing laundry together for so long, our process is a well-oiled machine. Like everything else, teaching by example when they are little is the key to teach your kids to do laundry. Check out these tips and learn about the new school way to do laundry.
This post is sponsored by Tide and Downy, available at Walmart.
Teach Your Kids To Do Laundry When They Are Little
Start Them Young
Yes, even our four-month-old has a job to do on laundry day (and I don’t just mean making extra laundry). Her job is to lay on the bed among the clean laundry and keeps me company while I fold. It might not seem like a big deal, but as I play with her and the clean laundry she learns that laundry time with mom is fun and part of our routine. It is a tiny step, but it opens the doors to the next step.
Sorting Colors
As soon as my girls were old enough to identify colors, they helped sort laundry. In our house that means dumping all of the family’s laundry on the floor in the master bedroom and tossing clothes into piles sorted by color. This process involves lots of laughter and the occasional pair of underwear on someone’s head. Yep, it happens, and the kids love it.
Load The Machine
Not only do my kids love loading their arms with piles of laundry to stick in the machine, they can also help add the detergent. While littles ones might have trouble pouring the right amount of detergent, Tide PODS make it easy for kids and are tough on dirt and grime with detergent, stain remover and brightener in one convenient step.* And, of course, kids love pushing the buttons!
*Make sure your kids know Tide PODS are not food, and keep them up high when not in use.
Sorting, Folding And Putting Away
The final step in the process is my least favorite, so it’s when I ask for the most help – the folding and putting away. While my daughters pair socks, my husband and I fold the laundry (with the baby) into piles for each family member. When everything is ready, everyone grabs their clothes and puts them away.
Because we have always done laundry together, we are able to talk about each step of the process while having a little fun. I know that when the time comes that they need to a load solo, they won’t have a problem knowing what to do.
New School Laundry
Laundry these days is a lot more than just liquid detergent alone. With today’s high-tech machines and the latest in laundry products from Tide and Downy, there is a new school way of doing laundry to clean, deodorize and protect your clothing better.
There are four steps to new school laundry:
- Tide PODS are highly concentrated 3-in-1 pacs that contain detergent, stain remover and brightener in one convenient step. Just toss one into the washer’s drum before your clothes.
- Downy Protect & Refresh Liquid Fabric Conditioner locks out bad odors, giving clothes in-wear protection from offensive odors all day long. Pour it in the fabric softener reservoir on your machine.
- Downy Fresh Protect Beads are motion activated and provide 24-hour odor neutralization and freshness – it is like deodorant for your clothes. You can add a capful of beads with your detergent before adding your clothes.
- Downy Dryer Sheets complete the laundry regimen by controlling static, preventing wrinkles, softening and providing long-lasting freshness. All you have to do is toss a sheet in before your dryer cycle.
With three daughters, hand-me-downs must stay nice, so taking care to preserve our clothing is important. The new Downy Protect & Refresh Liquid Fabric Conditioner is great because not only does it soften your clothes, it also smooths and strengthens fibers to protect your clothes from stretching, fading and fuzzing versus using detergent alone.
The average American throws away about 65 pounds of clothing per year. The way you launder your clothes impacts how long they’ll look new. Use these tips along with the new school regimen above to help protect your clothes:
- Gym clothes with lycra or spandex need to be washed alone. Throwing them in with other clothes can cause breakdowns in the fabric and destroy antimicrobial and moisture-wicking qualities.
- Be sure to zip your zippers and secure velcro when putting clothes in the wash to avoid snagging or sticking and possibly damaging other clothes.
- If your clothes shrink in the dryer, soak them in water with a few tablespoons of hair conditioner for a few minutes and gently stretch the fibers back out.
- Watch your clothing labels for guidance on water temperature to use – it’s there for a reason.
Keep your eyes peeled for me this Thursday-Sunday on WKMG CBS 6 in Orlando for some more new school laundry tips.
Free Samples
Ready to try out the new school way of doing laundry? Visit any of the Florida Walmart Supercenters below on Sunday, June 4 from 1-6 pm for free product samples and high-value coupons from Tide and Downy. A couple of stores will host the event on a different day, those stores are noted below. I’ll be at the store on Orlando Dr. in Sanford this Sunday, so come see me!
Tide/Downy Events
Walmart Supercenter 1239 State Road 436 Ste 101, Casselberry
Walmart Supercenter 2700 Clearlake Road, Cocoa
Walmart Supercenter 1101 Beville Road, Daytona Beach
Walmart Supercenter 1699 N Woodland Blvd, DeLand
Walmart Supercenter 11012 N Williams St, Dunnellon
Walmart Supercenter 4444 W Vine St, Kissimmee
Walmart Supercenter 2501 Citrus Blvd, Leesburg
Walmart Supercenter 845 Palm Bay Rd NE, Melbourne
Walmart Supercenter 17030 US Highway 441, Mount Dora
Walmart Supercenter 3155 State Road 44, New Smyrna Beach *6/6/17
Walmart Supercenter 2600 SW 19th Avenue Rd, Ocala
Walmart Supercenter 10500 W Colonial Dr, Ocoee
Walmart Supercenter 11250 E Colonial Dr, Orlando
Walmart Supercenter 8101 S John Young Pkwy, Orlando
Walmart Supercenter 2500 S Kirkman Rd, Orlando
Walmart Supercenter 1521 W Granada Blvd, Ormond Beach
Walmart Supercenter 174 Cypress Point Pkwy, Palm Coast
Walmart Supercenter 1590 Dunlawton Ave, Port Orange *6/1/17
Walmart Supercenter 4400 13th St., Saint Cloud
Walmart Supercenter 3653 S Orlando Dr, Sanford
Walmart Supercenter 3175 Cheney Hwy, Titusville *6/7/17
Walmart Supercenter 16313 New Independence Pkwy, Winter Garden
The following Walmart Supercenters will host similar events also on June 4 from 1-6 pm with Gain samples and high-value coupons.
Walmart Supercenter 101 Howland Blvd, Deltona
Walmart Supercenter 1471 E Osceola Pkwy, Kissimmee *6/1/17
Walmart Supercenter 904 Cypress Pkwy, Kissimmee
Walmart Supercenter 3250 Vineland Rd, Kissimmee
Walmart Supercenter 1000 N Wickham Rd, Melbourne
Walmart Supercenter 8500 N Wickham Rd, Melbourne
Walmart Supercenter 4980 E Silver Springs Blvd, Ocala
Walmart Supercenter 34 Bahia Ave, Ocala
Walmart Supercenter 9570 SW Highway 200, Ocala
Walmart Supercenter 5991 New Goldenrod Rd, Orlando *6/5/17
Walmart Supercenter 8990 Turkey Lake Rd, Orlando *6/6/17
Walmart Supercenter 11930 Narcoossee Rd, Orlando
Walmart Supercenter 3101 W Princeton St, Orlando
Walmart Supercenter 1040 Malabar Rd SE, Palm Bay
Walmart Supercenter 1601 Rinehart Rd, Sanford
Walmart Supercenter 4085 Wedgewood Lane, The Villages
My son always helped with laundry and he was doing his when he was around 11 years old. It really helped him build his independence in wanting to do more things.
Our little one loves to help sort when the laundry comes out! His favorite..matching socks!
These are all good ideas. Our kids help out around the house but I have never had them help with laundry before. I think I need to start trying to get them to.