Are you tired of the never-ending cycle of laundry? Do you feel like you're constantly battling mountains of dirty clothes? If so, you're not alone.

Many people struggle with the seemingly endless task of keeping up with our family's laundry. But what if there was a way to make this chore less daunting?

Enter Sally Hepworth, a Melbourne-based New York Times bestselling author and working mum-of-three, who has devised a 'genius' laundry system that could revolutionise your approach to this household task.

Hepworth's innovative laundry routine involves four individual baskets, one for each member of her family.

Instead of constantly picking up dirty clothes from her children's bedroom floors, Hepworth only washes what ends up in their designated baskets.

Sally Hepworth created a laundry system for her family, and people on social media are all praises! Image: Facebook

The beauty of this system lies in its simplicity and the autonomy it gives to each family member. Hepworth no longer sorts or puts clothes away.

She leaves the clean laundry in a big communal basket so her children can sift through, fill their own basket, and take it to their rooms themselves.

'I was reflecting on how much I used to stress about laundry,' Hepworth shared in a social media post.

'I have never been particularly good at domestic chores and, as a working mum, managing the laundry of four people felt overwhelming, thankless and never-ending.'

'While it's not fancy.. it has greatly reduced my laundry-related stress while also encouraging my kids to take responsibility for their own stuff, so I thought I’d share it in the event it might help you,' she said.

By involving her children in the process, Hepworth has saved a significant amount of time.

'I wash any clothes that arrive in the laundry,' she explained.

'I do not collect clothes from bedroom floors or dirty clothes baskets, and I do not shout at the kids to bring me laundry. If they don’t put it in the laundry, I don’t wash it. I then drop the clean laundry in the large blue basket.'

Hepworth's children don't fold their clothes, but that doesn't bother her. 'They don’t fold anything. I don’t care,' she said.

'The girls have drawers with stickers on them for undies, t-shirts, socks etc so it’s easy for them to toss things in the right place, and then find them later.'

If her children forget to bring their dirty laundry down, Hepworth says they have to wait for the next wash cycle.

'If they have no clean clothes, they have to wear dirty ones,' she explained. 'It’s not ideal but I’m a fan of natural consequences.'

The implementation of this system has made laundry a breeze for Hepworth. 'They’ve stopped asking me where stuff is,' she said.

'If they are looking for their blue t-shirt they know it is on their floor or in the communal basket. If it’s not, their guess is as good as mine.'

Hepworth's post has resonated with many, garnering numerous likes, with many saying they use a similar system.

'This is how I handle laundry also. I have three kids. Laundry is still the bane of my existence. Their laundry now just sits in baskets. I try not to stress but it still drives me crazy,' one mum said.

Another shared: 'I have a system like this! I wash clothes and throw clean clothes into baskets. There is no folding. Only shoving into drawers or hanging on hangers by the kids. I have very low household standards but I’m good with it!'

Many described Hepworth’s laundry system as a 'game changer' and 'brilliant'.

'Can I tell you how much joy this gave me? I’m a strong believer in natural consequences as well,' one suggested.

Another said: 'This is genius. My rule is if it’s on the floor, it doesn’t get washed. It must be in a laundry basket or hamper. Sports uniforms must be brought directly to the laundry room to get washed ASAP or else there’s no guarantee it’ll be clean for the next practice/game.'

One shared: 'Great system! Ours was similar—if they want it washed it’s their responsibility to get it to the laundry room for me to wash, or wash it on their own. Each folded their own stuff. I don’t mind doing laundry but I’m not hunting for it.'

Hepworth's system is a testament to the power of simplicity and delegation.

By making each family member responsible for their own laundry, she has not only reduced her own workload but also taught her children valuable life skills.

It's a simple, effective solution to a common problem, and it's a great way to teach kids about responsibility and independence.

So, if you're tired of battling never-ending piles of laundry, why not give Hepworth's system a try? It could be the game-changer you've been looking for.

Key Takeaways

• Sally Hepworth, a Melbourne author and mum-of-three, has created a unique laundry system to manage her family's washing with less stress, assigning individual baskets to each person.
• The system involves the children being responsible for bringing their dirty laundry to the designated baskets and then sorting through the clean laundry themselves.
• Hepworth's post gained significant attention on social media, with many parents resonating with the struggle of managing household chores and admiring her approach.
• The laundry method not only saves time but also encourages her kids to take responsibility for their belongings, and many have called the system a 'game changer' and 'brilliant'.

What do you think of this laundry system, members? Would it work in your household? Let us know in the comments below.

 

[SGH]

Isn't this what we all did anyway? Nothing new. When the kids were small I had the luxury of boiling a copper, when I got a washing machine I thought all my Christmases had come at once. Same as when I got a dishwasher, a mechanical one, after the kids leave home.

 

[Gsr]

My son and his various partners have always done this with their kids from when they were 3. now the kids are older they also take turns with the parents to wash, hang out, get in the clothes. Everything is folded as it comes off the line, then it is up to each person to collect their clothes to put away. They are required to leave remaining laundry in the baskets neat and folded as it was. I have always folded washing as I take it off the line. Saves so much work later, and saves a lot of unnecessary ironing.

 

[mylittletibbies]

My son and his various partners have always done this with their kids from when they were 3. now the kids are older they also take turns with the parents to wash, hang out, get in the clothes. Everything is folded as it comes off the line, then it is up to each person to collect their clothes to put away. They are required to leave remaining laundry in the baskets neat and folded as it was. I have always folded washing as I take it off the line. Saves so much work later, and saves a lot of unnecessary ironing.

So many people don't even iron anymore. They look like they've stepped out of a rag bag. And to not even fold them, how lazy.
My daughter loves to do the washing,hangs it out and brings it in.
T-shirts etc are hung on the line on coat hangers so hardly ever need ironing.
I then sort and fold and then iron.
One of my stepdaughters is a nonfolder, just throws things in the linen press. She asked me to get a towel out for her one day, when I opened the cupboard door things fell
out all over the place. I tidied up for her, put things in neat piles but a couple of weeks later it was back to the original mess. Don't know how people can live in all that clutter.

 

[Clancieblue]

aren't you lucky you do not have to boil a copper??? Really, all you have to do is throw it into a washing machine, funnily enough, it does the washing. OH! I forgot you have to sort the washing. TOUGH.

Sort the washing, now there's an interesting problem for the young. whoops

 

[Bellclare]

I've always found it easier to fold clothes as I take them off the line & put them in the clothes basket, probably because my mum did it that way when we were kids. It means that whoever takes the clothes off the line folds them immediately into the basket & so we remove & fold all items for one person, then all the items for the next person etc. Then, each pile is put on each person's bed for them to put away themselves. This way, if anything needed ironing, the ironing became a pile from the line to be done as needed.