#2 - Piles of laundry.

I know ... Piles of laundry???? But by piles of laundry, I mean clean folded piles of laundry. Maybe that would technically make them stacks of laundry ... piles would be the state of dirty laundry. But I don't even mind dirty piles either because that is the before to get to the after. Like knowing the bitter to taste the sweet? Okay, I'm reaching with that one.

Doing the laundry is my favorite household chore - it is still a chore, but I don't mind doing it. For me there is a great sense of accomplishment when all the laundry is done. I know (again) sometimes it seems like it will never be done, but it gets done if you set aside one day for laundry. While everyone's clothes are still on their backs, you can empty the laundry baskets, take the whole day and by nighttime it can all be done - in theory anyway, right?

Years ago when I was in a BUNKO group, our table was talking about chores and what we liked the least. Almost every other woman said they would clean toilets over laundry any day. Not me. They couldn't believe I actually liked laundry. One of them said, "I would pay you to do my laundry."

I said, "Okay."

She got wide eyed and said, "Oh. No. You don't understand how much laundry I have. It has taken over my bedroom, the kids bedrooms and is spilling out into the hallway! Our house is on the market and it is a real sore spot between me and my husband."

I said, "Bring it over. I'll do it for you."

Again, "Oh. No. I bet I have 17 loads right now. I would be embarrassed."

"Bring it over. I will get it done for you."

She did, and I think it was 18 loads that first time. But she got caught up and as long as her house was on the market, and while she was getting settled into her new house, I did her family's laundry. I liked it, she loved it.

Word of mouth advertising - and I started to do a few other family's laundry too. Now because I like doing it so much, I take a lot of pride in my laundry. One of the other mom's sons asked her if I used a folding form (like they do in department stores) when I folded their t-shirts. Another mom's daughter told her that she only wanted me to wash her jeans from now on because they come out "so much better."

Just last weekend when I had Delanie and her family here, her daughter, Annelise said, "I want you to teach me how to do your laundry because it always smells so good." Delanie refers to me as the Laundry Queen. (Nice to know I am the queen of something.)

My two main "tips" are to (1) fold your clothes right when the dryer stops so they are still warm. That way they aren't wrinkled and the folding GETS DONE and (2) I hang tons of stuff. I can't be specific about what because I hang everything from skirts and sweaters to jeans and t-shirts. It prevents fading, shrinking, wearing out and is a fabulous air freshener for your whole house!

A friend walked into my house one day and said, "You have to make sure it's a laundry day if you ever have an open house."

My two best laundry friends are Tide and Downey.