My Minimalist Laundry Routine
Laundry is often a major pain point for our clients when we first meet. The secret to making it less stressful (and even meditative) is twofold:
Minimize your clothing to only your favorite pieces, the ones you wear over and over and LOVE.
Set a laundry process/schedule so it’s integrated into your week instead of an afterthought.
This post will focus primarily on #2 as I share my own process for doing laundry each week. Your process might look a little different depending on the needs of your household, but I hope you’ll gain some helpful tips as you read on!
Did you know Minima offers laundry folding services for our existing clients? Contact us to learn more.
I start by sorting my laundry as it becomes dirty. I have two dirty laundry baskets that live right in the floor of my closet for convenience. Laundry baskets are an opportunity for design—they can add to the visual appeal in your space in addition to serving a utilitarian purpose. Select something that sparks joy for you so you’re more likely to use it. Here are a few of my favorite laundry baskets:
Marie Kondo Shoji 2-Section Bamboo Hamper
Like-It Mint Round Eco-Plastic Laundry Basket (also in blush)
Black & Off White Strapping Laundry Hamper
Steele Canvas Natural Laundry Cart
Round Collapsible Crunch Hamper
My laundry baskets accept just the right amount of clothing for a full laundry load, so I can easily see when it’s time to wash. Typically, I wash clothing every three to five days depending on what I have going on during the week. I only have three categories for washing: medium/dark clothing, white clothing, linens (sheets and towels). My sheets never enter the dirty laundry basket because, believe it or not, I don’t keep a backup set! I simply wash the bed linens in the morning and make sure they’re back on the bed before the evening. This saves on storage space and the hassle of folding sheets. I wash my bed linens roughly once per week.
I air dry ALL of my clothing for a few reasons. Since I wear a lot of black, air drying prevents colors from fading. Air drying is also gentler on the fabrics, so things won’t wear out as quickly. Using less energy by running a dry cycle is also a win for the environment! The only thing I run my dryer for is linens.
I use The Container Store’s 15-Dowel Wooden Clothes Drying Rack. I love the warm wood and the way it fits right into my space like a piece of furniture. You can collapse it and store under a bed or in a closet, but I leave mine up 24/7 by the window. It’s a great example of Minima’s mission statement in action—Make what is necessary beautiful.®—which is our way of describing the perfect harmony between form and function.
If you’re using the air drying method, space clothing out on the drying rack to maximize breathability. For example, alternate rows of heavier clothing with quick dry fabrics such as exercise pants. I actually really love arranging clothing on a drying rack because it’s like a puzzle.
Whether you air dry or not, the next step is to sort everything out onto the bed before folding/hanging and putting away. I recommend folding clothing in the bedroom or space where it will be put away rather than in the laundry room. Things will get jumbled during the transport from laundry room to bedroom and it encourages you to put the items away immediately rather than letting them sit in the basket.
When you’re sorting clothing onto the bed, group like items together. This way, when you’re ready to fold you can get into a good rhythm. I typically make piles for undergarments, socks, tops, and bottoms.
Now it’s time to fold! I usually sit crosslegged on my bed so I’m comfortable and can get into the zone. I have some of my best ideas while I’m doing rhythmic tasks such as folding laundry or doing the dishes. When you’ve minimized and have a simple home, “chores” can actually become a time for reflection. Having minimized my own wardrobe, it’s not possible for laundry to ever pile up to an unmanageable state where it would take more than ten minutes to put it all away.
We recommend the file fold technique to all of our clients, which you can see below. The concept is to stand clothing upright (like papers in a filing cabinet). It saves a lot of space in your drawers and makes every item visible rather than stacked in piles. If you’d like to learn how to file fold, I’ve created a series of video tutorials here.
This particular post highlights folded clothing, but I do have some hanging items as well (you can see the hangers I selected for my closet here). Generally speaking, my hanging clothing is what I call my “capsule wardrobe”—dressier tailored pieces I would put on to go out or to an important meeting/event. The clothing I fold is what I call my “uniform”—staple pieces I wear on a more daily basis (and for work) and often purchase in multiples.
If you’d like to see this information in video format, including a play by play of me folding my clean laundry, you can watch the IGTV video here.
Happy laundry day! Thanks to The Container Store for sponsoring this post.
