Once you’ve got kids, staying on top of the laundry situation becomes the bane of pretty much every parent’s existence. But according to one clever mom of five, setting up an easy-to-follow laundry system has been a major game-changer. In fact, in just a few days, it managed to go viral on TikTok where hundreds of fellow parents are wondering why they didn’t think of this sooner.
The sweet hack was shared over by a mom named Emily
On TikTok, Emily (aka @eylasheswithemily) appears to have been using the hack for a while, and it isn’t just for her five kids. The laundry system also comes in clutch when it comes to staying on top of her own laundry, as well as her husband’s.
@eyelasheswithemily Mom of 5 laundry system explained! Do a load every day works best for us…try it and see if you can stay on top of laundry #momoffive #organizedmom #momhack ♬ original sound – Emily
Luckily, the system is simple
First, Emily explains that every person in the family has their own designated laundry basket. In her case, she went to Target and bought seven white baskets for the super affordable price of $2.50 each.
Then, she dedicated a section of her laundry room to the bins
For her, that came to look like a wire rack shelving system, with each shelf acting as a “home base” for a different basket.
Each kid knows that when their basket is full, they need to take it down to the laundry room — not at the end of the week (and definitely not the end of the month), but by the end of each day, Emily explains.
That's right — Emily does laundry every single day
But not in that omg-this-is-never-ending kind of way.
According to the TikTok mom, doing one large load every single day has become her secret to avoiding a massive and overwhelming pileup at the end of each week.
Of course, that can be easier said than done, but Emily swears by her foolproof system, which now has other parents bowing down to her.
Once her kids bring down their daily laundry, they dump it into a single blue hamper
Then, after the kids head to bed, the busy mom quickly transfers the blue basket into the washing machine, tosses in some detergent, and programs a heavy-duty wash cycle.
“Since I have a newborn, I’m up in the middle of the night,” she continues. “At some point in the night, I move what’s in the washer into the dryer — that is key.”
“Then I fold in the morning first thing and store them in the kids’ baskets and then they can take their own baskets to put away,” she concluded.
Because it's done in small increments, it all feels way less overwhelming
Which is probably why the mom of five is able to keep on top of things now that it’s become a part of her daily routine.
“Doing a load every day works best for us,” says Emily, who urges other parents to “try it and see if you can stay on top of laundry.”
Right away, moms across TikTok were singing her praises
“Genius!!!” wrote one mom.
“So organized!” added another.
“Omg, I love this system,” said someone else.
Others chimed in to say that they too have a similar system in place — and that it definitely works.
“I do the same basket thing,” wrote one mom. “But the shelving is genius!”
“I’m doing a very similar system!” someone else said. “I love your wall storage system, I’m going to have to buy the same thing.”
Some people had different tips for making the laundry struggle go smoothly
“My kids get their own laundry day at age 7,” one person shared. “They do their clothes load and their bedding and take them to put away.”
“I have four kids,” added another mom, who also said she finds “easiest” to just assign each kid a day they have to do their own laundry.
“They dump their dirty clothes straight into the washer,” she explained.
“My mom had a color system,” wrote someone else. “A red basket, blue one, white one, and black one. Also one for underwear and socks.”
Others admitted to being straight-up jealous of this entire system
After all, not everyone has a washer and dryer in their home — let alone a dedicated laundry room with lots of extra space.
“Ooo this looks so functional!” wrote one mom. “I need a laundry room … and a washer/dryer!”
That said, Emily’s hack does offer some much-needed inspiration for any parent who’s struggling with the weekly laundry mountain. While a manageable laundry system may look different for everyone, simply taking the first steps towards creating one that works for you is really half the battle.
