I Hate Laundry!!!

Hello! Laundry is the only household chore that I enjoy. Call me crazy. I wash all of the colored clothes together and immediately hang all of the shirts. Pants are folded immediately. Anything else gets thrown into a basket right by the dryer. Then at the end of the week, or after the kids are in bed on any random night...I fold the pjs, match socks, and deal with the underwear. I wash all of the jeans with dark towels and fold immediately. The whites are washed together in one huge load and the same process begins...fold anything that I don't want wrinkled and throw the rest in the basket to be dealt with later. It takes too much time to try to match socks when you are folding things. Hope that helps. I only have 2 kids, so I don't have quite as much laundry as you.

there are some really great laundry services around that will do the wash dry and fold for you.Some even have pick up service too. A friend of mine uses them she has 6 kids. She drops off 2 large baskets full of clothes and pays around $30 a week for it. It may help and free up some of that time that just isnt there when you need it. Hope this helps out.

What I've found really worked for me is doing 1 load per day- hamper to drawer. That way, it doesn't have a chance to pile up. Until you get caught up, you could do 3-4 loads on the weekends.

I hate laundry too- I hate the fact that it is never ending. I think that I found myself in the same disorganized shoes that you find yourself in now- and I'll tell you my saving grace... www.flylady.net. The woman that started this website is all about babysteps to keep you organized. I was totally skeptical at first- but I have stuck to it for two years now and my house is a different place. Good luck.

Here's how we do it, which may spark some ideas for you: I have two laundry baskets in the closets--one for colors, one for whites. 6 of my 7 children have learned to sort (the 2 year old doesn't participate yet). The children each have their basket that they are responsible to bring the clothing down from in the mornings as part of their "morning routine." They put the dirty clothes in the corresponding baskets for colors or whites in the laundry room. Then I try to do one load of each every day. We have a closet in the laundry room in which we put shelves and gave each person a plastic basket for their clothes. I fold the clothes as they come out of the dryer, and then I dump the pile of clothes on their bed. They put their clothes away either afterschool or at night before bed. The four year old has a plastic set of drawers in the laundry room, so he changes right there and we put his clothes away right there. Some days I have the children get their own laundry if I don't have time to carry and dump. This system seems to work for our family to basically stay on top of laundry unless we get sick or go away somewhere, etc. Then we get backlogged and have to pedal faster on laundry for a bit. Carry on! You are clothing the naked and doing a wonderful job.

Here's a suggestion for you. Give everyone a different color laundry basket. Have your older daughters take their own baskets to the laundry room and after you're done washing/drying, just put their stuff back in their own baskets and as soon as they come home from school, have them pick up their baskets, fold their clothes and put them away. Shouldnt take anymore than a few minutes. Keep the younger ones laundry in their own baskets too, then when you pull them out of the drier....just put their stuff in their baskets and take the baskets to their rooms. To go even further, monday - kids clothes - tuesday - linens - wednesday - towels, etc. Hope you find a good routine!! Good luck!

Hi W.,
WOW! You sure did get a lot of responses. Never seen this many before on here. Too many to read, but in case no one else has mentioned it, have you ever heard of Flylady.net? It's a great sebsite, contains tons of info. There are also local meet up groups maybe even in your area with women going thru the same thing. It's a free site, and you can sign up for daily email reminders too. I strongly reccomend it.

I bought each of my 5 children a laundry basket and labeled it with their name (cheaper to buy same color rather than hunting for 5 different colors). These baskets are only for clean clothes. After I do laundry, I sort the clothes into the baskets. I try to have them fold their clothes and put them away once a week, but in the meantime, their clothes are in one spot where they can find them in the morning and they're off the floor. My just-barely 4-year-old can fold his own clothes now (with some encouragement) so you really can start them young. By 3 or 3 1/2 you should be able to hand them a folded pile of shirts for them to put away in their own drawer. Try Saturday as laundry folding day so it doesn't interfere with the afterschool rush.

I actually like laundry! I know I am weird. I use this time as an excuse to have me time. My only problem is putting it away...it never seems to make it to the closets. I always fold the laundry right out of the drier and separate it into piles belonging to each child or me and my husband. Try folding it right our of the drier (usually only takes a few minutes and then have your children put their own clothes away. Or seperate it right out if the drier to piles and have them fold their own. I get my 5 yo to fold her own socks and underware (and sometimes towels), but my other two kids are still a little too young to help out. Good Luck

Hi W.,

What I have found to work he best is fold the laundry as you take it out of the dryer. You can use one clothes basket to catch the socks and underwear, but use another to put your neatly folded laundry in. It may not be put away any quicker, but at least it is folded and somewhat out of the way!

It sounds like you have your hands full, but this may help a little.

B.

I would do each persons load(s) by themselves, wash, dry, put in there room for them to fold! Especially the 9 and 8 year olds. The 5 year old may need some help. The 3 year old should be able to do towels.

I'm wondering if you have too many clothes and bedding per person in the house. If you only have about 6 or 7 outfits per child then there would be more drawer space. Kids grow out of clothes probably faster than they wear them out. If they don't have clothes in their drawers then they will come looking and maybe even put them away if they don't feel overwhelmed by so many. Same with bedding, do you need more than two per bed? One for wash while the other is on the bed?

I do laundry on Mondays, which also happens to be our TV night. So all the laundry gets folded while watching, and put away during commercials. Even my husband is willing to help while he watches. And my kids have sorted socks from shirts from pants since they were two, and that helps, too.

I can sympathize withyou. I hate laundry too! So I for sure and certain don't want to do a little bit every day! I just make one day of it, ususally on the weekend, and do all 7-8 loads right in a row. While waiting inbetween, I do the cooking, or cleaning, or read a book. LOL. It's like drying those zip lock bags. They don't dry out very well on their own, and the best thing to do, is just dry it yourself immediately. Presto, done.
When my son get's older, he will help. I'll let him be responsible for what he can do, and not worry about how it ends up. Folded, unfolded, on the floor....it will be his responsiblity, and maybe will help him develop personal pride in it all. That's my plan, but (hee hee) I don't know if it will work. We'll see.... Good luck.
J.

i only have three of us to wash for. but i dont' have a dryer just a washer. so shirts are already hung on hangers to dry and pants are too. socks and underwear are clothes pinned on hangers. i only do wash twice a week. and then i move everything and put away shirts and pants while wahsing the load. and socks and underwear are my problem....they get dumped into a laundry basket til it's full enough and then i fold them.

W.. Are your children helping? Even 3 year olds can match socks, fold washclothes and underwear. 5 year olds can hang clothes and fold all but big stuff! Have a basket for each child, and have folding time each day! That IS your job as a parent, to teach your children to be responsible for themselves. Don't be mad, if you are overwhelmed, you are doing it to yourself. Do your children help clean and cook? Being a family means working and playing together, does your family have a job chart? Including your husband? Time for a family meeting to talk about household responsibilities. You can do it! K.

delegate, delegate, delegate!!

I know the feeling. I do the laundry and then there it sat for days in the dryer. I got to the point where I will do a load of laundry and not do another until it is folded and put away. It takes about three mintues to fold them and even if they just set in the basket for an hour or so that is fine until I get two mintutes to put them away. You can fold them while helping with reading or homework too. The basket by you as you help the kids maybe. Hope this helps a little for you. As for other things, I just really try to keep up and if I can't oh well it will be there when I can do it. When I had my daughter it was a awakening from everything done now to well when I get to it I get to it. She comes 1st for me. If she is playing and fine I can get the laundry folded and put away and start a new load. Best of luck!!

Jessica

The pile on your bed sounds like the pile on mine! A system I have developed is to always try to wash at least one load of clothes per day. I often get that one load washed and dried, but not folded. By the 3rd or 4th day I have an overwhelming amount of laundry! But I sort everyone's clothes into their own pile and that makes the folding more manageable. I don't have 5 kids--but know how fast those dirty clothes pile up.

Can you afford a cleaning lady once a week for a couple of hours? If I have clean laundry on my bed mine will sort them into piles and/or fold them if there's time. Might be worth your piece of mind...

Hang in there--at least the clothes are getting clean!

If I were you, I'd hire someone to come fold & put away the current batch of laundry... hiring someone seems to be my quick fix most of the time :) My husband does laundry, because like you I can't stand it. He will immediately fold laundry as he takes it out of the dryer, so clean laundry is never really anywhere except folded in a basket. It takes a little bit longer, but works very well. Then the kids can just put away their own clothes.

Check out this website: http://www.flylady.net/

This lady will help you develop systems and routines of organization for everything in the house!!

any way to have laundry baskets in each of the kids' rooms so they are done separately and dried room by room. they can do their own folding :)

use 15 minutes a night for folding laundry, where all help. the 9 month old could play with the socks :)

it's their clothes too, they can learn early!
You've got a lot on your plate, good luck!!!

I am also not a huge fan of the Laundry :) But, here is what I do that helps a lot. I do a load a day so it is not a massive Laundry day and then sort it into bins for each person in the house hold and I put thier stuff and mine and my husbands that needs to be hung up on hangers and then right in the bins takes less time then folding. Then I put the bins in thier rooms and hang up the stuff on hangers and they are responsible for putting socks and underware and folded clothes away. For my three yr old I put pictures and the word of what goes in each of the drawers and She pretty much puts her own clothes away this might work with your 5 and 3 yr old. Hope this helps a little.

Hi W., :)
We have 3 children, and I only do laundry every other Friday. Then I do it all day long, and use a timer to remind me when the washer ends. I drop everything (except feeding the baby) when the timer goes off and keep it all moving. It has worked well for me for the last several years.
Good luck! :)

I dont have near the laundry you probably have with 5 kids but I have always just folded the laundry right out of the drier instead of taking it out and setting it somewhere else. Could be that that's how my grandmother and mom always did it. You may just end up with stacks of folded laundry all over the place, but might be better than unfolded stuff everywhere :).

I can't help you, but I can sympathize with you! There are six in our family, and I can't remember the last time I folded a piece of clothing, lol. My kids are 17 (boy), 15 (girl), 8 (girl), and 3 (boy). My teen daughter pretty much keeps up with the little kids' things, but everyone else's just gets tossed into a basket in the owner's room. It may not be folded, but at least it's out of the main living areas.

What I do. Is I will do all the hanging up right after the dryer gets done. Then I wait till all the laundry is done and do the folding while watching a movie at night. I only have one child but it works for me. I hate laundry myself! Since you have 5 children, watch a movie/tv together and have them do some of the laundry with you, even your husband can help. When he is home he helps me.

We're in the same boat!!! I loath laundry, all I can offer is sympathy. I'll just keep checking back to see what advice people offer you. Good luck!!!

Hi W. - best of luck to you! Just a short time ago - we were also a large household - 3 teenage sons, Dad and our little princess. I hate laundry also but had a bigger washer - it was great but it took laundry forever to dry. The day the dryer quit, I told my husband I was getting the biggest dryer they made and I didn't care how much it cost (on a tight budget that was a hard sell but I wasn't going to budge on that). So, I got my bigger dryer and that made life a little easier. I also did laundry on set days and posted the schedule for the boys - I also made a rule of no "I forgot and I need it for the weekend" rule. No special loads. Folding the clothes was a challenge but I quit doing the socks. Sounds silly but I don't do them - haven't in years. Every once in a while, one of the "men" would do it but sorting socks of 4 men is not my idea of a good time and they could do it themselves. (Oh - they also each wore a specific brand or style of sock) All of my boys are gone now (joined the Army) and when they were home for the holidays and I was back to doing a bazillion loads of laundry - they were laughing at the sock basket. They may not have had folded socks but I guess I gave them some great memories. Good luck!

I know what you're talking about. I have 3 children & a husband, so I have a lot of laundry to do, too. The thing I usually end up doing is doing all of the folding once the kids are in bed. I usually end up staying up late, but the laundry gets folded and then usually put away the next morning when they are in good moods and do better playing well together without Mommy in the same room. Take a few days and see what your "unproductive time" may be (if any) and see what you can get done during that time. It might help to write down your normal day-to-day activities and go from there!

Good luck with getting organized...I still need to work on that. I've been staying home now for 9 1/2 months and I'm still trying to get a handle on everything!

You got a ton of responses, so probably don't need any more advice but here goes!
I am a mother of 2 (under 2) so I can totally relate. I cant imagine keeping up with all you have to do, I barely can with just 4 in our house, so yay for you!
If I were you, I would do a few things. First, buy each person their own basket, one of those tall ones that has a side for darks and a side for lights. Everyone can sort their own laundy as it comes off. Then, only do one persons laundry in a load at a time, that way you dont have to spend more time re-sorting by person. I would either spend one day (or maybe 2) every 2 weeks doing it, or assign a person per day. Everyone could have thier own day then make sure it gets folded and put away that same day (that is the hard part for me too). Then assisn sheets on saturday and towels for sunday or something like that. I also have a few baskets around my house like one in the laundry room for kitchen stuff, and it all gets washed together so it all goes back to the same place together. Also, if you can, fold as it comes out or at least put a basket of hangers on your dryer and hang the hanging stuff as it comes out. I am lazy too, so I put baskets in my drawers and instead of spending time folding stuff like bras and underwear, I just dump them in the basket in my drawer. Who needs folded underwear anyway? We have baskets everywhere around my house so at least I can label it and know where stuff is. Oh--last tip, I bought a bunch of those bags used for delicates (they are white mesh with a zipper in the laundy isle) one for each baby and as the dirty socks come off, I put them directly into the zipper bag (which is hanging on a hook in their laundy bin) and when its time to wash, throw the bag and all into the wash. That way, I dont have to sort socks back out, just dump back into the drawer and hang the baggie back up for next time.
If you have one of those organize it stores in your town, take a trip there and see what kinds of bins and storage helpers you can find. I would spend a little $$ to buy some organizers but they are sooooo helpful.
I hope that helps! I have to go, I have two baskets of laundry waiting for me on the couch to fold :).....
Good luck and give yourself some credit for all you do!

I hear you......I too have 7 kids and you were desribing my house!!!! Here is how I deal with it......my dryer started acting up 2 months ago, and I had a pile of laundry that HAD to be done, so I decided to go to the laundry mat and would deal with the dryer later, here is what I discovered.... I LOVE IT. I spend 2 1/2 hours one day a week and all of our laundry is done for the week. I fold each childs laundry individualy and place them in seperate bags, when I am done I hand them to them and have them put it away no more laundry on my couch, bed, kitchen table, ect. It cost about 30.00 dollars a week and I have a Lot of laundry, between husbands uniforms and the kids it is a huge pile. I figure I am saving on electricity, and a little peace of mind. My washer and dryer are in my basement, which I get sick and tired of going up and down, plus the baby stands and screams at the top of the stairs so I am saving hugely on my sanity. Just a different perspective don't know if it would work for you but I do love it!!

My kids are s-16 d-15 s-15 d-14 s-6 d-3 1/2 s-16 months

I guess I have an unusual husband as he like doing the laundry. It gives him a reason to get to sit in the bedroom and watch football while folding it all. And usually it is several loads at a time before he gets to folding it all. We do it all once a week or so and though it is h*** o* our septic, it works well for us to do it all on Saturday.

Maybe you could try taking a trip to the laundromat to get the "pile" washed up, ask a friend to come over and give you a hand and fold like crazy until its all done. Then make your best effort to fold each basket as it comes out of the dryer. I know this is easier said than done at time, but its a small change that may make a difference.

I SOOO NO HOW U FEEL !!!! I have the exact same problem. Only get time enough if that to throw it in the washer and dryer. But there is a tottally of 9 people in my house right now. So imagine that. lol Can't wait to see suggestions lol

My advise may not be very good, but there was a time for me where laundry was very overwhelming for me, so I decided Instead of living the traditional way where I felt everything had to be a certin way, and if I couldnt do it that way, I didnt do it at all until I could get to it and do it right.
I trashed that Idea and asked "well, what would work for me"
I started just throwing the clothes in the drawers, Yep, unfolded, I didnt worry about matching sox together, folding wash wrags, I just dumped them in the drawer they belonged in.
That was a start for me.
Slowly I started hanging my shirts but dumping everything else, then shirts and pants and dumping eveything else.
To me, life is a juggle, and when I have to many balls to juggle, I drop them all. So I slowly learn what I can juggle, and slowly incorporate a new ball when I feel I'm ready.
I got baskets and put them in my linnen closet to throw towels and wash wrags in. Tossed pants, shirts and sox (and what ever) in drawers. Bought coat hangers to throw coats on because even hanging coats on hangers was to much for me, a box for shoes to be thrown so they didnt end up all over the place. Even my silverware when I did my dishes, I just threw in the drawer and slowly learned to separate them into there slots.
I'm a single mom and life got real big for a while so that's why I feel I completely understand your post.

Now... My friends would say I'm immaculate.

Everything always gets put away, I fold clothes right out of the dryer and put them away, My organization is so simple that my house is always clean, I have really cute baskets everywhere,(You could even buy cute baskets with lids and put your kids clean clothes in them and have them put them away and if they dont, atleast its in a pile in a basket instead in a pile on your couch)
Its so easy to keep clean now and I have time on my hands (however I am a mother of Only One ;) ).

I've also learned to delegate out house duties so My son is a huge help, but I couldnt expect him to know how if I didnt know how, so I learned first, then teaching him became easier.
And that is how I learned. Like I said, it may be crazy and may not work for many people, but it worked for me.

Good Luck

Good luck. I tried fly lady and I ended up with a really clean sink. Maybe I should look more into it.

W.,

Do I ever understand!! I have seven children and a hubby. Our whole house is crazy!!

I am trying to get things up and running around here. I swear by the one season ends I finally got the previous season things put away. I have thought about buying some of those divided hampers so, things could get organized but, we don't have the $$ or the space. Thus I am trying to make a schedule of things to get done weekly like do laundry on Mondays and Thursdays & Saturday. One day bedding the other day clothes, then take 20 min to work as a family to fold things and put them away. Ihave each kid put away there things which means I have to let go of how I prefer to have it done and just pray it makes it to a drawer or closet. I have some friend that have enough space in their laundry area that they have some bookshelves labeled with names or those drawers and then the kids have to come get their piles and check on it daily. That way things get folded right away and don't have a pile wherever. I currently have about eight load of laundry clean and in need of folding but with my youngest being 2 mos and the others wanting to hold him all the time all I do is protect him.

I wish you the best and please know you are not the only one out there with that problem. Feel free to email me and we can chat about a big family. Mine are b-11, b-7, b-6, G-4, G-3, G-19mos and baby 2mos. ____@____.com

Wishing you the best.

A.

I hate laundry to. It is a task that is never done. I try and get it done during nap time. I will stand in front of my dryer and pull one item out at a time. Our home is set up to where I have a folding table behind me and above that is a hanging bar. I go through each room and pull out all the empty hangers and put them on my bar. Each item is either folded or hung in groups. Babys is usually folded.
To get your children to help with there own cloths. Rewarding seems to help and put the timer on them (example: sperate there cloths in to piles, pants, socks, pajamas, underwear(no fold), Shirts(all hung) Tell your kids they can earn 10 points for getting there pants folded in 5 minutes etc.... Stand there and time them. When they get it done, give them there 10 points. Play with the points a little (adjust it so that it works for you)This will benifit the both of you. You could also use stickers, or money and when they earn enough points, stickers, money, they can spend it on things that they like to do. They can even spend it on special time with you or your partner.

I hope this helps
A.K.K. (ut)

I dont have any advice for you! I hate laundry too! clean..dirty.. its all over the place. I can never get caught up and I only have two kids! We live in an apartment and have coin-operated laundry in the basement, but I have a 2 1/2 month old and two year old. I cant leave them upstairs by themselves to go and do it and I cant take them and the laundry down at the same time , so Im stuck in a mountain of dirty clothes!

W., your only hope is www.flylady.net. Sign up and read and read and read and then order the original timer and the large feather duster and BEGIN.

You will not believe what she says at first but it works.

good luck

M. B.
###-###-####
____@____.com
Boise, ID

My laundry tends to pile up too. I have found that if I look at laundry folding as a break from things, it gets done. Late at night I will pile the clothes on the couch, pop in a chick flick movie and fold away.

WOW! Five kids--no wonder you and the other mother's are tierd of laundry.

I only have two kids, but I came up with a system that might work.

I only do laundry 2x a week--no matter what. Pick whatever days are good for you--mine are Monday and Thursday, because they are before and just after the week-end when laundry is at it's worst. I wash, dry, fold, and put in piles--everyone else is to put their own clothes away. If it is Saturday and someone says "I don't have any jeans for the party" Well they know where the machine is and how to use it.

This has always worked great for us!

GL:)

Hi W.! Don't give up...as my mother always told me, and her mother told her: These are the best years of your life. Now after 30 years of marriage, six children and six grandchildren later, I can look back and say those words were absolutely true! To have children under foot is a sure way of knowing where your children are at all times...and that changes all too quickly as they grow older. I well remember literal mountains of endless laundry! I sympathize with you but also feel the need to tell you to hold on...those days will be behind you before you can hardly believe it. What to do right here and now? Buy each child their own laundry basket. Sort their laundry into those baskets as soon as they come out of the dryer and get them into those children's rooms or in a 'high' place so that the laundry is no longer on your bed or couch. Try to have a 'laundry day' so that you deal with this only one time a week. Granted with a baby you'll have to make a few exceptions. Reward yourself for doing laundry. Play your favorite music while loading/unloading and save the folding for the quiet time of day when you can sit and watch your favorite movie or show. Put everything out of sight/out of mind by the time hubby gets home to show some sense of order! Try to hang up the wrinkle free items on a rod above your dryer as soon as they are fresh from the dryer. As your older children get older, encourage them to take pride in doing their own laundry and in looking their best. It works wonders when they are teenagers. But until that day, have patience and understand that there is a time and a season for all things in your life, and right now, in your season of unending mountains of laundry, you have been blessed with that mountain because of the choice little ones who are the cause of such caous. Cherish them! Best of wishes--C. N

Hi W.! (I don't like laundry either!) However, try out "FlyLady" online (FlyLady.net) or have a friend who has internet print some suggestions of hers for you. FlyLady has tons of suggestions on starting/keeping (and the importance of) a daily routine. One of those suggestions is just doing one load of laundry per day. I try to do this suggestion, but even though sometimes I can't do it every day, I know it does help! Even if it's doing it first thing in the A.M. If you have a buzzer signifying when the load is done, do it right then if possible. Or if you don't have a buzzer, find a TIMER. Timers do WONDERS!! FlyLady says "You can do ANYTHING for 15 minutes!" Set your timer for 15 minutes and just DO something! (This works well for doing lots of different things, even exercising!) It was a life-changing concept for me! Even though I can't follow it exactly every single day, I simply try my best to stay on task and I use my timer! It really IS amazing what you can do in 15 minutes! Try it out! I hope this helps! Good luck to you! =)

hello W.
i am also a mother of five but all girls so that always mean more laundry and i do at least a load every day wash dry and put away i hate looking at a full basket of clean laundry not folded so send your husband with the four older kids to little ceaser for the afternoon and get all your laundry done or just washed dryed and folded then as they walk in the door hand them there pile of stuff to put away then to stay on top of it do a load ever day of personal pants tops so on then one day on the weekend do all the bedding ............also go thur i find some times i keep washing thing that are clean or to small my girls are good for that one well i sure hope i helped you a fellow mother of five and counting maybe six

I HATE it too. I live near South Shore Laundry. I drive by it all of the time. I noticed a sign for "Wash, Dry, and Fold Service". I decided to check it out one day when I let the laundry go for too long and I had too much else going on. WOW. It was like magic. I dropped off a TON of laundry. They charge by the pound... They weighed my laundry, gave me a slip and asked when I needed it done. 3 hours later, I returned and it was all beautifully folded! My sheets looked like new. I was speechless. It smelled good it looked good and best of all---I did not have to do it! It was worth the $1.09 per pound! I like to give myself a break and treat myself to it a few times a month. It really is refreshing to have some one else do your laundry. I LOVE IT! South Shore Laundry is on the south side of Holland... That is the best laundry advice I have!

I cannot imagine doing laundry for 7 people! Having raised my 2 children and remembering that getting the laundry done always seemed a problem, I have a few words of wisdom;

1. Don't look at the mountian, see your laundry as one load at a time.

2.Do not pile your laundry on the couch, bed, floor! (it multiplies when you do that)

3.when you take your load out of the dryer fold it and put it away immediately then start your next load(ie,one load at a time

4.Don't feel guilty! everyone on the face of the earth feels this way about laundry!

5 if folding and putting away seems too time consuming have your family put away their own stuff (don't look at how they do it)

6 when your children are old enough have them do their own laundry (this is a life skill they need to learn) don't look at how they do it

7.There is light at the end of the tunnel, someday they will all be gone and laundry is not an issue any more (seriously)

8. laundry is one of those things that is never "done" just accept that fact

9.laundry is everyones responsibility not just yours I used to give my hubby the socks to do while he was watching tv.

10.Pray! ask God for strength daily!!!

Have you looked at flylady.net? She is really good about helping you develop slowly systems that get your house in order without spending hours you don't have everyday doing it. She sends you email reminders and has lots of great tips. I hate laundry and housework so I feel your pain.

One thing she suggested was only doing one load a day but everyday you do one load. So it stays under control. You might if you don't already have a basket for each person in the family so that as you fold it goes in their basket and if they are old enough when they get home from school they are responsible for putting thier basket away. That way all you do is wash and fold.
Good luck

Hey there! I can totally relate. I also have five children and have struggled with laundry as well. Last year I signed up for www.flylady.net and WOW! It had helped me in so many ways. I highly recommend this free help from the Flylady!

OMG. I think you are talking about me, but I only have three kids-6, 8, and 11- then throw in two dogs that like to lay on everything and shed. I probably have five loads of laundry waiting to be folded in a tote by my bed right now. I try to fold laundry as it comes out of the dryer, but it doesnt always happen. Good luck finding something that works.

gosh you can only do so much! 5 children is enough to keep you busy! The only thing I can suggest is to just set a goal to do one load a day. Put it in right when you get up in the morning and get it folded and put away during nap time in the afternoon before your big kids come home. That is how I do it and it makes me feel like I have at least accomplished something for the day. Good luck!!