If doing the laundry is a dreaded chore is your house, here are a few tips to get you organized and lighten the load.

Consider doing whites on Mondays, darks on Tuesdays or whatever schedule works for your family. Some families like to do a load or two every day, so laundry doesn’t pile up. The key is to have a plan and stick to it. Without a plan it is easy for laundry to become overwhelming. Create a plan - then work it, consistently.

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Set up separate laundry baskets and label them: whites, darks, lights, towels, hand- wash, etc. Sorting is much easier when there are designated places for all laundry types. Use a label maker or sharpie marker to label the basket handle.

Now that everything is sorted, while you are loading clothes into the washing machine check all pockets. I keep a small tray in the laundry room to place everything I find in pockets. The tray can be used to return items to the right place or family member. Unbutton all shirts as well. Leaving shirts buttoned during the wash cycle can cause tension on them and cause them to break. Also, uncuff pants as well to avoid getting a permanent cuff crease.

The best time to fold clothes is when they come warm right out of the dryer. Hanging items right from the dryer also avoids the need to iron clothes. Once the warm clothes are put into a laundry basket, wrinkles ensue. Try to schedule time to be able to handle clothing right away when the dryer goes off to save ironing time later.

Don’t forget to clean the dryer’s lint filter after every load to avoid a potential fire hazard. Leave a small garbage bag or pail near the dryer to make disposing of the lint easier.

Look for more organizing tips from Deb in the Observer Dispatch every other Sunday and on her website decluttercoachdeb.com and dceffconsult.com. You can follow her on social media and watch her TV show Organization Motivation! organizationmotivation.com