In our last conversation, we began talking about ways to get your kids involved in doing their laundry. Our first post gave some really good tips for first getting everyone organized and ready for the next steps. This post will look at the various ages of children and soon to be teens and what you as a Mom can expect from them. You will see that by the age of 12 most kids who have been taught well can do their own laundry.
Laundry Tips for Toddlers | Laundry Raleigh NC
Every parent knows that little ones especially between the ages of 2-4 love, love, love to help. Yes this will disappear in time so take advantage now to teach them some good habits. At his age they can help with putting the dirty clothes in the hamper. Sorting is also a fun activity and begins to teach them a little about colors. Teach them how to sort clothes into whites, darks, colors, and towels. In the laundry room, they can help put the clothes into the washer and then with booting them into the dryer. As you fold the laundry you can let them help pair up socks or give them hand towels and washcloths to fold. Just remember to have a lot of patience with them at this age. Of course, the folding won’t be perfect but they are learning a valuable skill. Stay positive and pour on the praise!
Age 5-7:
When children start school their ability to focus and learn becomes better. This is the age where you can begin to teach them how to run the washer and dryer. You will still want to supervise them but they can bring their own laundry to the laundry room. They can begin to know how to load the washer or dryer. Teach them about detergent and how to add the proper amount. You may not be ready to leave them alone to do these tasks yet but as they learn you can certainly help them gain confidence. By now they should also be learning to fold their clothes and put them away. At this age they will also be able to add dryer sheets and still enjoy cleaning the lint from the lint trap.
Age 8-10:
This is the age where you can begin to fill in all the extra details of laundry chores. Teach them how to read a care label. This gives them important information about how to properly wash or not wash items. Which should or should not be dried in the dryer. This teaches them to take good care of their clothing. If you have not already had the conversation of how to determine if an item is really dirty or not this is a great time to begin. Explain how hanging up little-worn items will save on overall laundry chores. Show them how turning printed items inside out for washing can save on wear and tear. Jeans need the pockets emptied and can also be preserved by being washed inside out. This is a good time to explain about laundry loads, how big, how small.
Age 11-12:
By now the basics should be fully in place. The art of pre-treating and using bleach can be a new lesson. The good news is they are fully able to do their laundry from collection, all the way through folding, hanging, and putting away. The good news is that you have taught them a great life lesson that will help them in college and beyond.
Stay tuned for more laundry tips! Stop by our facility to do your laundry in Raleigh NC. We have the best washers and dryers available.
