The holiday season is one of my favorite things because it can really bring so much joy and laughter. Spending time with loved ones, cozy nights watching Christmas Movies and dressing up for special occasions just makes my heart happy. However, this time of year also brings an increase in laundry. From guest linens to holiday outfits, it can feel overwhelming to keep up. The good news? With a little planning (yes I’m serious), you can stay on top of the laundry and keep your holidays running smoothly and less stressful. 

Here’s how we manage laundry during the holidays without stressing. 

1. Make Laundry a Daily Habit

Doing laundry every day you’re home can prevent the dreaded pile-up. Instead of saving it all for one day, incorporate it into your daily routine.

• Daily Loads: Start a load of laundry every day—whether it’s your clothes, towels or one of the kids doing their own laundry. By doing this, you can reduce stress.
• Weekend Plan: Weekends are perfect for extra loads like sheets and towels. Plan out who’s responsible for what, and have your kids rotate when they wash their sheets and towels. For instance, my kids wash their towels when they clean their bathrooms and they rotate washing their sheets. .
• Teaching Responsibility: I’ve taught my kids how to do their laundry, from starting the machine to folding their clothes. Not only does this lighten my load, but it also makes them more conscious about wasting clothes and throwing everything into the laundry basket. This right here reduces my stress.

2. Plan Ahead for the Holidays

Planning your laundry everyday can save you a lot of stress. 

• Check Your Calendar: Look ahead to see when you’ll need specific items like guest linens or holiday outfits, like make sure those matching Christmas pj’s are washed and ready to go. Planning your laundry daily saves stress. We have gotten into such a good routine, I rarely have to tell anyone to do laundry. 
• Divide and Conquer: You can also assign specific types of laundry to certain days—like towels on Mondays, guest linens midweek, and kids’ clothes on Friday. We do this with sheets on the weekends, but everything else is mostly done during the week. 
• Enlist the Family: Get everyone involved! Even younger kids can help sort or fold laundry, making the task faster and teaching them responsibility.
• Doing Laundry While Out of Town: If you’re staying at a place that has a washer and dryer, do laundry while you’re away. Less laundry you have to do when you get home. 

Mom Hack-if I know we will be doing laundry while we are away, it less we have to pack. And it’s less laundry to have to do when you get home. 

If you’re traveling, try to finish all your laundry before you leave. I make sure most if not all of my laundry is done before we leave. I make sure my towels are washed before we leave. I also will have just about all my clothes washed and put away before we leave. Again I want less laundry when I get home. Two of my kids follow this routine, and it’s been a game changer for coming home to a manageable load. When we get home, we start a load of laundry right away. Unpack the clothes right away and start a load. I started doing this because by the time we are unpacked and settled in, that load we started is ready to be switched over to the dryer. 

3. Be Guest-Ready

If you’re having guests for the holidays, having fresh linens and towels prepared is a must. Have you stayed somewhere where you didn’t know where the towels were? 

• Stock Up: Ensure you have enough bedding, towels and washcloths for all your guests. If you’re short on extras, consider buying a set reserved just for visitors. I like to have towels and sheets just for company. Let’s be honest, kids don’t always take care of things. I also like to have some extra toiletries too for them. 
• Wash Ahead of Time: Get your linens ready now,  before guests arrive so they’re fresh and ready to go. One less thing to do the day they get there. 
• Organize for Access: Place clean linens in a basket or on a shelf near the guest room or bathroom to make them easy to find.

This saves you from scrambling and allows you to enjoy your time with your guests.

4. Manage Holiday Outfits and Extra Loads

Holiday events often bring fancy outfits, matching outfits, festive sweaters and plenty of extra laundry. Here’s how to keep up:

• Sort by Priority: Wash holiday outfits immediately after wearing them to avoid last-minute stress. Take delicate or specialty items to the dry cleaner early to beat the rush.
• Protect Fabrics: Use mesh laundry bags for delicate holiday fabrics to keep them in great condition.
• Plan for Spills: Stains are inevitable during the holidays. Keep a stain remover handy and treat spots as soon as possible. A Tide stick saved us when Isabella spilled something on her outfit right before we were going to dinner. 
• Rotate Seasonal Clothes: Wash festive towels, outfits or pajamas at the start of the season so they’re ready to wear when you need them.

By staying ahead of laundry, you can keep your wardrobe—and your sanity—intact. Isn’t that what we need?

My Thoughts

Laundry doesn’t have to be a source of stress during the holidays. With a thoughtful schedule, a little prep work for guests and smart management of holiday outfits, you can stay ahead of the pile and focus on what matters most—spending time with loved ones.

Get into a laundry routine now. We don’t stress about laundry in our home and we are never spending a day doing laundry.  I know we can enjoy a holiday season that’s as cozy in our favorite Christmas clothes.

Love,