Problem Solved

So one of the long-standing vices in my marriage has been over laundry. Don't get me wrong, it's not been a huge fight and really I've conceded much over the years. Nevertheless, as an aside, don't ask my husband about ironing and how inconsistent and horrible I am at that!! I'm still growing in this area. And he has been very, very patient with me. So we all have our strengths and weaknesses.

However, when it comes to my husband putting clothes into the hamper, there have been some problems. It's not that he doesn't get them in there, it's that he doesn't put them in the right one. Now I can kinda see how it could be confusing. We have two and they're never the same. It's not that the right one is always whites and the left is always darks. And for that I am to blame. It's just whatever gets in there first begins that pile and it stays that way until laundry day. I haven't seemed to have a problem with it much, occasionally I can get it wrong, but maybe that's because I'm usually the one starting the piles anyway. But often, the darks hamper will end up with whites in it and vice-versa and I wonder to myself how this can happen when a mere glance would show what clothes were supposed to go in there.

Of course I'm much more invested in the laundry since I'm the one who does it and so I'm sure my poor husband, who has worked all day and comes home to a brood of boys all swarming all over him, is just simply trying to get his clothes in the hamper as he changes after work and doesn't always think to look. Okay, I can give him that. And I am so thankful that he gets them in there for the most part and doesn't strew them all over the house. But I did scratch my head over this for years trying to figure out a solution to the problem since extra sorting on laundry day is not my favorite thing.

Well, through a stroke of providence, I have found the solution to the problem. Recently, our old hampers were so tattered (I had them since my college days) that we needed to get new ones. I went to Bed, Bath and Beyond in search of new hampers to adorn our closet and carry our clothes for the next five to ten years or so. There were the cadillac hampers so nice, plush and sturdy and there were the Pintos that looked like they might last a day, at least in our house. I was looking for more of a Honda. Nice looking, sturdy and affordable but definitely in for the long-haul. Anyway, I found what I was looking for and immediately realized they'd also solve my sorting problem.



Now isn't that nice!!! Now after a long hard day, all my hubby has to do is look at the color of the hamper and throw his clothes in accordingly. It's been working beautifully and all of us, myself especially, are so thankful for the new hampers. It's amazing how a little change can help so much!! Now if only I could come up with a little trick for getting myself to iron. Hmmm...I'll have to think long and hard about that one! Maybe in another five years, I'll find a solution to that one and my poor, wrinkled husband will rejoice. Maybe, just maybe.