The Laundry Quandary

Most people either love it or hate it; I don’t think there is an in-between when it comes to laundry. I hate it. While it is unclear when this avoidance began, it is an unsolved dilemma in my life to this day. I have tried every tactic to trick myself into believing that I actually love washing clothes, but to no avail.

For a short period of time many years ago now, I refreshed my wardrobe with new clothes as I needed them so I wouldn't need to do laundry as often. While it served as a temporary reprieve, it became all too apparent the the pile of laundry was simply increasing rather than diminishing. A few loads became a mountain! It did not give me the peace of mind I so desperately sought

Finally, I gave up fighting and looked at ways to deal with this great mountain of laundry. I felt too overwhelmed to tackle it on my own so I called for help from a friend. She happens to fall into the "love-it" category and didn't mind lugging some bags of dirty clothes home with her to wash. I was greatly appreciative since I really could not have done it at the time. It was impressive to see all the clothes that filled the closet and there was so much choice. I was determined that this kind of backlog would never happen again.

I was able to maintain a regular laundry schedule for quite a while. A habit is, however, NOT formed in 20-30 days as the researchers claim or I fall into an exception category. A stressful situation or exhaustion will cause me to fall off-the-wagon and the laundry accumulates once again into an unmanageable heap. There are times I’d rather wear no clothes at all than have to wash them. Somehow I don't believe I am the only one with this struggle, although many might not admit it.

It’s not that I wear dirty clothes, although I will wear them more than once. I will spot-clean or hand-wash them before I’ll take a whole load to the washing machine. I also won’t let laundry sit in the dryer…oh no…once it gets into the machine it WILL get put away and hung up in the closet. So, the psychological breakdown happens between the dirty clothes pile and the distance to the laundry room. It is a commitment of time if a public laundry is used because you can't just leave a load in the washer till later when others are waiting to use the machines. Perhaps it is simply that it is not as exciting an activity as some other things in life and therefore it is easier to procrastinate.

And so the dilemma continues…I keep hoping for an epiphany that will change it all one day. Until then, the laundry takes on a life of its own awaiting someone who will take control and find a way to win this war.