Let’s face it: Most people really don’t like doing laundry. But, along with dishes, mowing the lawn, and changing baby diapers, laundry is just one of those chores that has to get done, even if nobody in particular wants to do it.

And, the larger your family grows, the more laundry starts to – literally – pile up. If you are struggling with the lifetime laundry blues and are looking for help, here are some ways to put yourself back on track toward freshly washed clothes.

Make It Fun

One of the easiest ways to try to get yourself to do laundry is through association. If you associate something fun with doing laundry, then maybe you won’t put it off until you are stuck wearing the same underwear three days in a row and hoping you don’t smell.

For example, you could put on one of your favourite albums, grab your favourite beer, cocktail, or glass of wine, or even turn it into a competition between the kids to see who can do the most laundry and reward them with some ice cream, accordingly. Of course, you could always reward yourself, as well, so let’s look at idea number 2…

Reward Yourself

Treat yourself! As much as we might like to pretend that we are super evolved creatures, humans really operate on a pretty standard reward system. Much like dogs and treats, positive feedback and reinforcement go a long way, and you can turn that to your advantage to make yourself do laundry.

If you put off that thing you really want to do until you get the laundry done and then reward yourself, you’ll be more likely to keep that laundry pile small and manageable. There are plenty of possibilities: giving yourself a sticker that goes on your fridge, letting yourself stay up a bit late to watch an extra episode of your favourite Netflix show, or getting to take a nice, warm bath with a new book.

Wear Your Favourite Outfits First

If you are still struggling with life, liberty, and the pursuit of clean laundry, keep reading. Another trick that might work is wearing all your favourite outfits first. This way, eventually you’ll be just down to outfits you really don’t like – or no outfits at all – which will put you in the position of either finally breaking down and doing laundry or wearing your 7th grade cheerleader outfit to your aunt’s wake. Please, for the sake of your family, pick doing laundry.

Pile Your Clothes Somewhere Important

Desperate laundry times call for desperate laundry measures. If you still can’t muster up the courage to face the daunting laundry task, then maybe you need to take some extreme action.

For example, you could pile all your dirty clothes on top of – or in front of – something that you really enjoy, so that they’ll deter you from being able to use it. For some, that might mean piling all of your dirty clothes up on the TV, for others it may mean covering up your favourite chair.

Sure, it’s a little mean and messy, but if you really want to binge-watch “Gilmore Girls” for seven hours, you’ll need to get up, move that pile of clothes, and wash them.

We’ll also add that putting your clothes someplace only slightly annoying might not have the desired effect here. If you just throw them in a chair that you don’t use that often or hide them in a corner, you’ll probably just end up moving them back and forth until the pile becomes a giant, unwieldy gargantuan laundry monster that one day becomes sentient and eats you. And you don’t want that!

Of course, another way to make laundry fun is to get a new Whirlpool laundry pair – one that perfectly matches your laundry habits and has new bells and whistles to make washing and drying even easier. Stop in today to see what a new washing machine and drying machine from Whirlpool can do for you, and get out there and get washing!

Amanda, Your Appliance Expert