Foundation #2 - Laundry - The 8 Foundations of Homemaking
- May 11
- 6 min read
The 8 Foundations Of Homemaking is the framework I use to improve my family's life at home as an intentional homemaker. 🏡
Creating a home that's comfortable, functional, and a wonderful place to be starts with understanding what each of the 8 foundations of homemaking are, so you can explore the topics related to each focus area. This is how I've been able to enjoy homemaking and see real progress in improving my family's life at home.
In this blog post, we're talking about the 2nd Foundation of Homemaking, which is "Laundry". Let's talk about different topics that are related to this aspect of homemaking! 💕
Foundation 2) Laundry
The 8 Foundations of Homemaking
This is how I've been able to improve how I manage laundry without getting overwhelmed with all the details of taking care of the clothing and fabrics in my home. Even when laundry used to feel like a constant battle of frustration, I realized that by focusing on one related laundry topic at a time - laundry quickly became much easier to manage!
The key to improving how you manage laundry is to improve your education of different laundry related topics.
When I first starting trying to get better at taking care of the clothing and fabrics in my home, I felt lost and intimidated. Almost silly! Because, well, it's just clothes, right?! But I could never seem to keep up with laundry tasks, my clothes didn't always feel or smell as nice as I wanted them to, and I had no idea if I was even doing things the "right" way.
There are a variety of ways fabrics show up in our home, so understanding this foundation of homemaking is essential to managing them all.
Managing laundry as an intentional homemaker often requires us to spend a little bit of time educating ourselves on some key laundry topics that might feel unclear to us. Improving your knowledge will not only give you confidence as you're managing laundry, but it will also give you the ability to make your own informed decisions about how to BEST manage laundry in YOUR home.
Because intentional homemakers know how to ask themselves the right questions and make choices that are a good fit for their own family. 👍
Topics Related to the Foundation of "Laundry"
When you're working to make positive changes to your life at home using the 8 Foundations of Homemaking framework, you'll want to consider which topic you want to focus on within the foundation of homemaking you're improving.
The topics in the foundation of "Laundry" provide education on laundry topics that make it easier to keep the clothing & fabrics in your home clean and comfortable!
The more you know, the less intimidating laundry feels.
The fun thing about this foundation of laundry, is that it includes ANY topic related to clothing and fabrics. Which means it's not just about keeping fabrics clean. (Though that is a big part of it!) Topics in each one of the foundations of homemaking can be closely related or loosely related, so there's more than just "washing" tasks you can do to focus on "laundry" in your homemaking.
So when it comes to "Laundry", what are some of these "topics" you can learn about?
Examples of topics related to clothing and fabrics:
Laundry Routine
Laundry Detergent Types
Laundry Additives
Keeping Towels Fresh and Soft
Managing Children’s Wardrobes
Folding Towels and Clothes
Bedding Fabrics and Styling
and more!
Knowing the topics related to "Laundry" and diving into the areas where you feel you need more education makes it more fun to choose which options and methods you'll use in your own home. My Intentional Homemaking guide includes details and information about the options you have!
You can read about all the topics, questions, and ideas related to the foundation of "Laundry" in my Intentional Homemaking Guide here! 👇
Questions to Ask - Related to "Laundry"
Intentional homemaking is all about making decisions that are a good fit for you and your family, so you can create a comfortable, enjoyable life at home. When it comes to laundry, it can be hard to know what kinds of questions to ask because you don't always know what you don't know!
That's why, in the 8 Foundations of Homemaking framework, the questions I include also come with educational information that you'll need to know in order to answer the questions!
It's difficult to know if you're making the right choices with laundry when you don't know what your options are or you don't feel comfortable with all the aspects related to taking care of clothing and fabrics.
When laundry feels manageable, you'll have a routine that works well for you, your laundry will stay fresh and clean, and you'll see laundry as an aspect of homemaking you feel confident in, rather than overwhelmed.
Here are some examples of questions you can ask to improve your homemaking as it relates to laundry! 👕
(When using the 8 Foundations of Homemaking framework, you can type or write out your answers to questions. This brainstorming process helps you process your thoughts, helps you not lose ideas, and gives you a list to refer back to when you want to make more improvements or changes.)
Questions to consider:
Which brand and type of laundry detergent would be a good fit for your family?
Which laundry additives can you use to enhance your laundry routine?
Are you familiar with the settings on your washer and dryer?
Which fabric types for bedding are the best choice for you? What are some different ways you could style your bed?
Do you have aprons that you love for cooking and cleaning?
Paired with the information in each topic, the "Laundry" section in my Intentional Homemaking guide acts as a homemaking laundry manual - but with options and tips! This makes focusing on laundry more fun because you can make better informed choices.
✨ Let me give you an example of one of the topics in the foundation of "Laundry" and how you can use the question along with the educational information to make choices that are right for you.
Let's take the question: Which brand and type of laundry detergent would be a good fit for your family?
There are many different brands of laundry detergents to choose from, so understanding the different types will help you choose one for your home. You can research the pros and cons of each type to select the best choice for you.
Here are the most common laundry detergent types:
Liquid Detergent - Good for food, grease, and oil stains
Powder Detergent - Good for dirt and outdoor stains
Laundry Pods - Good for convenience
Detergent Sheets - Good eco-friendly option
When you choose a laundry detergent brand that's going to be a good fit for your family, you'll want to consider these factors:
If you have a high-efficiency washing machine (which uses HE - high efficiency - specific laundry detergent or smaller amounts of regular detergent)
The types of stains you will be pretreating the most regularly
Your preference for scents and fragrances
If you should be using a fragrance-free or free & clear detergent for sensitive skin types
If you would like to use an eco-friendly brand that is free of synthetic chemicals
When I took the time to sit down and actually consider my family's specific needs, I was able to come to the conclusion that I wanted to use a free and clear, liquid laundry detergent or my family. Your family's needs might be different, so it's good to know your options!
We often carry on laundry habits that our family used while we were growing up and never end up actually learning what our options are. Researching your options is one way to establish new habits or make new choices for your own home as a homemaker.
You can also try out different options! Testing out different detergent types will give you an even better idea of what you like to use and what works best for your family's needs.
When you identify what your personal priorities are in a laundry detergent, it will help you find and choose the best one for you. THEN you can look at brand options to see what fits your priorities best - rather than just grabbing whatever looks familiar to you or just using what you see everyone else using.
Here are some popular laundry detergent brands you could consider as you start your search: Tide, Persil, Downy, Arm & Hammer, Seventh Generation, Earth Breeze, All, Gain, etc.
Facing my initial discomfort and unfamiliarity with laundry topics has helped me grow as a homemaker and feel more confident in my decisions! 💜
There are so many more topics, questions, and ideas that I share in the 8 Foundations of Homemaking framework. If you're ready to create a life at home that's comfortable, functional, and a wonderful place to be - download my "Intentional Homemaking Guide" to get started!
✨ Download the guide here: https://www.thehomemakerlifestyle.com/intentional-homemaking-guide
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