Hello ADHD Floordrobe! Time to meet you maker (that's us) in just 5 minutes at a time!
Laundry is a four letter word to most adults, but especially to ADHD Adults. Its the endless pile... the never-ending chore (not story)... because no matter how many times you do all the laundry... There. is. MORE.
So FIRST, let's give ourselves permission to always have laundry in the hamper. It's all good. Really. Then let's conquer the dirty clothes by breaking this mammoth task into smaller steps that only take 5 minutes each!
5 Minute laundry tasks tricks your brain. Five measly minutes eliminates the subconscious fear and frustration in your ADHD brain by making it a tiny bite size tasks that you know you can do and finish! This helps us get started AND feel rewarded (dopamine) along the way.
Here's our families life hack for doing laundry with ADHD by break it into small steps that each take less than 5 minutes. THE LAST TWO STEPS ARE A GAME CHANGER!!!
Gather all the laundry (AKA pick up the ADHD floordrobe).
Sort it by types/colors. Hints Below.
Start a load in the washer and SET A TIMER.
Move load to dryer.
Load a second load in the washer and SET A TIMER.
Layout clothes from dyer so they don't wrinkle.
Fold or hang.
Okay before you panic at the long list of 7 steps and all the potential piles of laundry... just take a big breath and only commit to two things. First, pick a favorite show to watch. Second, agree to pause it and work on laundry 5 minutes at at time. That's it! There are only 3 steps in the getting started phase of laundry. Super easy!! And then two steps in the middle where you really just relax watching TV. And then the BIG FINISH - last two game changing steps - where you actually finish laundry! YOU CAN DO THIS. Let's get started together, just follow along below.
A timer is going to be your very best friend. I just bought this one from Amazon and so far so good.
Set it for 5 minutes (or use your phone - though experts say this visual timer is more effective for ADHD brains) and race through Step 1. Pick up all the dirty cloths and either put them in a pile OR a hamper.
YEAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAAH! YOU DID IT! Step 1 Donezo!
See you did the first one without even thinking about it?! So let's move on to Step 2.
Set the timer again for 5 minutes, because you don't need to put too much thought into this sorting stuff. Keep it simple. Separate them into piles by darks, lights, jeans, towels, whatever your *heart* tells you... and if you think you only have the focus for 2 or 3 loads of laundry, then identify those piles and put the rest back in the hamper. Viola!
HINT: If looking at all that laundry is already freaking you out, just focus on picking out enough clothes for 1 single load. What are the most urgent items you need clean? A couple pair of jeans, some underwear, socks, and some T-shirts? Perfect! Grab one SURVIVAL Load of clothes out of that pile in your 5 minutes.
HECK YEAH! YOU DID IT AGAIN! Step 2 Donezo!
Alright one more Step and you get to go relax while you watch your show!! Set the timer for 5 minutes and then carry that load of clothes to the washer, do the soap stuff, close the lid, do the settings and then hit START.
But wait you're not quite done yet... CRITICAL NEXT STEP- SET THE TIMER with the Washer.
How much time does your washer take to do the laundry? Does it show you? Mine shows me, so I can easily now set my timer for 35 or 50 minutes depending on which settings I chose. If you're not sure, just set your time for 40 minutes to start, and then go relax and watch your show while the washer does the work for you.
Step 3 Donezo!
YOU SUCCESFULLY PUT THE LAUNDRY IN MOTION!
Please pause to dance and woop it up!!
Now go watch that favorite show snuggled up on the couch
(with your timer in tow).
Step 4 and 5: When your timer goes off, pause your show, set the timer for 5 minutes right now and THEN head to the washing machine. Why?? because if you don't have a timer on you if/when you might get distracted (who me?) you will end up in an ADHD spiral and find yourself pulling weeds in the driveway at 10pm later that evening. IF you get started on an ADHD side quest, at least you will only get lost for a maximum of a few minutes, because your TIMER will go off and bring you back to laundry reality = main mission = defeat the boss.
So, like I said... You'll move the laundry to the dryer:
FOR BONUS POINTS, you'll now put a second load of laundry in the washing machine.
If you're in Survival mode, just focus on one load and shout hurray for clean clothes!
Turn on the dryer and set your Timer with the Dryer. AND, now go chill again! Easy 50 minutes of just relaxing while you're being productive?!
*****ADHD Heaven*****
You've made it this far... and likely you're starting to get nervous because this is where your ADHD laundry goes off the rails. Historically, records show that it now lives in the washer/dryer for a week when you remember you were doing laundry, but now its all mildewed, and you have to start all over, and that's too discouraging so you say you'll do it tomorrow, but then... and yep... and thus perpetuating the cycle of no clean clothes. CUE ADHD SOBBING. :(
BUT NO MORE! Here's where we CHANGE THE GAME FOR ADHD.
You hear the dryer ding or you don't, but your TIMER goes off and you remember there's clothes in the dyer. Before you make another move, pause your show, and set the timer for 5 minutes.
Now go get the clothes out of the dryer and in 5 minutes you are going to just lay them out. Your goal here is to simply prevent wrinkles. And it's so quick and easy you can do it in less than 5 minutes. Lay them out wherever strikes your fancy! The couch, the bed, the TV, the stairs... just get them flat.
Shirts in one pile, pants in one pile, grab all your underwear and go shove them in your drawer. Grab all the socks and go shove them in your drawer.
****DING! You're done with Step 6!!!****
Example, my son's clothes slung over the back of the couch.
His jeans were still a bit damp so we spread them out to dry (he doesn't like them to shrink in dryer):
This ^^ is two loads of laundry. One Jeans and one shirts, jocks, and socks. Then he's set for the week.
So, now we bring it home with Step 7. The last and final showdown between our Hero ADHD and the Big Bad Laundry Boss. Can you guess what we do first? Set a timer for 5 minutes! Yes-sir-ee. Because its only going to take us 5 minutes to make this all appear in our closet and feel like productive adults/teens.
Grab a stack of hangers and sling 'em in those shirts, like this (vid below). For demonstration purposes I did this for my kiddo (he does his own laundry so his future partners won't hate me), and it took me about 30 seconds to put all the hangers in. It would probably take my son twice as long... so one single minute to hang up the shirts!! It's my all time most favorite ADHD Hack.
Now either fold your pants or hang them. That will take about 2 minutes and you're ready to put them all away and LIVE HAPPLY EVER AFTER IN CLEAN CLOTHES. :)
HOT TIP: Dot not underestimate the power of having a plentiful and abundant supply of hangers!!!!!!! Seriously, I can promise your don't have enough hangers. Just get some, a lot even. They are super inexpensive and can show up on your door!! Click here for some 5 Star Hangers from Amazon.
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