16 Practical Life Lessons From Doing My Laundry
Qualifications: 20+ years of experience
There are lessons hidden in the very fabric of existence if we just take a second to find them. I’ve found many in the mundane task of doing laundry. The following are the first 16.
1. If you leave it long enough it will start to smell
I do my laundry at home, but I don’t have a dryer. When I forget I’ve done a load and it’s been sitting all damp in the machine for half a day, it starts to smell. Bad habits follow a similar pattern. The longer you leave them there, the more they start to stink. It’s best not to leave them there too long. The earlier you dry them out the better.
2. Stuff builds up
A common issue I used to have when I got busy with life was sorting out and folding my clothes. It would all build up until I had so many clothes to be sorted that I had nowhere to sit down in my room. I relate this to personal problems. Having a few that need sorting out is fine. But if not addressed, they build up until you reach a breaking point. I’ve learned it’s best to sort them out as they come and keep your life decluttered.
3. Don’t wait till it’s too late
It’s always better to be prepared. If you neglect doing laundry for too long, you may find yourself in a situation with no clean underwear. That realization when it’s reached the tipping point is what pushes you into panic washing. Similarly, you should always plan and be prepared as best you can in life. You don’t want to procrastinate on important things and have a nasty wakeup call one day that forces you into a stressful situation. Be disciplined and conscious and you’ll always have fresh underwear.
4. Get help when it's important
When you go for a wedding or have an important occasion, you may send your nice clothes to the dry cleaners because they do a professional job. Likewise in life, as nice as it is to do everything yourself, some things are best left to the pros. Do what you can, but it’s ok to ask for help when you need it. Be resourceful but humble enough to get assistance when needed.
5. We should be grateful
I grew up in Uganda when most washing was done by hand. Machines that do your laundry haven’t been around that long, so we should be grateful for the advances in technology that have saved us so much time. As a reflection of life in general, washing machines and dryers are a reminder of all the things we should be grateful for.
6. Learn not to shrink under heat
I hate buying a shirt that fits, putting it through the washer and dryer to then have it shrink into a crop-top. Clothes made of cheaper quality are more susceptible to shrinking when heat is applied. Likewise, in life, we should aim to build the mental strength and qualities to withstand heat and pressure from others. Being able to deal with stressful situations is something we should all strive to learn.
7. Everyone has their own capacity
There are all kinds of washing machines. Some are heavy-duty, some can do a 15kg load and some have an inbuilt dryer. The capacities and capabilities of each machine differ, but they are all fundamentally useful to us. This applies to human capacity too. We may have different abilities, talents, and characteristics, but fundamentally we all have the potential to contribute to society and live a purposeful life.
8. We shouldn’t waste our lives
Water, time and resources are precious. So it’s a complete waste of a load if you just wash a pair of socks. Likewise, we humans have the capacity to do so much. Why waste our time doing the bare minimum when we have the potential to do so much more? Let’s not waste our lives. Let’s be purposeful.
9. Only let others know when you are done
The washing machine doesn’t alert you mid-wash. It only makes a sound once it’s done to let you know your load is finished. One of our problems in life is being all talk and no action. Telling people your plans and ideas is ok but can be counter-productive because it makes you feel good without having done anything. Instead, if you show someone something once it’s done, it’s much more impactful and worthy of recognition.
10. It’s important to know your wrinkles
A wrinkled shirt can ruin even the nicest outfit. We all have wrinkles, our flaws. It’s important to know where your wrinkles are so you can flatten them out. Ignoring these wrinkles and the beauty of your soul doesn’t shine through completely. However, if you take time to reflect and identify where they are and try to fix them, you will become more attractive to those around you.
11. Water is very important
You need water to wash clothes. You need to drink water to survive. Washing clothes without water doesn’t work. Neither does life without enough water. Stay hydrated guys.
12. You can’t avoid aging
No matter how well you treat your clothes, they age. With each wash, they lose a bit of life. Some fade, some tear, some get stained. No matter the quality, you can’t avoid it. We humans age too. Some of us live beyond a century while others don’t make it that far. Treating ourselves well can help extend our lives but we will all pass on at some point. The important message here is that we should live a purposeful life. That pajama top we have had for 15 years may look shambolic but it’s still comfortable and has lived a fulfilling and meaningful life. We should be like that.
13. Multitasking isn’t practical
You may try to save time by washing your clothes, carpet, curtains, and beach towel all in the same load. But different items require different attention and methods of washing. That’s what multitasking is like. We may think we are good multitaskers, but unless it’s something as simple as listening to music while we walk, we shouldn’t try to juggle so many things at a time. Focus on each thing and give it the attention it deserves and you will be more productive.
14. Sometimes rain will ruin things
If you don’t have a dryer and hang your clothes outside to dry, you’ve likely had a situation where rain came and soaked your clothes. Life is like this. Some situations are avoidable, but others are out of our control. When setbacks come, we should just take them as learnings and start again. Things won’t always go as planned, but that’s ok.
15. Life changes (your wardrobe too)
Your first batch of laundry won’t consist of the same clothes as your last. Your wardrobe changes over time, as you grow, your tastes change and you give some away. Change in life is a guarantee. There’s no point trying to hang on to the same things for your entire life. Times change, situations change, and you change. We need to be adaptable and be accepting of what life brings us. We can hold on to some things that are important to us but, it’s ok to let others go.
16. The 20/80 rule
This may not apply to everyone, but we use 20% of our clothes 80% of the time. We don’t use every single item of clothing and just rotate. The load we do usually consists of the same main clothes that we shuffle between, while other items are barely used. This can be because they are for special occasions or different weather, but they are used much less.
A lot of our possessions are like this. We use the same things over and over again for 80% of what we do. We don’t need to become minimalists and throw away most of our stuff, but being conscious of what we actually use and need can help us get rid of the things that clutter our lives.
That’s all for now folks. Stay tuned for the next 16.
