laundry musts for moms

ok, so who really likes to do laundry?? not me! i think my laundry basket (aka, our loveseat) is always full of laundry when my mom comes over to watch ethan... but i'm thankful to have a family that needs their laundry done. i'd much rather be doing laundry for them than to not have my sweet family!! in the last couple of months, i have discovered two wonderful, wonderful laundry helps... i'm just a little excited.

the first is oxiclean baby. it works just like the regular oxiclean, but it's dye-free, fragrance-free, etc... and does it ever make your baby clothes poop-free!!!! it is wonderful. i can dissolve some in a bowl in the bathroom, and throw poopy clothes in there to soak, and even a few days later (i know... i shouldn't leave them that long, but i just told you that i hate to do laundry!), throw them in the wash, and those white onesies are white again! the only time that i have to wash them twice is if i forget to soak them right away... another thing that works if i don't want to soak them is to just wet the clothes and rub some oxiclean on them. i haven't used the baby spray yet, but i may order some online. that would make my life even easier!! i've also been pouring a scoop into the washer as a detergent booster. with ethan's clothes, i've been rinsing them twice just to be on the safe side... but it's pretty free of everything that would aggravate his precious skin. (i was using the regular oxiclean, but i think it was too much for his sensitive skin.) anyway, i have found this the cheapest at target, though all they have is the 1.5 lb. tub. apparently, you can join oxiclean's "clean club" and get free shipping for their products. i am going to call and check on that... anything that saves me a trip to the store this time of year sounds good to me!!

a few weeks ago, i was stupid and threw all of ethan's clothes in as one load...with a few new RED outfits i'd bought (finally!! something that's not baby blue!). of course, a sock turned pink, as did most of a soft precious handknitted white blanket. i was planning on soaking them in tide (this must have been before i bought the oxiclean baby...), but my friend carrie told me about shout's color catchers. thank you, carrie! i had not heard of them, but now i see them in every store. they look like dryer sheets, and you just put them in the washer with your clothes. it soaks up all the loose dye that comes from new clothes, or whatever would otherwise become the staining culprit in your washer. they work GREAT!!! this is a great find for this mommy who loves red on her little boy.

so now laundry is more of a challenge for me... will the stain come out? how pink will that color catcher be when the load is done? i know, i'm a dork. but i'm a dork in really clean clothes!! now if i could just find something that automatically folds my clothes...

anybody have any other laundry secrets? i'd love to hear them.