Laundry looks like the simplest job in a home care arrangement. It is a chain of handoffs. Clothes leave the bed, go into the washer, come out wet, go into the dryer, get folded, and return to the closet. Break one link and the pile grows on the chair. Write each link down before the first load.

Local option: New Plan Care gives families in the St. Louis area in-home help so a parent can stay home: companionship, help with bathing and dressing, meals, and overnight care. Call (314) 405-0887.

Before the first load

Walk through the washer, the dryer, and the detergent shelf with the person who will run them. Confirm the water is on, the door seals, and the dryer vent is clear. Find out who checks the lint trap each time, and who calls the repair company if the machine drains slowly.

Where dirty clothes go

Pick one hamper spot. Decide whether the caregiver collects from the bedroom or whether the household collects from the hamper. Write the spot on the house sheet so the next person does not have to guess.

Sorting and labels

Sort by color and fabric, then read the care label on anything new. A label that says hand wash only is a rule, not a suggestion. Decide who makes the call when a label is missing or unclear. Do not let anyone guess on a wool sweater.

The wash and the dry

Write the detergent name, the cap line to fill, and the cycle for an everyday load. Write which items go on air-dry and which never see the dryer. Tape the list inside the cabinet door.

Put-away

Folded clothes go back the same day. Map each drawer and closet shelf in one line. A shirt in the wrong drawer is a lost shirt by the next visit.

When something goes wrong

Shrinking, dye bleed, a missing sock, a stain set by the dryer: each one needs a name and a step. Decide who tells the family, who tells the agency, and what the agency's written paper says about damaged or lost items. Ask for that paper before the first load, not after.

  • Machine check done and written down
  • Hamper spot written on the house sheet
  • Sorting rule and the named person who decides unclear labels
  • Detergent name, cap line, and cycle posted inside the cabinet door
  • Air-dry list posted
  • Drawer map written
  • Damage and loss steps confirmed in the agency paper