Hidden Tasks: Executive Function & Laundry

Photo by Sarah Brown on Unsplash

The stereotype of laundry challenges is how to pick the right setting on the washing machine so you don’t ruin your clothes — shrink them, turn them all red, or whatever.

But that’s a matter of knowledge.

The reality is, that most laundry struggles are not about knowledge, they are about executive function. And because of this stereotype, many people who struggle with executive function spend a lot of time berating themselves for their laundry challenges when those challenges have nothing to do with picking the setting on the washing machine.

Here’s the breakdown of tasks for washing and drying laundry:

1. Decide whether or not clothes need to be sorted by color and/or material (reds, whites, etc.; silks, woolens, etc.; towels, underwear, rags, etc.).
2. Sort the laundry.
3. Put the laundry in the washing machine.
4. Select the correct cycle.
5. Add the correct amount of detergent.
6. Push start.
7. When the cycle is complete, switch the laundry to the dryer OR hang it to dry.
8. Hit start (if using the machine).