How to Do Laundry Step by Step
How to do laundry in 12 steps, each with a real photo: sort, empty pockets, load, detergent, dial, timer, then dry, fold and put away. Print it free or change any step.
Make the photos look like you: show a light or dark skin tone, then print or download the matching PDF.
- 12 steps
- Free printable PDF
- Editable in browser
Editor preview
All 12 steps with a real photo each, ready to customize before you print.
- Step 1
Sort Into Two Piles - Step 2
Empty the Pockets - Step 3
Load One Pile - Step 4
Add One Pod - Step 5
Set the Dial - Step 6
Set a Timer - Step 7
Move Clothes to the Dryer - Step 8
Clean the Lint Screen - Step 9
Start the Dryer - Step 10
Fold Shirts - Step 11
Fold Pants - Step 12
Put Clothes Away
Printable preview
What the free PDF looks like once you download or print it. Every toggle above updates it.
Page 1 of 2. The PDF includes every step.
Show the photos in a light or dark skin tone, and pick your layout, card size, page size and orientation. The preview and PDF follow your choice.
Laundry is one of the longest everyday routines, and it has a gap in the middle: the washer runs for an hour, and wet clothes left in the drum are the most common way the job goes wrong. This guide puts a timer step right after the washer starts, so the second half actually happens.
The washing half keeps choices small. Two piles instead of a full sorting system, one pod or one capful of detergent, and a dial set to the same mark every time. A sticker on the dial makes that last step easy to repeat.
The drying half ends with the clothes put away, not just folded, because a folded pile on the bed is not a finished job. Each step has a real photo of an adult doing laundry at home.
Eight self-care routines as full-page visual task cards for teens, with a Did I Finish self-check strip, cut-apart sequencing cards, comprehension checks, a weekly self-monitoring tracker, wallet-size mini cards, and three difficulty levels.
When to Use This Template
Use it at home, in a shared laundry room, in a supported living home, or as practice before moving out. Post the washing steps by the washer and the drying steps by the dryer.
How to Customize This Template
- Put a sticker on the washer and dryer dials at your usual setting, and change Set the Dial to name the sticker.
- If you use a laundromat, add steps for coins or the app and for packing a laundry bag.
- Split the printout into a washing sheet and a drying sheet and post each beside its machine.
- Swap any photo for one of your own machines in the maker.
Take this further with Beacon
Build, save, and share daily schedules in Beacon. Adjust them as the routine changes.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What are the steps to do laundry?
- Sort the clothes, empty the pockets, load the washer, add detergent, set the dial and start it, set a timer, move the clothes to the dryer, clean the lint screen, start the dryer, then fold and put everything away.
- How much detergent should I use?
- One pod, or the amount marked on the detergent cap for a normal load. More detergent does not get clothes cleaner and can leave them stiff.
- Is there a laundry checklist version?
- Yes. Switch the Layout toggle to Checklist and each step gets a tick box, which works well as a laundry checklist by the machine.
- Can I use this as a task analysis for laundry?
- Yes. Each step is small enough to teach and check on its own. Print the checklist and record the steps done without help.
- Can I change the photos to look like me?
- Yes. Use the Skin tone toggle to show the photos in a light or dark skin tone. The preview, the printable and the PDF all match. In the maker you can also swap any photo for one of your own.
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