How to Buy a Laundry Basket

by mamalaundry on January 26, 2012

(Note that when I say ‘laundry basket’ I am referring to the basket I tote clean laundry around in. I’m not referring to a laundry sorter or any other basket I put dirty clothes in. I just want to make sure we’re on the same page.)

I’ve owned many laundry baskets in my life.  Some baskets were lovely and girly and some were more functional.

My personal preference?

I choose the functional laundry basket every time.

I’ve learned that in this case, functional is better and makes my Laundry Life easier.  If a super cute, practical laundry basket was on the market, I’d be first in line.  Until then, I’ll stick with my plain old drab ones that get the job done.

Mama has several criteria when purchasing a laundry basket. Here they are in no particular order:

Buy a Basket with Sturdy Handles

A laundry basket with sturdy handles is an absolute must.  I detest a basket that has handles that bend when I pick it up.  You know with 6 people living in my house that our laundry baskets are piled high and that makes them heavy.  I need a basket where the handles stay put and can bear the weight of our laundry.

Make Sure it has a Rectangular Shape

I owned a round laundry basket when I lived alone and it was fine for just one person’s laundry.  It was always a pet peeve of mine that I couldn’t stack folded clothes in it, though.  Since the basket was round, it could only hold one stack of folded towels or one stack of shirts.

It is rare that I stack a load of folded clothes in a laundry basket, but in the event that I do, I want it to be a rectangle.  A round basket is completely impractical, in my opinion.

Only Buy a Laundry Basket with a Smooth Finish

Have you ever had a basket (think wicker) that snagged your laundry?  I despise that.  There’s nothing worse than having a nice knit shirt that has been picked because it got caught on the edge of my laundry basket

I completely avoid the whole issue and buy only laundry baskets that have a smooth finish.  I’ve only found plastic ones that are smooth, so plastic it is.

Steer Clear of the ‘Hip’ Laundry Baskets

You’ve seen those laundry baskets that are curved to fit around your hip, right?  They seem like they would be a good idea.  However, if you routinely stack folded clothes in your basket, they aren’t ideal.  As with the round baskets, they just don’t stack clothes well.

Make Sure Your Basket is Vented

All laundry baskets need to have vents, even if you only transport clean laundry in them like I do.  Vents are just the little holes that are all throughout the sides of the basket, allowing the laundry inside to breathe.  Laundry baskets that do not have vents tend to harbor more static electricity. If you do use your basket for dirty laundry, it must be vented so your laundry doesn’t mildew.  Mold and mildew are hard to remove from clothing, so avoid the problem all together and just go vented.

 

Do you have a laundry basket that you can’t live without?  Tell me all about it. I’m always looking for things that would make my Laundry Life more simple.

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Examples of Real-Life Laundry Routines

by mamalaundry on January 23, 2012

Laundry Baskets Need to be Emptied

It can be difficult to find a laundry routine that works well for your family.  It takes awhile to evaluate your current way of doing things, figure out what you’d like to do better, implement your new plan and then tweak it if needed.

That can be a lot of work for some families.  It’s very worth it in the end, but I don’t want to sugar coat the fact that it can be hard to figure out the whole laundry routine concept.

I always find it refreshingly helpful to read how other people do things.  I love to see how other people store their favorite recipes or keep their floors clean or how they incorporate young children into their cleaning routines.

So I’ve been a busy bee creating a list of Laundry Routines for you to peruse.  I’ve given each of them a little description so you can easily see right off the bat if it will work for your family. There is no need for you to read a laundry routine about a mom of 6 if you and your husband or wife are empty-nesters.

Read through the routines and see if there are some you think would work for your family.  Then get you a routine in place, work it for awhile, and come back and tell me all about it!

Examples of Laundry Routines from Real Families

Welcome to Langan Land – This mom of 5 shares her best laundry secrets including not folding laundry and doing a load (or two) every day.

Malisa Price – Malisa shows a detailed look at the laundry routine of just two people.

Pretty Organized Palace – This mom of 6 shares tips on how she doesn’t sort clothes and how to kick anyone over the age of 10 out of her laundry regimen.  It’s a beautiful system she’s got here.

Mother of Fashion – This mom has good tips like washing each room’s clothes on a specific day of the week and throwing away matchless socks.  Yes, throwing away.  It’s drastic, but I’m sure it works.

Gospel Homemaking – Diligently washing 1-2 loads of laundry per day

Household Management 101 – Taylor describes her simple laundry routine and has a whole round-up of reader-submitted laundry routines.

4 Kids or More – This blog’s name obviously implies it is geared towards larger families.  Scroll through the comments for brilliant laundry routine ideas.  Some are really well-thought out.

Black Flip Flops – Now this is so smart.  This mama completely changes the way she thinks of laundry and uses it as a timer.

Homeschool Classroom – An example of a simple laundry routine where she eliminates unmatched socks.  (I see a theme here with the refusal to manage the mate-less socks!)

 

If you’re on Pinterest, I created a Laundry Routines board that I’ll update frequently.  If you need a Pinterest invitation, let me know and I’ll send you one!

 

So do you have a tried-and-true laundry routine that works for your family?  Tell us all about it and why it works.  If you’ve blogged about it, feel free to leave the permalink to your Laundry Routine Post.

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Dear Laundry Friends, I’m working on a project and need your help. Have you written about your laundry routine on your blog?  Do you have a post dedicated to how you (or your spouse or your kiddos) get the laundry washed and put away in your own home? If you wouldn’t mind my featuring it, [...]

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There is a lot of laundry routine talk here at Mama’s this week.  I’ve had a huge surge in Google traffic over the past few days, as people are searching for ways to help get their Laundry Lives out of chaos mode. If you need help with those initial baby steps of starting a laundry [...]

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