What’s in Your Laundry Basket?

I am sure you all have a laundry basket. After all, a laundry basket is a must have for doing laundry. But how many of you use your laundry basket for more than laundry? All of you I am betting! Think about it, a laundry basket is the perfect size for carrying supplies to school for a room mother class party. They are great for taking the puppy to the vet, and they always make a great bridal shower gift filled with household supplies.

Finding the Perfect Laundry Basket

Personally, I think a laundry basket is so useful! I have several of the white, rectangular plastic variety and I use them to death! For a while I used a wicker laundry basket to keep throw pillows in so they would be close by while we were watching television. However, with young kids in the house a wicker laundry basket on the family room floor did not last a very long time! But I still think a lined wicker basket with a soft blanket in it is the perfect prop for taking newborn pictures.

Okay, getting off track here. What we are looking for is the perfect laundry basket. Like I said before, I like the standard plastic laundry basket that has been around for decades. I like them because they are sturdy and easy to clean if they get dingy. Plus, when you fold clothes, stacks of towels fit nicely in a laundry basket like this which makes it nice so you can easily carry them to the bathroom to put them away. I do have one plastic laundry basket that isn’t my favorite and for a crazy reason. It is almost too tall to fit under my dryer. I tend to put the basket in front and then open the door. The door doesn’t clear this laundry basket. I know – silly, I can move the basket out of the way. But after doing something a certain way for years it is hard to change.

Those are my preferences when it comes to a laundry basket. But everyone does laundry different so I looked at a few different options and found there are quite a few choices when it comes to finding a good laundry basket. I guess I usually zone in on the type I like when I am buying a laundry basket and don’t even see the others. But I am sure some of the other options could be a perfect laundry basket as well.

What to Look For in a Laundry Basket

So, as I was looking I realize that different types of baskets fit different types of laundry needs. For instance, if you need to take your laundry far to do wash then laundry bags can be a great choice. You can throw the laundry bag in your car or just sling it over your shoulder and head to the laundry center to do your wash. This would be the perfect laundry basket for college students or even for someone to take to the gym for their sweat cover clothes and towels.

You can also find a laundry basket that combines the standard plastic laundry basket with the convenience of a laundry bag. These laundry baskets are more like a tote with handles. They would be nice because since they are more rigid you can put your clothes and laundry soap in them. A laundry basket like this would also make a great beach tote – like I said before, you can use a laundry basket for almost anything!

For someone who wants to be able to sort their laundry as they go, then laundry carts might be the best choice. As I have looked, these carts are awesome! You can sort your clothes into different bins so they are ready for the laundry. There are even ones that have different colored canvas bins so you can teach your kids how to sort their own laundry as well.

One of the coolest laundry room projects I have seen lately is one where they take a deep shelf unit and arrange the shelves to a laundry basket fits perfectly on each one. So it is like having a laundry sorter right in the laundry room. I like this idea because the baskets are there for you to put everyone’s laundry in when it is folded and then they can take their laundry basket and put everything away.

Just a note - if you want to find great laundry room ideas, and ideas for just about anything you can think of, check out Pinterest. Oh yeah, my new addiction! The nice thing about Pinterest is you feel crafty and like you have accomplished so much just from pinning stuff to your boards - lol!

Okay – so we have established that everyone needs a laundry basket. Maybe you won’t use your actual laundry basket for carrying laundry, but I am sure you will find a handy use for it!