How crucial is your laundry hamper? It can make or break your plans to control clutter.
A good one offers a convenient place to dump dirty clothes at the end of the day. One that’s awkward or difficult to access, on the other hand, may encourage you to leave your clothing somewhere else: in a big pile on the floor.
“The design aspect is important, because you’re doing a tedious job — and if it looks better and functions better, that makes things a little easier,” said Ann Lightfoot, a founder of the New York-based organizing company Done & Done Home.
Choosing the best option involves many considerations, Ms. Lightfoot said, including how much space you have, whether the hamper will be left out in the open or hidden in a closet, and how far you need to lug it to get to a washing machine.
But there are more, and better, products available than ever. “Remember those plastic laundry baskets with the handles that cut into your hands?” Ms. Lightfoot said. “Well, they’ve improved on those.”
Butterfly Laundry Hamper
Cotton-and-polyester hamper with bamboo frame
$72 at MoMA Design Store: 800-851-4509 or store.moma.org
Marie Kondo Shoji 2-Section Bamboo Hamper
Bamboo hamper with removable cotton canvas liner
About $200 at the Container Store: 888-266-8246 or containerstore.com
Rosa Storage Basket Hamper
African hamper and lid woven from plastic strips and millet grass
$185 from Connected Goods: connectedgoods.com
Jute Laundry Basket
Coiled jute basket with contrasting stitching
About $35 at H&M: 855-466-7467 or hm.com
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