Friday, April 7, 2017

On Laundry Baskets, Then & Now


As a child, our family’s laundry always got carted around the house in a basket, & the baskets were always the same color & style: white & rectangular. I managed alright with them & learned how to pack them well, & how to carry them one handed on my hip (in the days before hip hugging baskets were sold) or with both hands, when the load was larger, right in front of me. I never really even considered there being alternatives to these baskets, I had no reason to.

Then I headed to college. As a going away present, a neighbor filled a square laundry basket (it was a blue basket 😁) with lots of typical college items. I still use that square laundry basket (though not for laundry). It was a great size for me & for the purpose; I've always remembered the gesture & repaid it a few times over.

I’ve considered mesh laundry bags & sort of found my way into a formed mesh basket, or, as they're named, a pop up hamper. I use these, foldable pop-up mesh hampers. They're blue & come with a reinforced carry handle. It’s fabric, not plastic & folds away when not in use, yet can be left open & empty with a garment draped over top in the case that the garment needs to finish drying or needs to be aired out.

These are deep & can easily handle a full load of laundry. I’ve been dragging them around for years & they haven’t lost their shape or broken down. Those plastic baskets from my childhood broke down & apart much more easily & much sooner.

They each hold their purpose & I remember, after the loads would be finished from the dryer, or during those weather days when line drying worked well, after removing the laundry from the line, those plastic baskets worked well at keeping folded laundry folded & neatly stacked.

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