By: Wicker Paradise – CC BY 2.0 Right now our laundry system is a little all over the place: we’re putting everything into one medium-sized wicker hamper my husband thrifted a few months ago. It’s kind of driving me crazy, so I’ve decided the solution is a double hamper — one side for lights, one side for darks. Laundry hamper designers: you’re brilliant.
But here’s my problem: everything I’ve found online doesn’t seem to be apartment/laundromat-friendly. We don’t have to walk TOO far to do our laundry, but we usually do the washing solo (sometimes accompanied by our four-year-old). Help me, Homies, you’re my only hope: do easy-to-carry double hampers exist?
Bonus points if it’s brightly colored or has an awesome pattern! I’m not the biggest fan of brown/gray/tan.
About the Author: Stephanie Kaloi
I was the editor of the now-defunct Offbeat Families, and owner/photographer at Stephanie Kaloi Photography in Portland, OR.
Comments on Where can I find an awesome double laundry hamper that’s easy to carry?
Have you considered multiple smaller, easier-to-carry hampers that coordinate and fit together reasonably well (I’m thinking square/rectangular to avoid waste space between them)? Unless your lights and darks always fill up at the same time (or you wash both at the same time regardless), it might be at least as convenient to haul only the one you’re washing that day. Maybe your laundry habits are different from mine, but we always need to wash our darks more frequently than our lights, since we have so much more dark clothing, and wear it all the time…
Alternatively, would it be possible to somehow attach carrying straps to a commercially available double basket? I’m thinking knapsack straps on the back would be pretty awesome for carrying (hands free!), and not generally visible if you kept the hamper against the wall…
This is kind of what I’m thinking of doing — I was basically going to hit up Ikea and see what they have. Right now we’re wearing TONS of dark clothing (Pacific Northwest, why are you so moody?) and our dark stuff is also typically thicker than our light, so it’s taking up WAY more space. Something hanging is a FANTASTIC idea!
They hang easily on the wall (3m hooks! Over the door hooks! Hooky hooks!), hold themselves open while hanging, and are shallow enough to not take up a lot of space so you could easily have more than one for sorting.
And, they’re cotton….which is easily dyed for custom colors.
I had this same problem last year! What I’ve found is that there are options online, but they aren’t cheap. The cheap stuff isn’t online. 🙂 As much as I hate it, I had to physically go to stores to find things. Big Lots is good for that, if you have them around. Also second the person above me: just get two that look similar. SO much easier. Something like this would look nice side-by-side. Bonus that it has handles: http://www.target.com/p/rectangular-collapsible-hamper/-/A-11677955#
We use these – in multiples even, since our family of 5 is on different laundry schedules. Generally, 1 bag full equals 1 perfect-size load for our not-huge machine. If you really hate how plain it is, you could embellish the frame!
We have something very similar, and the bags are easy to carry if they aren’t overflowing. Our laundry room is the basement of the building and if we need to do a ton of laundry we can just wheel the entire thing into the elevator and bring it down that way.
We got one of these from Bi-Mart a few years ago, and it’s definitely useful if you can think of 3 categories to sort your laundry into. It’s pretty sturdy and I think it looks a bit better in person than in that picture. It is a bit on the large side, so it can be challenging to fit into smaller rooms, and to take it to the laundromat I think you’d need to either roll it there or just take the bags.
We don’t really bother to separate darks from lights (you don’t really have to if you run your laundry on an entirely cold cycle) but my husband and I each put our laundry in a separate laundry bag with a drawstring that allows the bag to be worn across the body like a messenger bag. I can’t give you a location to buy them from, because his mother made them for us. We keep telling her she should start making them to sell, because they are really useful for carrying laundry for a distance without needing a cart or hurting your arms.
Anyway, have you considered just using a couple of laundry bags? Ikea makes some that attach to frames and then look more like hampers, but those aren’t all that easy to carry and the bottoms of them wear out too easily. Perhaps some other store makes a better product that is similar.
I use an Ikea Trofast frame http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/30171123/ complete with its bins – white for lights, blue for darks, red for reds (duh)
The bins are not very big, but they suit our laudry habits and washer size. I really love to have everything pre-sorted.
Now I was just thinking of someone only wearing red, white and black. Thus of course wearing a black and white striped top with a red scarf or beret (maybe with a baguette??). 😀
My sister gave me a Thirty-One bag that actually works really well for this. the straps are just a touch short, so you can’t wear it on the same shoulder as a purse, but you can fit a surprising amount of STUFF into this thing. It does have two compartments, but the divider is zippable, so you can make it one big bag if you like.
I would rather just BUY the dang thing because I’m not that handy, but I’m in love with the idea. Just put wheels on the bottom and you’re good on-the-go!
I have seen double (& triple) hampers that have mesh siding and that round foldy plastic framing. Sometime this style of hamper is called a “pop-up” hamper. They’re often the cheapest hampers in the store, and you can find them around college move-in time.
Here is one I found on Amazon
The downside is that they usually don’t have a top. So if you have an issue with pets getting into laundry, this isn’t a good solution.
I’ve tried 3 different 2 compartment portable laundry baskets (all from Bed Bath Beyond) they’ve all fallen apart. They were all also wide rather than high which ate up too much space.
My current system is to use 2 cheapie plastic laundry baskets and when I go to do laundry I dump them out into giant Ikea bags.
So far (a month or so?) it has been perfect. It fits right under his shirts in our closet, and he can pull one bag out at a time (horizontally!) so there’s no awkward lifting/readjusting clothes/pulling out the whole thing. We’re both pretty excited about it. Certainly not cheap, but for us, it’s just what we want/need.
I have something similar to this http://m.target.com/p/household-essentials-laundry-hamper-on-casters-with-removable-bag/-/A-14171571 and it’s fantastic. Sturdy hamper and laundry bag in one! Mine are wood with light-colored canvas bags, and the handles are thicker, as on reusable shopping bags. They also have drawstrings. When I lived in an apartment that was a considerable walk from the laundry, I would pull the drawstrings tight, throw the handles over my shoulders, and waddle over with detergent in hand.
Totally late to the party but I really love my Reisenthel laundry box ones – http://www.containerstore.com/shop/?productId=10015020 When I lived in a place where I had to trek multiple staircases to laundry these worked really well for me. They also close at the top and can stack nicely in the back of an SUV because they have the interior bag that closes and the box that surrounds it. Once you’re done you can also fold your laundry and place it back in them without them getting wrinkled or unfolded (because it’s got the box shape).
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Have you considered multiple smaller, easier-to-carry hampers that coordinate and fit together reasonably well (I’m thinking square/rectangular to avoid waste space between them)? Unless your lights and darks always fill up at the same time (or you wash both at the same time regardless), it might be at least as convenient to haul only the one you’re washing that day. Maybe your laundry habits are different from mine, but we always need to wash our darks more frequently than our lights, since we have so much more dark clothing, and wear it all the time…
Alternatively, would it be possible to somehow attach carrying straps to a commercially available double basket? I’m thinking knapsack straps on the back would be pretty awesome for carrying (hands free!), and not generally visible if you kept the hamper against the wall…
This is kind of what I’m thinking of doing — I was basically going to hit up Ikea and see what they have. Right now we’re wearing TONS of dark clothing (Pacific Northwest, why are you so moody?) and our dark stuff is also typically thicker than our light, so it’s taking up WAY more space. Something hanging is a FANTASTIC idea!
I recommend this hamper: http://www.amazon.com/Household-Essentials-Hanging-Cotton-Laundry/dp/B00013KABK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1384965797&sr=8-1&keywords=hanging+hamper
They hang easily on the wall (3m hooks! Over the door hooks! Hooky hooks!), hold themselves open while hanging, and are shallow enough to not take up a lot of space so you could easily have more than one for sorting.
And, they’re cotton….which is easily dyed for custom colors.
I had this same problem last year! What I’ve found is that there are options online, but they aren’t cheap. The cheap stuff isn’t online. 🙂 As much as I hate it, I had to physically go to stores to find things. Big Lots is good for that, if you have them around. Also second the person above me: just get two that look similar. SO much easier. Something like this would look nice side-by-side. Bonus that it has handles:
http://www.target.com/p/rectangular-collapsible-hamper/-/A-11677955#
Not pretty but I find it helpful, I pull the bags out and away I go.
http://www.costco.com/Seville-Classics-3-Bag-Laundry-Sorter.product.100042668.html
We use these – in multiples even, since our family of 5 is on different laundry schedules. Generally, 1 bag full equals 1 perfect-size load for our not-huge machine. If you really hate how plain it is, you could embellish the frame!
We have something very similar, and the bags are easy to carry if they aren’t overflowing. Our laundry room is the basement of the building and if we need to do a ton of laundry we can just wheel the entire thing into the elevator and bring it down that way.
So this guy seems to be functionally what you want, but dang is it ugggggly
Drawstring Laundry Sorter
You could probably dress it up with some fabric, but that might be more work than you want to put into a hamper.
We got one of these from Bi-Mart a few years ago, and it’s definitely useful if you can think of 3 categories to sort your laundry into. It’s pretty sturdy and I think it looks a bit better in person than in that picture. It is a bit on the large side, so it can be challenging to fit into smaller rooms, and to take it to the laundromat I think you’d need to either roll it there or just take the bags.
We don’t really bother to separate darks from lights (you don’t really have to if you run your laundry on an entirely cold cycle) but my husband and I each put our laundry in a separate laundry bag with a drawstring that allows the bag to be worn across the body like a messenger bag. I can’t give you a location to buy them from, because his mother made them for us. We keep telling her she should start making them to sell, because they are really useful for carrying laundry for a distance without needing a cart or hurting your arms.
Anyway, have you considered just using a couple of laundry bags? Ikea makes some that attach to frames and then look more like hampers, but those aren’t all that easy to carry and the bottoms of them wear out too easily. Perhaps some other store makes a better product that is similar.
I use an Ikea Trofast frame http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/30171123/ complete with its bins – white for lights, blue for darks, red for reds (duh)
The bins are not very big, but they suit our laudry habits and washer size. I really love to have everything pre-sorted.
Now I was just thinking of someone only wearing red, white and black. Thus of course wearing a black and white striped top with a red scarf or beret (maybe with a baguette??). 😀
Try Bed, Bath and Beyond. They always have something like that for the dorm section. Usually during back to school but there’s something year round.
My sister gave me a Thirty-One bag that actually works really well for this. the straps are just a touch short, so you can’t wear it on the same shoulder as a purse, but you can fit a surprising amount of STUFF into this thing. It does have two compartments, but the divider is zippable, so you can make it one big bag if you like.
I really want to build this:
http://ana-white.com/2011/03/laundry-basket-dresser
I would rather just BUY the dang thing because I’m not that handy, but I’m in love with the idea. Just put wheels on the bottom and you’re good on-the-go!
OH! That is pretty amazing!
I have seen double (& triple) hampers that have mesh siding and that round foldy plastic framing. Sometime this style of hamper is called a “pop-up” hamper. They’re often the cheapest hampers in the store, and you can find them around college move-in time.
Here is one I found on Amazon
The downside is that they usually don’t have a top. So if you have an issue with pets getting into laundry, this isn’t a good solution.
We’ve tried pop-up hampers before and they always end up tearing. :/
I’ve tried 3 different 2 compartment portable laundry baskets (all from Bed Bath Beyond) they’ve all fallen apart. They were all also wide rather than high which ate up too much space.
My current system is to use 2 cheapie plastic laundry baskets and when I go to do laundry I dump them out into giant Ikea bags.
My husband just got this Simple Human hamper after a year or so of asking for it for birthdays/holidays.
http://www.amazon.com/simplehuman-X-Frame-Laundry-Hamper-Double/dp/B002865DNI
So far (a month or so?) it has been perfect. It fits right under his shirts in our closet, and he can pull one bag out at a time (horizontally!) so there’s no awkward lifting/readjusting clothes/pulling out the whole thing. We’re both pretty excited about it. Certainly not cheap, but for us, it’s just what we want/need.
I use a car trunk organizer for my laundry. Two deep bins, collapsible, and handles on the side for easy carrying.
Here’s one on Amazon.
Something like this maybe? It’s not super attractive, but the bags are removable and it is not mad expensive. If you are handy, you could sew a cover for the frame that is fun (And then could be changed out!).
http://www.sears.ca/product/mlm-home-products8482-bronzetone-3-bag-laundry-sorter/611-000654996-BOARTL185400?campaign=rr_search_SolrSearchToView_0_0
I use three of these $10, foldable square hampers. They are small enough to stand right next to each other like a triple hamper, and you just grab the top two bars to fold together like a handle so that you can carry one in each hand. I’ve never had the ripping problem mentioned in the reviews;mine are four years old. http://www.target.com/p/target-home-folding-hamper-black/-/A-12918115#prodSlot=medium_1_9&term=folding+hamper
I have something similar to this http://m.target.com/p/household-essentials-laundry-hamper-on-casters-with-removable-bag/-/A-14171571 and it’s fantastic. Sturdy hamper and laundry bag in one! Mine are wood with light-colored canvas bags, and the handles are thicker, as on reusable shopping bags. They also have drawstrings. When I lived in an apartment that was a considerable walk from the laundry, I would pull the drawstrings tight, throw the handles over my shoulders, and waddle over with detergent in hand.
Totally late to the party but I really love my Reisenthel laundry box ones – http://www.containerstore.com/shop/?productId=10015020 When I lived in a place where I had to trek multiple staircases to laundry these worked really well for me. They also close at the top and can stack nicely in the back of an SUV because they have the interior bag that closes and the box that surrounds it. Once you’re done you can also fold your laundry and place it back in them without them getting wrinkled or unfolded (because it’s got the box shape).
I’m about a year late to this discussion, but I live on the third floor and often schlep my clothes across town to use my parents’ washer/dryer – so this thing has been a lifesaver for me: http://www1.macys.com/shop/product/neatfreak-hampers-everfresh-laundry-triple-sorter-with-ironing-board?ID=526212&pla_country=US&CAGPSPN=pla&CAWELAID=120156340000484268&catargetid=120156340000966425&cadevice=c&cm_mmc=Google_PLA_Home_Electrics_PLA-_-Electrics+-+Irons+%26+Steamers+-+GS_Neatfreak-_-46575669436_-_-_mkwid_Vrm4xMJC|dc_46575669436%7C-%7CVrm4xMJC