HOW TO TURN ANY BASKET INTO A LAUNDRY BASKET & HOW TO PICK THE PERFECT ONE
If you have ever spent an exorbitant amount of time wondering why is it so hard to find cute Plastic Wicker Laundry Basket that don’t cost an arm and a leg, this post is for you. I was so sick of our ugly plastic hamper taking up precious space in our small bathroom, it was time for a change. I just had no idea sticking the tag ‘woven hamper’ onto a basket would make prices jump $80+.
How to Pick the Perfect Laundry Basket
Some baskets work better than others for hampers, something I didn’t think much about until I was looking for ‘the one’. I definitely was the weirdo in Target hauling baskets to the towel section for testing, (I folded them all back!) but to save you the same fate, here are some quick tips.
Low or No Handles
Handles that stick over the lip of the basket will get in the way of the laundry insert fitting tightly. Go for handles that are cutouts in the basket sides or handles that pull away from the basket lip.
Tight Weave
The tighter and stronger the weave, the more towels your basket can take. A galvanized metal basket is going to be the strongest, while a sewn rope basket is going to flop everywhere and lose its shape. Some woven baskets come with interior reinforcements for display- keep those in!
If your laundry basket will be in your bathroom, I highly suggest getting a synthetic fiber or sealed metal weave. The constant humidity over the past year has been weakening the shape of our natural fiber basket, so into the closet it lives now.
Size
If you’re shopping online for baskets and don’t know what size to look for, compare product dimensions with other light string with decoration. A good starting point is 18-20″ tall for standard hampers.