This Ingenious Laundry Basket Collapses to Save Space — and Has a Surprising Second Use
I’ve become well-versed in the sport of hauling around heavy laundry baskets. I don’t have a washer and dryer in my apartment, so I take my clothes to my parents’ place once a week to use theirs. Due to all the back and forth over the years, I’ve gotten picky about the kinds of laundry baskets I use. Durability and portability are of the utmost importance, and comfortable handles are a must. And since I live in a small apartment, I need one that won’t hog up my already limited storage space. After doing some digging, I found laundry bins that are specifically designed to collapse and be stored, including the SAMMART Collapsible Plastic Laundry Basket. And I only wish I’d discovered it sooner.
Hands down, my absolute favorite thing about owning this laundry basket is that it folds into itself and I can store it just about anywhere when I’m not using it. It measures 20.5″ long, making it possible to stash behind my indoor bench. But its compact size also allows it to easily go between a washer or dryer (if you’re lucky enough to have one at home), underneath a low shelf, or stacked on top of a high one.
Fully expanded, the basket is 10.5″ deep. Its upper rim and base are made of rigid plastic similar to standard laundry baskets, and the center portion is a flexible material that folds up and down. The basket is super easy to collapse as well: Just push down one side and then the other (when I tried pushing both down at once, the middle section wouldn’t always fold in the right direction).
Another reason I love this basket is because it’s so much more than just a laundry basket. Since it doesn’t have holes, it can also be used as a tub for hand-washing delicate garments. I’ve used it to hold wet clothes I cleaned with my Wonderwash machine while I was hanging them to air dry. Beyond clothing, the basket can be used as a storage bin or carrier if you need to move items from one room to another, or even from the car into the house. It’s tall and thick enough to hold ice and drinks, too, but it does have to be completely dry before it can be collapsed again. And if you happen to own more than one basket (they come in a variety of colors), they can be stacked neatly on top of each other.
I love that I’ve found a durable, small-space-friendly basket that can be used for so many things, yet can be kept out of sight when not needed. While I still have to go somewhere else to do most of my laundry, at least I know that my basket won’t be in the way once its all done.
Buy: SAMMART Collapsible Plastic Laundry Basket, $27.86