Do I Need Two Laundry Baskets For Dirty And Clean Clothes

Do you use separate baskets for make clean and dirty laundry?

Follow Question
iii Great Question

Asked by keobooks (14305 ) May 28th, 2011

This is a petty thing that I'm getting bellyaching with my husband on. He insists that if yous put clean clothes in a handbasket meant for dirty clothes, you've merely made the clean clothes dingy again and need to rewash. I humored him for years, just now that we live in a larger house and have a babe, keeping the baskets all direct are a major PITA.

I've ever just used the same baskets. Simply I'm kind of a natural slob, and I come from a family unit of slobs and so maybe I just learned bad habits from them.

So I need to know—practice you use separate clean and dirty baskets?

Flag every bit...

cleaning
laundry
housekeeping

Observing members: 0 Composing members: 0

35 Answersouth

No merely that's because information technology'south a big plastic bin. If it were a material purse then I'd go along them separated between washings. Unless your wearing apparel have moist, seeping guck on them then I tin't run across why your hubby thinks the clothes go contaminated/dirty.

I employ separate baskets.

It'due south not a PITA for me, because I use my muddied-laundry basket every bit the hamper, and I keep it in a different location.

Just one handbasket takes them down to the laundry and the aforementioned basket brings them up.

No, but then I'yard non OCD.

"Moist, seeping guck"...now there's an image! Even at my yuckiest I've never had a trouble with moist, seeping guck and a laundry handbasket. If things are seeping and gucking I put them directly into the washing motorcar.
@keobooks : If your hubby is that worried virtually it, perhaps he should take on all the laundry tasks?

I don't have a laundry basket. Frankly, I have a laundry pile, on the floor nigh the bed. When laundry time comes, I option out one muddy detail with a big surface area, similar a towel, and pile a load of laundry on it. Folding the corners up into an ersatz handle, I comport them downstairs.

When the clean laundry comes out, I set that (at present clean) towel on my folding surface, fold the clothes and stack them, pulling the towel around them to bear them easily up the stairs. Clothes go in drawers, towel goes back on the rack in the bathroom. Safe, constructive, sustainable, and I don't accept to worry almost whatsoever plastic hampers or baskets, whether make clean or dirty.

No, we don't do baskets. Each person is responsible to see that their dirty wearing apparel are dumped on the floor in the laundry room, and I put them in the washer and dryer, and so fold them and divide each pile. Each person so goes to the laundry room and picks up his own pile of apparel.

@JilltheTooth That's what information technology's come downwardly to—sort of. I told him that from now on, if it'south so of import to him, I'll lie about using split up baskets to humour him. If it bothers him, he tin can do all his own laundry. He said it would bother him, so all the laundry in the house is clean except for a big pile of his stuff.

I thinking either eventually, he'll practise his own laundry or he'll terminate being and then picky. Beingness a slob, I have no problem waiting it out and letting the laundry pile abound. The merely thing that really ticks me off is that I swear I've seen him fish out a "cleanish" pair of pants from the pile. And now I'thou baffled. To me, fishing out something from a big pile of muddied laundry is way worse than wearing something clean that was in a "muddy" basket.

From seeing the answers here, I'm thinking maybe it's more of a cultural upbringing matter (or an OCD thing) than a logical thing.

Split up baskets because the one for dirty clothes is similar a bin and use the regular rectangular or circular ones for make clean dress to fold or fe. I tend to be on the OCD side, simply still I don't see why y'all wouldn't use the same basket since muddy wearing apparel (unless heavily soiled) do not transfer the dirt onto the plasctic handbasket.

However, I understand your husband and run into no reason why yous shouldn't accomodate with something that seems important to him. It really isn't a big deal and it will brand him happy!

One basket.

@Porifera – I would think that anything the asker describes as a "major PITA" would be counted as "a big deal," at least to her.

Anyone who's got information technology made by having someone else practice their laundry shouldn't complain.

@Porifera I humored him for years, but with a bigger house and a crawling baby, it's getting too much. I accept been CONSTANTLY doing laundry now because babies are just piffling laundry making machines. And it's difficult to keep track of all the baskets—or god forbid we run out of the official clean baskets and I have to stop everything even though there are plenty of "dirty" baskets available. it

It's not a huge matter, but its one of those footling annoying things that is getting to me after all this time. Besides, since I quit working to stay at home for a year, for some reason, this laundry nitpicking thing just gets to me.

@laureth Right! In that instance she should compromise simply never disregard the importance this has for her hubby —afterwards all she says she comes from a family of slobs and well-nigh probable he doesn't.

I don't apply 2 baskets. I put a clean piece of cloth over the same basket. Or I merely give it a wipe.

@keobooks I understand.
I guess I was just talking for myself. Since for me it's comforting to be totally organized and I am very methodical, information technology is easy for me, it comes natural…but if it's such a major PITA for y'all, so either do what you feel or endeavor talking to him about this some more.

If something gets enough muck on it, information technology gets hand-washed starting time. Both the And then and I employ linen lined baskets for storing dirty laundry, and neither of us accept given a idea about using a carve up one for clean laundry only.

I was simply going to propose that he either have over the responsibility of doing it all or just his ain, only I now see that information technology's been covered. A sis'south husband started doing his own several years ago, and it seems to be working out but fine.

I have a dirty clothes basket, and a really muddy wearing apparel handbasket (exercise clothes). Clean clothes are usually in or on the dresser.

@Porifera Ahh I'm extremely disorganized and sloppy. I've ever merely barely scraped by at keeping house—and sometimes not that much. Information technology'due south always been hard for me to practise things in whatever sort of methodical manner. Information technology's hard for me to keep stuff directly on a normal level and calculation this special request that isn't totally necessary is just an added burden.

I think the real bargain is that if "stay at habitation mom" was a regular job, I never would have practical for it. I'd never get hired for it and if I did slip through and become the job, I'd become fired for incompetence in housekeeping. I thinkt overall, this is getting depressing for me to be constantly working at a chore I suck at (cleaning—not being a parent0 and it gets to tme that at that place have been times I've been proud of myself for FINALLY finishing the laundry, and I take hold of him re-washing everything because I didn't do information technology right—or I did it right but put it in the wrong basket.

How well-nigh this. Take ii identical t-shirts (or whatever) and wash them. Carry ane upward in a "clean" basket, and bear the other up in a "dirty" basket. Inquire him if he can tell the ii autonomously.

Like @Neizvestnaya said, unless the "dirty" basket has something as bad as a wet mud pile (or babypoop) in it that actually defiles the make clean clothes, I cannot tell how someone would discover the deviation, and I'd be interested in hearing if @keobooks's husband can.

If, equally I suspect, it'due south not actual physical clay getting on the clean clothes, merely something more akin to metaphysical, bad-basket-karma ickiness, well, at least yous'll know.

@keobooks Well the problem here isn't only a laundry basket or two, it'southward the overall keeping of the house. This can be a major effect between a couple, specially when one comes from a very organized house. I sympathize with y'all and the just thing I tin can think of is that you should tell him all this y'all have and then clearly explained here, he has to make an effort to understand where y'all are coming from in reagrd to house keeping and either relax his ways or at least be very agreement, specially now that you accept a baby in the business firm.
What works in my household is that anybody tries to do what is less annoying or burdensome for them. Similar I would do the dishes but do not like to put them abroad. I would iron a mountain of clothes simply practice not similar folding shirts.

@keobooks : I, too, am a slob, from a long line of slobs, and I'm grateful that I didn't accept a husband when KatawaGrey was a baby because it all speedily went to hell. The infant intendance trumps all else. My baby was clean and well cared for, I was mostly clean, and the rest was just not important plenty for me to worry about. I really don't want to sound harsh nearly your husband, but information technology sounds like he needs to pace up a chip because infant care is exhausting. You lot already take your hands more than full with that.

Now is the perfect time to discuss your husband agreeing to set aside money to bring in someone at least once a month to make clean in a way that would make him comfy. Ask him to sit with you and make out a list of stuff he wants around the house that he thinks should fall nether your jurisdiction. Look over the list with involvement but merely to become his perspective and not at all to feel information technology's all your job to get done because you're at dwelling full time.

I'1000 telling you, if he tin can swing it or put in a few hours of overtime to go far happen so having someone else come and thoroughly make clean floors, bathtubs, showers, inside windows and upholstery will make the residuum more bearable. You don't accept to exist a good cleaner in order to have clean and sloppy people don't have to become a load of passive ambitious shite.

My hampers and basket are one-way streets: wearing apparel go in when heading for the wash. When clean laundry comes out of the dryer, information technology gets folded and put away right then.

When I used to carry everything to the laundromat on pes, though, I had a large wheeled basked lined with a green trash bag against mud splashes, dirty snow, etc. Make clean folded laundry went right back in at that place for the trip home. I was on my own, with no i to complain or criticize me, and I was fine with that.

Nonetheless, I don't accept the lettuce out of a plastic bag, wash it, and put it back into the same unwashed bag. To me that would be like getting out of the shower and putting on the same underwear that I merely took off.

This is besides funny… I feel the same style every bit your husband! Merely I don't have plenty room for iv laundry baskets in my little apartment. I do, however, decline to put sure make clean laundry on the bottom of the laundry basket. For example, sheets cannot go along the bottom, neither can any pjs, but jeans tin can because I wear them exterior. I may exist a little OCD.

Besides, what'southward PITA… hurting in the ass??

@SamIAm

I think PITA means, People for The Inethical Treatment of Animals. ;-p Or it could mean, Hurting In The Ass.

Nosotros talked. He doesn't listen my terrible housekeeping because he says I do a smashing job of taking care of our girl. I should mention that he does more than his fair share of housework. I remember it'southward mostly me who feels bad. Information technology just feels especially bad when I get Ane thing washed—laundry—and he redoes it.

Right now he's installing all the baby gates in the firm and he gave my daughter her nightly dose of anti-gas medicine. He also cleaned out the back of my car this evening and watched her for a few hours so I could get a intermission for once. I recollect I'one thousand just going stir crazy.

It is skillful to see that people do it both ways. This means that neither one of us is totally weird and we simply grew up differently.

@keobooks Prissy to hear you brought up the subject to him. Nothing beats practiced communication.
You say you are going crazy and it'due south understandable. I have no children and therefore would be the terminal person suitable to give you any communication on motherhood. But i thing I constantly hear from my sis and girlfriends is that they wish they had taken it easier with their first child and tried to enjoy it to the fullest without worrying likewise much. I know…easier said than washed, merely thought I'd let y'all know in case you needed a reminder :)

No, merely I have certainly pondered this issue more than once over the years. For the tape, I have OCD and I have a scrap of an obsession about germs. Being a biologist on peak of that hasn't helped much, either.

Anyway, my solution was to try not to think likewise much almost information technology.

Yes! Because in one case your dirty apparel take been in a bin, yous dont desire to put your clean ones in it do y'all? I always utilize ii seperate baskets.

How dirty practise my dress get at my historic period? Mainly soil and grass stains on the knees and some tomato sauce spots on a shirt.

Same handbasket for all.

My clothes don't get THAT dirty then I tin can't imagine whatever dirt transference from unclean wearing apparel to handbasket and THEN from basket dorsum to clean apparel (unless there were lice or flea eggs involved).

Absent whatsoever parasite problems or a auto mechanic husband with grease all over his wearing apparel, I merely don't see the demand for separate everything. Too much effort. Likewise little real benefit.

But it's nice to hear that your nubby seems to have his priorities directly and realizes that taking skillful care of a human beingness (the child) is far more important than objects (article of clothing).

I also think having him exercise his own clothing is the perfect solution. At least it saves the attempt of doing everything twice.

If having his dress put in the same basket bothers him on some sort of emotional level then acknowledge his right to have information technology the style that information technology'south comfy for him and allow him to do it that way. Just he should be the one doing it.

Presumably, whatever happens to yours or the child'due south clothing doesn't bear upon or bother him. So that's the best solution all around.

Babies are far more important (and deserving of your energy) than clothing is really the bottom line here.

I dont use seperate or dissimilar baskets or bins, having 4 kids I utilize whatever I can go my hand on (toy bins, plastic tubs ect), but I am a wipie lover and I simply so happen to wipe the baskets or whatever I used out whether clean clothes or muddied dress simply came in or out of em.

I only really clothing one clothing set, so I don't get many dirty dress. I'll modify merely if I go them wet from swimming or something like that (because I dont want my undergarments showing through).

Response moderated (Spam)

Respond this question

This question is in the General Department. Responses must be helpful and on-topic.