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A laundry basket is a declutterer’s best friend. It’s a great tool for piling everything in one place and hiding it in a closet. Done!
Just kidding. I’ve never done that. Nope, not even one <insert nervous laughter> Please stay away from my closets.
In all seriousness though, a laundry basket really can be your best friend while decluttering. It’s saved my sanity in a few different ways.
Decluttering
Laundry baskets are a great tool to use when sorting through and decluttering a room.
If you’re anything like me, working on a space can sometimes lead to running all over the house. My mind seems to think that decluttering is a fun chance to perfect my running around like a chicken with her head cut off imitation, and at this point, I’ve got it mastered.
Organizing the kitchen used to mean I’d be running to my bedroom, to the office, then up to one of the kids’ rooms, and pretty much all over my house putting items where they belonged. Before too long, I’d be exhausted, completely sick of the process, and feel like I had little to show for all of my hard work because the kitchen looked pretty much the same. That’s completely demoralizing!
When I decluttered my bedroom a couple weeks ago, I used laundry baskets, and they saved the day.
Instead of running all over the house with different items (or piles!), I filled a basket with things that didn’t belong in my bedroom. You can use one basket for all move to another room items or you can use a separate basket for each room. It really depends on how much stuff you have. Using multiple baskets, however, will get the sorting done at once, whereas using only one may require you to sort through that basket again at a later time.
Having a basket to put all out of place items allowed me to stay in my bedroom and sort through it quickly. I didn’t have to run through the house and end up overwhelmed because every room is disorganized. I could focus just on the task at hand, which was already overwhelming enough!
Once we’re done working, we’ll take the basket(s) to their correct rooms.
Sorting
Another great way to use baskets is to label them with either keep, trash, sell, or donate. (I shared these free labels earlier in the week.)
Decluttering means some things just have to go, and having a place to put items that will soon be exiting our lives is extremely helpful. It contains them and prevents them from getting mixed in with the keep pile.
Supermarket House Sweep
When I was younger, I used to watch a show called Supermarket Sweep. It’s rather ironic given that I hate to grocery shop, but maybe that’s why. The real thing was never as exciting!
In the show, contestants run through a grocery store as quickly as possible filling their carts with various items, and this is what we should be doing in our homes.
I’m not going to lie, clutter is creeping back into my newly cleaned spaces, and I know why. I haven’t yet come up with a plan for maintenance. I can see my recently cleared dresser slowly growing a new pile, and it’s all because I haven’t yet adopted new habits for keeping the space clean. It’s too easy for me to change in front of my dresser and throw my clothes on top. Mt. Emily is almost reborn, but laundry basket’s going to swoop in like Superman to save the day. (Henry Cavill Superman. He’s my favorite.)
The Super House Sweep is when we dash through a room as quickly as possible, grabbing everything that’s out of place, and throw it in our baskets. If you can do this is a cluttered room, more power to you! I’m going to use this to maintain areas I’ve already decluttered. This will prevent those piles from regrowing and getting out of hand.
I’m sure there are many more uses for laundry baskets, but these are the three that have been really helpful in the decluttering process so far. What’s your favorite way (other than laundry!) to use laundry baskets?
I’ve always used a laundry basket. This sounds like fun, haha maybe I should try it!
I was just thinking about getting rid of all of my laundry baskets. Great tips !
Thanks, Amanda 🙂
I use laundry baskets as key tools to declutter my room. I have baskets all around my room to “keep,” “donate,” or “throw away” to get me to actually go through my things. Thank you for sharing!
It’s so helpful, isn’t it!
I have heard this before, and it really does sound awesome, to just have a container to hold all the stuff that doesn’t belong where it is, but I have a feeling I would make a habit of just hiding the basket! I have a hard enough time of not putting clean clothes back in the empty hamper as it is, ha!
Emily, your so right I use it too ! It’s so much easier and fast way to declutter
I do this all of the time. It really does help!
great idea, I have always made a giant pile, sorted to little piles then brought piles to their rooms. I already have
Title baskets I put the kids laundry in (so they can put them away) when I fold laundry at night.. I bet they would really speed the process. 🙂
That with the basket is a good idea, as it is lightweight when not used for the drying rack but is empty. So you can drag it for hours:) Somthing on wheels would maybe even be better! Like the little wagons the room service always has:)
Something with wheels is a really good idea!
be careful then you have several laundry baskets that you can’t seam to find time to separate. Then more clutter because they get stuffed, procrastion .
Very true! The baskets should be used as a tool to organize not a storage system for more clutter.
Laundry baskets are great for the mad-dash tidy as company bears down on you. Thanks for posting. Hello from Busy Monday.
Very true! (I may or may not have a master bedroom full or baskets and boxes as I type for that very reason.) 🙂
I rarely use the laundry basket because it’s usually full of laundry but I do use a storage box, so same-same really :o) I just have to be careful not to leave stuff in the box and actually put it away. *sigh* This is the perfect topic for Two Uses Tuesday and I’d love you to link it up!
Ah yes. I am the queen of the laundry basket grab everything that’s out of place mom’s coming in ten minutes run! http://moderncolorstwo.blogspot.com/ Great post!
Supermarket Sweep!! I LOVED that show! And I also hate grocery shopping… maybe there’s a connection there 🙂 These are great tips!!! I just bought 6 laundry baskets from the dollar store to sort laundry, this is another great use for them! Visiting from Pinworthy Projects!
I have a large twine bag that I use for the same purpose, great tips! Thanks for sharing
This is my Monday morning routine! Decluttering. Laundry basket is essential. Great tip!
Saw this on Pinterest, great 3 reasons and great tips. I’ve decluttered several times but things do just seem to creep back. I like the idea of a quick sweep to gain control again.
i totally agree! I have several baskets and have been using them in my current decluttering projects to sort – keep, donate, trash.
I use laundary baskets in the same way, so not do an osca winning headless chicken impression! I also have one by the back door in the summer months with things like sun cream towels wet wipes kiddies sunhats etc so I can keep it all in one place for the sunny afternoon in the paddling pool, thus saving another headless chicken moment backwards and forwards getting all the essentials. And tidying up at the end of the day takes seconds
I desperately need to start tidying at the end of the day. I feel so much better waking up to an organized home.
I use a laundry basket to sweep through the house room-by-room. Toss everything in that belongs elsewhere, and put away anything from another space that belongs where I am. It takes two passes to complete, but when done, your basket should be ready to return to his laudry servitude. 😉
Great tip!!
I’ve used laundry baskets for years to declutter. One of the best uses for them. Another tip a friend shared with me is to have a box sitting in a closet or basement or where ever. Things you no longer want put in the box. At the end of 6 months if you don’t need the items any longer then donate the box and start over. This has been a great way for me to keep my house “cleaned out”.
Such a great tip, Karen! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Maybe I should consider this. I always end up making huge heaps in the middle of the room and then try to take care of each individual pile one by one. It is hard and messy especially in my small apartment. I’m always dropping things across the journey or the piles just stay there fore a few days in the middle of the room until I get tired of looking at them haha.
I just ordered K&C Housewares Small Laundry Basket, White, 6-Pack at Amazon.com.
Thank you for the inspiration.
Yay! I can’t wait to hear how they work out!