Do You Need to Clean Your Laundry Basket?

You might not consider giving your laundry basket a thorough cleaning on laundry day. But this handy item carts your dirty clothes to and from the washing machine. So do you need to wash your laundry hamper, too?

Apparently, yes, you have to clean your laundry basket.

Think about it: your laundry basket can store your grungy clothes for days. Your dusty jeans and stained t-shirts sit in the same bin collecting bacteria and mildew before being washed. And then you repeat the process again. Yuck!

Fortunately, your laundry basket is really easy to clean! If you own a plastic laundry basket, dust the item with a cloth before using a disinfectant spray to clean the bin. Wipe the laundry basket down and make sure it’s fully dry before storing your clothes.

If you have a fabric laundry basket, you can actually throw this item in with your laundry. Make sure to wash this during the hand wash or gentle cycle at least once a week. As for wicker baskets, they can be a bit more tedious to clean. Create a cleaning solution by adding two drops of dishwashing detergent with warm water. Then, gently wipe down the material with the mixture, rinse, and allow it to dry.

Overall, you should be washing your laundry basket at least once a week. One more thing not to forget? You should also be cleaning your washing machine.