Laundry baskets come in and out of use multiple times a week in most households, making durability and practical design more important than aesthetics alone — though the two aren't mutually exclusive. A basket that looks good in the bedroom or bathroom, holds a decent load and transports laundry comfortably covers the basics without requiring a compromise.

Plastic laundry baskets are the most common and practical choice for the laundry room or bathroom. A ventilated design allows wet laundry and towels to breathe, reducing the chance of mildew developing in a damp load left sitting. Wide-opening oval or rectangular baskets stack neatly and are easy to transfer to a top-loader or front-loader without fumbling. Look for reinforced handles — laundry is surprisingly heavy when wet, and thin moulded handles crack under load.

Canvas laundry baskets with a collapsible frame are a popular choice for bedrooms and wardrobes. They fold flat when empty and store under the bed or behind a door without wasted space. A removable inner bag makes laundry transport to the machine straightforward. Cotton canvas options suit households concerned about plastic use in personal spaces.

Wicker and rattan laundry baskets add texture and warmth to bathroom and bedroom interiors. They suit coastal, Scandinavian and natural materials aesthetics that are common in Australian interior design. Lidded wicker baskets keep laundry out of sight while maintaining ventilation through the weave. Natural wicker is best kept away from very humid environments to prevent mould; coated or synthetic wicker versions handle humid bathrooms better.

Sorting hampers — two or three-section laundry sorters — simplify the pre-wash sorting process for households that separate lights, darks and delicates. Doing the sorting at the hamper rather than on the laundry room floor means washing loads are ready to run when you get to them, which saves a small but cumulative amount of time and effort each week.

Yarra Supply ships laundry baskets and hampers quickly across Melbourne and Australia-wide.