Some people find doing the laundry to be relaxing, while others dread it with every fiber of their being. Unfortunately for those in the latter group, it’s an essential part of being an adult. It’s also a massive time suck, especially if you have a large family or are sweating through workout clothes several days…

For one thing, it cuts down on the time it takes to sort laundry that needs to be washed separately. If you have a dedicated hamper for each category right from the get-go, you can presort your clothes and linens and stop wasting valuable time separating everything on laundry day. We suggest having one hamper for whites and another for colors, or perhaps a dedicated hamper just for your delicates.

If sorting isn’t a concern, you can also use two hampers to prevent germs and bacteria from contaminating freshly washed garments. Think about it: Why throw your just-laundered clothing into the very same hamper that was full of dirty laundry an hour ago? Instead, keep one hamper in your bedroom to collect dirty clothing to carry to the laundry room, and then another in the laundry room itself to return the clean clothing. This can help ensure that your clean clothing doesn’t absorb any of the dirt and odors left behind.

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Depending on your lifestyle, there may be other reasons to own multiple hampers. For example, if you work a physically demanding job and your clothes often get dirty, you might consider placing a dedicated hamper in the entryway so you don’t have to wear or carry soiled laundry further into the house. This is also a great tip if you have children who like to run around outside and get muddy. It may be worth putting a hamper in the laundry room for towels, too, especially if you wash those at a different frequency than the rest of your clothing.

Of course, the more laundry hampers you own, the more places there are for germs to fester. This is why it’s important to invest in hampers that are easy to clean. Plastic hampers are great for this reason, as you can easily wipe them down without damaging the material. There are also hampers that come with washable liners, so when laundry day rolls around, you can just remove the liner and wash it along with everything else.

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