Why I have a hamper in my kitchen

Also hello and welcome to my blog.

Though this is my first blog post, I decided that rather than a more straightforward post introducing myself (hi, I’m Heloise and my blog is called Happy Heloise) and telling you what I want to blog about (cleaning, cooking, and organizing as easily and painlessly as possible), I’d just jump right in and get started. Essentially, I’ve decided to run my blog the same way I go through Target: spending 45 minutes in the organizing section “assessing” the storage bin selection and butting into people’s conversations to tell them why they absolutely should buy a Squatty Potty.

My mother has always been outspoken about having our washer and dryer in the kitchen, citing practicality and the fact that “it’s the European way” (normal reason to do anything). We always had a basket on top of the washer for “house laundry,” and I never really thought much about it. Then I moved out, lived in several apartments, and for some reason, never adopted a similar practice. Each night, I walked my dish towels into my bedroom or bathroom LIKE AN ANIMAL. But for some reason, at the ripe age of 31, something clicked and I realized that kitchens make laundry, so there should be a kitchen hamper! I brazenly stole one of my mom’s extra baskets, bought some over-the-door hooks on Amazon, and now, I have a kitchen hamper. And folks, there’s a reason I’m starting my blog off writing about a basket on a hook on a cabinet: it is a game-changer.

Gone are the days of moldy dish towels in with my fancy lady silk top! More importantly, I no longer have to walk 25 feet to throw something in a basket and I’ve never been happier. But before you run out and plonk a basket in your kitchen because some random lady on the internet said so, here’s some friendly advice:

• Use something easy to clean that can be either thrown in the washing machine or washed in hot water. You will thank me when you get behind on laundry and the damp cloths get straight gross.

• Avoid a container that will sit on the floor. As a rule, kitchens shouldn’t have a ton of stuff lying around on the floor. Dirt gets under it and you have to move too much to clean the floor often.

• Opt for something with a rim and holes. I strongly recommend you embrace kitchen laundry being visible and don’t try to hide it under a lid or behind a sign that says “bless this mess.” Dish towels and other cleaning rags get damp, sometimes plain wet. You want air to be able to get in there so you don’t have a mold farm on your hands! Also, if there’s a rim, you can get dirty towels out of the way by putting them on the rim to dry.

So, that’s it. I know some people may have read this and thought, “Duh lady this is common practice.” But if I didn’t find a ton of entries on Pinterest and there are people out there living without kitchen hampers, don’t you want them to know? If you do have a kitchen hamper, what type of container do you use? What do you think about a washer and dryer in the kitchen?

You can find the Ikea Variera I use here (technically it’s a trash can, but it works!), and you can find the hooks I use here.

Thanks for reading!