The Reason Laundry Baskets Have Holes Isn't What You Think

According to a 2015 survey by The Bureau of Labor Statistics, we spend a reasonable amount of time each day performing the task of laundry — 17 minutes a day for women and five minutes a day for men. After you've washed, dried, and folded your laundry, including towels and clothes for the entire family, have you ever pondered this age-old question: Why do laundry baskets have holes in them?

Truthfully, this question hasn't been something that has kept us up at night until now — because the reason may not be what you would think, now that we've found the answer. Interestingly enough, per Apartment Therapy, woven laundry baskets were popular before the mass production of plastic laundry baskets. But as it turns out, these holes in plastic laundry baskets serve a few essential purposes that aren't just purely decorative! Read on to find out the story behind the holes below.

Laundry baskets can be filled with clothes and therefore be heavy. If you're schlepping up several flights of stairs to get to your family's bedrooms over multiple levels in your home, then the weight of these baskets can make a difference. According to Patric Richardson, author of "Laundry Love: Finding Joy in a Common Chore," holes were added to plastic laundry baskets to keep them lighter (via Apartment Therapy). But there's another important reason why your baskets have holes in them. Back strain isn't the only issue — albeit, it's an important one.

Per Home Decor Bliss, clothes contain moisture when dirty (from sweat) and when clean (from the heat of the dryer), so the holes in a basket can help this air get out with ease. The outlet points out that this moisture could create the perfect home for mold and mildew, and the holes can fix this issue. Home Decor Bliss also advises washing your plastic laundry basket at least once a month with a cleaner such as Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day Multi-Surface Cleaner Spray. The Spruce agrees that laundry baskets with holes provide plenty of ventilation for clothes and come in a range of popular styles. We don't know about you, but we can now be at ease knowing that the holes in our laundry baskets keep mold and mildew at bay and are lighter on our backs, too!