Looking for how to get a hidden hamper? Then you’re a smart cookie–and you’re in the right place! We’re sharing why we think everyone should have a hidden laundry hamper, as well as how we created our own design in our closet! (We’ll also share the second kind of pull out laundry hamper we have, and address whether a pull out or tilt out laundry hamper is best!)
So if you just met me, you need to know: I have “a thing” about hiding things in my home. Namely, the utilitarian things.
Not only is it smart (logical reasons below), but it’s also just too much fun. And the more that gets hidden out of my line of sight, the better I feel!🤗
This is one reason I love drawers. (But only one of the reasons!) Drawers–unlike open shelves–block you from seeing what’s inside.
I like to hide
- Trash cans (like in our entryway and our vanity)
- Countertop appliances (both in our kitchen and again, in our vanity)
- Outdoor equipment (like our pool stuff in our backyard)
- Books and bookshelves
- Our TV
Not only does “hiding” certain things in your home make good spatial sense—as you’ll see—it has a number of other benefits!
HIDDEN HAMPER STORAGE
Hide that Hamper!
So when it came to our closet remodel, I knew I wanted to find a way to make a hidden laundry hamper.
(We also hid some “hampers” in our laundry room remodel, but that’s another story!)
We’ll also answer popular questions like:
- “How do you hide a hamper?”
- “Should I get a tilt out hamper or a pull out one?”
- “How can I hide dirty laundry?”
- “Do laundry hampers smell?”
- “How wide is a pull out hamper?”
- “Where to hide the laundry basket?”
hidden laundry hamper
Why have a hidden laundry hamper?
Why not just do the usual thing and buy a cheap (or expensive, for that matter) double laundry hamper for our closet? Why not take the easy way out, buy something pre-made, and call it done? (A choice I often ask myself or Matt when exhausted.😂)
Simple. I did not want a big standalone basket in a corner or against a wall taking up space both physically and visually! (Will go into why that’s less efficient in even more detail later!)
PULL OUT LAUNDRY HAMPER
The best hidden double hamper design!
Some things, people call “hidden” that still fool no one. Like “hidden” frame TVs we all know are TVs. Like “hidden” ironing boards mounted right in the middle of the wall (ours really is hidden!). Like panel-ready refrigerators made to look like giant cabinets, but which we all know by the size are covering the fridge.
So I very much enjoy the challenge to really make the things I want to hide actually look so hidden that no one knows they’re there! (Like our kitchen pull out garbage, which I thought for sure everyone would know was our garbage but we’re constantly asked “Where’s the garbage?” so even I was surprised!)
We made ours look built in to the closet so it doesn’t stand out. It just looks like three drawers on the “His” side of our closet, but that’s where our double hamper drawer is! Yet it’s all tucked away and the whole closet looks uniform and cohesive.
Do you see it? It looks like a set of drawers but really it’s our pull out laundry hamper, hidden from anyone not in The Know! ☺️
We made this quick video showing you exactly how it looks and works!
I’ll show detailed pics of the interior below! (Minus the dirty laundry. I ran a couple loads in our laundry room before taking pics. You’re welcome.)
DOUBLE LAUNDRY HAMPER
How did you hang the hamper bags inside?
Once we determined the size of our pull out laundry hamper (based on our closet drawer sizes), we had to figure out what kind of bags to put inside…
…because there was no way I was going to be bending down digging around in these to grab laundry at the bottom of the hamper drawer!
Matt scoured the internet and found these fabric laundry hamper bags, which fit perfectly into our new built in closet laundry hamper drawer.
They have a soft rubber coating around each of the end hooks, so we left one side on and removed the other to fit more easily into the hole we created. Those holes we drilled into the inside of the pull out laundry hamper drawer, as you can see here:
And yes, I left them all scratched up to show you what six years of use looks like in real life! No Photoshop here, just pure reality! 💃🏻
PS: Wondering how to convert your cabinets or shelves to drawers? We guide you here!
We keep darks on one side and whites on the other side of our built-in closet laundry hamper. And when it’s time to take one or both of them to the laundry room, easy! We just pull them out and return to the hidden laundry hamper drawer when empty.
PULL OUT HAMPER
5 Reasons to Go Custom Instead of Standard!
Why do I like a pull out laundry hamper instead of a tilt out or standard style?
Here are 5 reasons to go with a built-in hamper instead of a pre-made or tilt out design:
hidden laundry hamper
#5: Makes Your Eyes Happy (a.k.a. Blends In)!
I’ll just come right out and say it: REGULAR HAMPERS ARE UGLY!
Even the most beautiful or streamlined one I can imagine…still looks like a hamper.
And in my world, why have a hamper out there visually when you don’t have to? 🙂
DOUBLE HAMPER
#4: Saves Your Space!
This one is HUGE—and most don’t even think about it.
A built in hidden laundry hamper saves space not just because of the laundry portion but also the area ABOVE it. When you buy a pre-made laundry hamper (many of which are also “tilt out”–don’t get me started!) and have it just sitting out in your room, you lose all the vertical space available above it! (We used ours for drawers and closet hanging space.)
DOUBLE HAMPER CABINET
#3: It’s Out of the Way!
If we hadn’t created our built in double hamper, we would have had to leave an empty space in our closet design. That would have meant sacrificing too many cubic feet of storage we could otherwise use, not to mention having it “in the way”!
This way, our hidden laundry hamper is tucked away, out of sight until we actually need it.
laundry sorter cabinet
#2: Easy to move laundry!
With our design, you can easily remove the laundry sorter bags and take them to the laundry room. Some pre-made versions do include this (like this one), so it’s possible, but not every standard double laundry hamper has this, so be aware.
Pull Out Laundry Hamper
#1: Simpler Access!
Depending on the design, the tilt out laundry hamper designs can also have less accessibility than a pull out laundry hamper! (Definitely not my favorite when you consider how many times each week, month, and year you use your laundry hamper!)
CLOSET LAUNDRY HAMPER
“What’s the cost of a tilt out laundry hamper vs a pull out drawer?”
Is creating a pull out closet laundry hamper drawer more expensive than just buying a beautiful, high-quality pre-made one?
It really depends on what else you’re doing in your closet renovation. If you’re already remodeling your closet, pre-planning a pull out laundry hamper in one of your drawers won’t be any more expensive than doing regular drawers there! (In fact, it’ll probably be less expensive because you’re using fewer drawer slides.)
I’ve seen some gorgeous, high-quality premade double laundry hamper cabinets ranging from this one at Walmart to this one at Pottery Barn, and even some up to over $300! So, again, the cost to build in a pull out closet laundry hamper isn’t too different once you’re already doing a remodel or makeover on that closet or laundry room where it’s going!
LAUNDRY HAMPER cabinet
“If I don’t want custom, which double laundry hamper cabinet is best?”
If you had to buy a pre-made tilt out double laundry hamper cabinet, I like something like this one. Especially because it has the removable cloth hamper bags, similar to ours! I also like that you can just pull out one at a time, versus some other designs where you have to pull both out. (We did our hamper drawer double-wide because of the width of our drawers that we were making it look “hidden” into!)
Or if you’re up for DIYing your own laundry hamper cabinet, there’s a detailed tutorial here! And no, hidden laundry hampers do not smell! 🙂 (At least ours doesn’t. Maybe I should say, “…not any more than your current laundry hamper does!” 🙂 I can’t speak for everyone else’s odors.😂 )
sorting laundry hamper
We have another laundry sorting “hamper” you can see!
While we’ve been showing you the main hidden laundry hamper my husband and I use while up in our bedroom or our bathroom, we technically have even more “hidden” double laundry hampers (or should I say quadruple?).
➜ In our laundry room, we designed two sorting laundry hamper drawers that you can see in our laundry cabinet setup. These are some of the hardest-working laundry hamper drawers we have!
➜ Wondering how to convert your cabinets or shelves to drawers? We guide you here!
Next, check out our 100% hidden ironing board drawer or see exactly how to maximize every inch of your closet!
- What we did to transform our kids’ basic closets to uber-functional beyond recognition!
- Our DIY hidden TV lift!
- 3 strategies to AVOID MISTAKES in your closet!
- Where we hide our spices!
- Our 7 genius laundry room must-haves!
➜ Our complete list of every single home project is viewable HERE!
