When we first moved into our home, the washer and dryer were located in the upstairs hallway, just outside the bathroom. This is the ideal setup for an elderly couple or anyone with mobility issues. But I, being on a constant quest to make my living space appear larger, couldn’t bear squeeeeeeezing by the laundry area each time I walked to a bedroom or the restroom. So, downstairs the laundry appliances went. This decision had an unfortunate consequence, actually, a couple of them. I now have to lug dirty laundry down the basement stairs, and clean clothing, towels, and linens back up them.
On some account, this extra work counts as added exercise. I would rather get mentioned exercise in another way, with a different view. Besides, I don’t have the best track record with knee and foot injuries…I’ll spare myself the embarrassing details.
Creative Ways to Avoid Carrying Laundry Up and Down Stairs
Bringing clean laundry up the stairs seems almost unavoidable. Although, I am not past creating some type of pulley, lever, elevator system down the road. Not kidding. But for now, I’ll settle on a solution for toting all the smelly laundry downstairs. My inspiration, in this case, comes from my undeniably frugal, ever resourceful, and abundantly creative father. My mother suffered from spinal disk issues. I clearly remember a small rectangle being sliced into the floor of our bathroom closet. There on top was laid a custom-fit lid on a rope, and a long wooden rod. I was instructed to poke all my dirty laundry down this makeshift laundry chute. The clothing then conveniently descended near my mother’s washer. If only I had the foresight and compassion to actually help my mom with the laundry more at that time :'(
Discovering an Easier Way of Getting the Laundry Downstairs
My husband understandably wasn’t keen on the idea of me cheerfully drilling a hole and sawing a rectangle through our solid wood flooring. Think, think, think…there has to be an easier way to get the laundry downstairs. Then I realized I already had a hole in the floor. I actually had several holes in the floor to choose from. As luck would have it, we had an ancient malfunctioning furnace removed shortly after moving in. I noticed the 30 or so years of dusty, grungy, disgusting build-up in the ductwork and floor vents, freaked out because I couldn’t get them clean, and promptly removed them. I found some interesting objects in the process, but I’ll save that for another day. As a result, almost every room in our home has a vent cover of some type with an open floor underneath. Pre-existing RECTANGULAR HOLES IN THE FLOOR! 
Planning our Laundry Chutes
The first plan was for each person to use the vent in their individual room as a laundry chute. I tied a little rope to the vent covers to make opening and closing easier. This proved itself a disaster as dirty laundry of all shapes and sizes shot around various parts of our basement floor. I know. What was I thinking!!!! Next, we all used a large vent in my oldest daughter’s room. The benefit here was it landed right by the washer and dryer. Alas, I did not enjoy a mountain of laundry on the floor with the occasional cricket jumping out from underneath. EEEEEK! Also, for for some strange reason, my teenage daughter didn’t enjoy all the extra visits from family dumping their laundry through her floor vent.
Making the Perfect Hamper and Free Laundry Chute
Finally, we found a good compromise. I built a large wheeled laundry hamper to catch and cart soiled items straight to the laundry room downstairs. I will detail how I made the cart using things I have around the house in a later blog on this page. We use a smaller floor vent in the master bedroom. It is narrow enough to discretely keep open at all times without a cover. I lined the wall behind it with a slick piece of melanin-type material that extends down under the floor. I also surrounded the downstairs part of the chute with fabric on the other 3 sides. Doing so, allows laundry to flow freely down the chute into the basket.
Our Free Laundry Chute Solved our Laundry Dilemma
The annoying problem is solved with a little inspiration from my dad and a few-preexisting holes. To think I was going to have to dig a tunnel then dig another tunnel! Find videos of home improvement inspiration using the things you already have at The Sawdust and Cornbread YouTube channel. Until next time, when you’re done, dig another tunnel.
~Lora Lea
