Internet Laundry

In a world of increasingly intrusive technologies, one sector hasn't quite wiggled its way into our beloved hive-mind.  That sector, ladies and gentlemen, is laundry.  

Where would we stand as humans in the 21st century without the ability to feverishly check the status of the things we hold closest to our naked bodies - our clothes - while they tumble round and round in seemingly endless ecstasy?  How could we live, unsure of the availability of a washer or dryer for our wet and dirty garments, longing for redemption?

It is with great pleasure that I give to the world: open source Internet Laundry.

2 - AC Optocouplers (Lite-On LTV-418H) 1 - 56K Ohm Resistor 1 - 560 Ohm Resistor 1 - 1uF capacitor 1 - perf board (prototyping circuit board) 1 - Raspberry Pi + accessories (power, ethernet, SD card) a length of 4-conductor cable. 1 - 3 pin 0.1" female header Optional: male+female polarized connectors for connecting the 4-conductor cable to the perf boards Tools: Soldering Iron Wire Strippers Screwdriver Volt Meter

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Hang a Laundry Hamper on The Back Of Your Closet Door to Save Space

If you have a small closet, a laundry basket or hamper can take up a ton of valuable floor space. Luckily, you can take it back by hanging the hamper on the back of the closet door.

This tip is obvious in hindsight, but the idea had never occurred to me. For implementation, you can buy a dedicated hanging hamper like this one for $12, or you could just hang a mesh laundry bag from the door if you don't want to spend any money (though it would be harder to open). You'll also need an over-the-door hook for this to work, but those only cost about $2. Apartment Therapy has a larger list of back-of-the-door hampers to check out if you want to comparison shop, so head over there for more info.

Small Space Solution: Back-of-the-Door Laundry Hampers | Apartment Therapy

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Keep Track of Delicate Laundry Items with a Dry Erase Marker

Not all laundry is created equal: some needs to get hung to dry, or go in a separate cycle. Keep track of which "special" items are in the wash with a dry erase marker.

Just mark which items are in that load on top of the washer, and you'll never throw them in the dryer by accident with the rest of the load.

Dry Erase Marker on the Washer | My Home Lookbook via BuzzFeed

Related Ever look on a clothing tag for laundry instructions only to find a bunch of hieroglyph-like symbols that you can't decipher? Primer Magazine… Read…

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Organize Laundry with Kitchen Cabinets

It you're having trouble keeping your laundry room organized, you can repurpose an old wall-mounted kitchen cabinet into a great laundry organizer.

This tip comes via IKEA Hackers, but the principle is applicable pretty much any cabinet. Basically, just take a set of wall-mounted cabinets and either turn them upside down, or re-mount the handles to the top of the unit so you can reach them easily when the cabinet is on the ground. Then, cut a large circular hole into the top of each cabinet so that you can just toss your dirty clothes through while you're sorting your laundry into lights and darks. Once you're ready to start a load, just open up the cabinet door and pull everything out in one bundle.

As for the shelves within the cabinet, you could either remove them to use the entire thing as one big laundry hamper, or keep a few near the bottom to stash dryer sheets, detergent, and a lint roller. You could buy something similar commercially to do the same things, but if you can find some discarded kitchen cabinets on Craigslist, this would be significantly cheaper.

Laundry Organizer from Kitchen Cabinets | IKEA Hackers

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