Whether you do laundry at home, take it to the laundromat, or a shared laundry room, organizing and streamlining it starts with the hamper. Hampers placed in convenient areas where you tend to remove your clothes, like the closet or the bathroom, keep dirty clothes off the floor and contained in one spot.
image via Restoration Hardware
A great option, if you have the space for it, is one that's divided into two or three sections {one for lights, one for darks, etc}. This option saves time on sorting since it allows you to simply throw your clothes into the appropriate sections as you take them off.
3 section laundry organizer $39.99
With the same idea in mind, you can get multiples of the same hamper one for each section you want. {Tip: rectangular (as opposed to round) ones are best for this purpose as they make better use of space when arranged side by side.}
L: Set of Two Hampers with Liners $54.95: R:Folding Hamper $18.95
To minimize struggling while transporting the laundry or to avoid transferring clothes into a separate laundry bag, opt for a hamper that's not too heavy and you're comfortable carrying or one with a built-in removable bag {like the one pictured below right}.
L: Woven Nylon Hamper $39.99 R: Crazy Linen Hamper : $89.95
I'm loving this one {shown below} in classic black and white stripes from Etsy seller FlauraDesign, which has hook and loop fastners that make the bag easy to attach and remove.
P.S. She also has a cute yellow and white striped one -check out her shop here.
If you're short on space, use one that will take advantage of vertical space like those that hang on a door or hook. To make it easy to deposit dirty clothes, use something like this for your drawstring laundry bag {pictured below left}. You can also make your own by using an embroidery hoop as seen in the photo below right from Martha Stewart.
L: Overdoor Hamper + Laundry Bag $23.98 R: image via Martha Stewart.com