Laundry

Laundry is a new system of objects and moodlets introduced in The Sims 3: Ambitions. While it is possible to have washing machines without the expansion pack, it is useless and the dropped clothes cannot be interacted with.

To enable laundry on a lot there needs to be either a washing machine OR a laundry basket. Sims can visit the local Laundromat if their household can't afford the appliances. Sims will then often leave clothes on the floor when they change if there's no laundry basket in the room. Rooms where they change often include bedrooms and bathrooms. Places where they workout or squish fruit for nectar would also benefit from a laundry basket. Players can select a washing machine and Do Laundry which will do all the laundry on the lot and then either dry it in a dryer or hang it outside. After that, Sims can enjoy fresh clean clothes, getting a positive moodlet and fresh clean sheets. The Laundry System is entirely optional; if there are no laundry-related objects on a lot, the system will not be activated.

An alternate to the dryer would be a clothesline, which saves energy for your Sims. Eco-friendly Sims will always prefer a clothesline over a dryer. Sims using the cheap washer will sometimes get the Soaked moodlet. There are two additional moodlets from the cheap washer. These occur when trying to subdue a noisy washer, they are Victory Over Washer and Defeated by Washer. Both last one hour but the good moodlet raises their mood by 20 and the bad moodlet drops their mood by 15.

Sim can randomly find a Laundry Gnome when doing laundry using the expensive washing machine.

A common glitch is when a Sim or maid pick's up laundry from the floor and the washing machine is being used or the clothes basket is full, they will constantly pick the clothes up and drop it.

A new Laundry Set was released in late 2010. This set added the laundry system and it's associated items for users who do not have Ambitions.