Laundry

Laundry is a new system of objects and moodlets introduced in The Sims 3: Ambitions, making it possible to use the washers and dryers from The Sims 3 Store and The Sims 3: Town Life Stuff. The laundry feature is also available in The Sims 3: University Life, though there is no clothesline available. Since World Adventures includes a decorative-only, non-functioning clothesline, confusion can arise if both World Adventures and University Life are installed, but Ambitions is not.

The Laundry System is entirely optional; if there are no laundry-related objects on a lot, the system will not be activated. To enable laundry on a lot, there must be either a washing machine or a laundry basket. Sims can visit the local Laundromat if their household can't afford the appliances. If there is no laundry basket in a room, Sims who change clothes in that room will often leave clothes on the floor.

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 an a clothesline. Clotheslines save energy, and eco-friendly Sims will always prefer a clothesline over a dryer. After that, Sims can enjoy fresh clean clothes, getting a positive moodlet and fresh clean sheets.

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 positive moodlet raises their mood by 20, while the negative moodlet drops their mood by 15.

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

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

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