Dirty clothes are never ending, so no matter the size of your household, you’re bound to spend a fair amount of time doing the wash. That’s all the more reason to make your laundry area as pleasant and functional as possible. An organized laundry room can help make laundry day far less stressful and even cut the amount of time it takes to get the chore done. Here are some of our best laundry room organization tips and tricks that can help make your laundry area work better for you.
Start with cleaning out the space
Before you take on laundry room organization, take a good look at the area you’re currently using to do the wash. Because space is always a premium, it’s a good idea to declutter the area. So, ask yourself, what haven’t I used in a long time? If it’s a basket, a shelf or even laundry detergent, if you’re not using it, it’s taking up precious space.
Think about workflow
Workflow is a buzzword used to describe the order in which you do things, and it’s an important consideration when it comes to the laundry room. So think about how you like to work. Can you reach the detergent without having to move? Is your folding area close to the dryer? What can you change to make things work better? An efficient workflow minimizes effort and steps.
Add laundry room wall organizers
Walls, even if small, are a great way to add functionality to your laundry room. When you use the walls for storing things, you get items up off the ground and open up the space. Things like irons, drying racks, brooms and mops are great things to store in laundry room wall organizers that can be mounted to the walls.
Add laundry room cabinets
Laundry room cabinets are a great way to hide items from public view. When hung over a washer and dryer, they make great storage spaces for laundry detergents, stain removers and dryer balls.
Add laundry room shelves
Laundry room shelves are one of our favorite ways to add functionality to a laundry room. One popular hack is adding a do-it-yourself shelf above the washer and dryer that can also double as a folding space. Another clever move is adding shelving by using a wire door rack over the laundry room door. It’s a great way to maximize space when tackling small laundry room organization.
Use baskets for like items
Whether you have laundry room cabinets or laundry room shelves, you can use small baskets or plastic bins to keep like-items together. Great candidates for baskets and bins include detergents, cleaning products, dryer products, clothespins and hangers, etc. Besides helping out with storage, brightly colored bins and textured or fabric baskets can add visual interest to your laundry room.
Label things
Labeling everything might seem like overkill but it’s incredibly helpful when other people use your laundry room besides you. It’s a great way to make sure things go back to the same place, and it’s also helpful if you have room enough to keep clean clothes baskets for different family members. Labels have come a long way since the simple punch out style. In fact, some labels are very attractive and can be used to help perk up the room.
Clean the laundry room regularly
Our how-to’s for whipping your laundry room into shape are handy, but if you don’t stay on top of it, all of your organization efforts can be lost. It’s important to sweep and mop the floor of your laundry room weekly, taking care to wipe down the tops of your washer and dryer to keep them free of dust and detergent. While you’re cleaning, take time to make sure things are in the right place and that you’re stocked up on laundry supplies for the coming week. It may take a bit to get used to laundry room maintenance, but you’ll appreciate how well your area functions and the time you can save during the busy week.