How to Organize a Laundry Room
/I asked my readers to tell me non-laundry related items that are stored in their laundry rooms. I got such a variety of answers: paper towels, lightbulbs, margarita machine, wrapping paper, bug spray, and the list goes on. One commenter said it perfectly, “laundry rooms are the ‘junk drawer’ of rooms.” How true! Because laundry rooms differ so much from home to home, it can be difficult to find effective storage solutions. Using my own laundry room redesign experience, I will give you applicable tips for getting your own laundry room organized.
Our laundry room…
remodel gave me the opportunity to evaluate exactly what I needed to store within the space. My laundry room doubles as the pantry and isn’t much larger than a closet so it took quite a bit of planning to get the room just right. I’m going to focus on the laundry room section, but if you’re interested in my pantry organization, you can read that post here. You may not be remodeling your laundry room but the method I used to plan our space will be beneficial to planning your own storage.
It can be hard to visualize the best use of your space so I recommend drawing things out. Start by listing everything that needs to be stored in the room: laundry supplies, cleaning supplies, mops, rags, sewing kit, etc. Then, draw your cabinets and shelves and start planning the best place for each item on your list.
Evaluate items…
that are currently in your laundry room. Some items may make more sense to store in the basement or garage. Get rid of any products that you no longer use or any expired products—that’s right, cleaning products expire!
Keep laundry detergents and stain removers at eye level—easy to see and grab. Store stain sticks, laundry bags, and other small items in a basket so they aren’t toppling over or cluttering the shelf.
I recently made the switch to wool dryer balls instead of dryer sheets. I keep them in the dryer all the time. There’s no longer a need for dryer sheets—saving me time, money, and shelf space!
I hang dry…
most of our clothes. My husband is 6’6” so it’s pretty imperative not to risk shrinking his clothes in the dryer. I used to have a standard collapsible drying rack, but it was always in the way and I was constantly moving it around. Inevitably, I would run out of space on my drying rack and just have wet clothes hanging on hangers from door frames. With the redesign we made use of every inch and were able to squeeze in a built-in drying rack. You can check out our system here. It’s one of my favorite things in our home—perhaps I spend too much time doing laundry.
Previously…
our laundry room had a trash can, recycling bin, laundry basket, and a dog food storage container taking up floor space. Each bin was the same size, had a uniform look, and slid nicely underneath a shelving unit. It looked nice enough and I would recommend the same solution to anyone out there with a similar set-up. However, once I had the opportunity to build-in the storage, I jumped on it. Pull-out ‘trash’ bins keep these items easily accessible while still hidden behind a cabinet door.
Cleaning supplies…
are often stored in the laundry room. Mops, brooms, and vacuum cleaners can be unsightly stored out in the open. Try finding space to contain these items. I removed all the shelves from one cabinet so mops could stand inside.
Store rags, sponges, and other small cleaning supplies within baskets or bins to keep the shelves neat and organized. Set cleaning bottles in a single row so that it’s easy to find what you need and track what you have on hand.
A designated place for everything…
will keep the room orderly. If your laundry room collects coats and bags, install hooks. Are shoes piled up on the floor? Add in a shoe tray.
Laundry and cleaning supplies aren’t pretty to look at, so ample cabinet space was the focal point of my design. If you have open shelves, organize supplies in matching bins to keep the room looking great.
