Love it or hate it, laundry is an essential task to keep your household running smoothly. If you tend towards the “hate it” side of the spectrum, consider for a moment how your laundry room is set up. If it’s disorganized and messy, it might not be the chore itself you dislike, but the space in which you do it.
An aesthetically pleasing, well-organized laundry room is freeing and can make this mundane chore feel almost zen. Proper organization can make even a small space seem expansive and make cleaning clothes a more pleasant experience. If a chaotic laundry room is driving you nuts, a proper organization overhaul can restore your sanity.
You might even end up loving laundry after you implement these strategies!
Have a Home for Every Item
One of the biggest contributing factors to laundry room chaos is a lot of clutter in a fairly small space. You need storage for your detergents and fabric softeners, places to dry clothes, fold clean clothes, and separate fabric that needs cleaning. Piles of laundry are going to give you a headache and make you less inclined to want to tackle them, which in turn will make the chore that much worse later on.
Thankfully, having a home for everything is an easy step towards a beautiful, organized laundry room.
Baskets for storage
Consider the various things you need to have on hand in your laundry room, from hangers to detergent and everything in between. Are they sitting in their boxes and cartons, or heaped in a corner for when you need them? Having dedicated spots for each item you use daily eliminates clutter and ensures you know exactly where things are when you need them.
You can even utilize an empty basket specifically to catch all of the stuff you pull from your pockets pre-wash. This way you can ensure no coins, receipts, or other miscellaneous odds and ends land in your washer.
Shop baskets
Glass bottles and jars for chic laundry room organization
When you buy fabric softener or detergent, consider moving it into a glass jar immediately. This not only looks better than a big plastic jug, but it’s also a visual reminder of how soon you’ll need to buy more.
Shop jars and bottles
Laundry Room Shelving
From clean clothes to the storage solutions I mentioned earlier, laundry room shelving can turn clutter into comfort. Wooden shelves like bamboo are light and beautiful, while wire racks are waterproof, durable, and often adjustable.
Add a free-standing shelving system
Free-standing shelving systems are movable, often adjustable, and you can usually find one to fit any space. They’re great because they require no permanent installation and can be taken out easily. With proper utilization of these systems, you’ll have very little wasted space and a huge upgrade to your organization.
Make use of slide-out drawers and shelving
A key component of completely using a small space is fold-away or slide-out drawers and shelving. Shelves and drawers that fold up or tuck under other furniture are great ways to dramatically increase storage capacity.
You should also consider shelving that includes a variety of sizes for easier storage. Being able to adjust your shelving with a variety of sizes gives you room for other storage solutions. Because these areas are often not huge, organizing a laundry room is about maximizing the space available to you.
Organizing Your Laundry
The thought of separating laundry by person, color, and wash instructions can be daunting. A few storage items and hacks can streamline this process and help make it part of your laundry routine.
Washer and dryer pedestals with pull-out shelving
Elevating your washer and dryer is great for your back, and these pedestals can also serve as storage. Pull-out drawers under your appliances are another great way to fully utilize your laundry space.
Use collapsible hampers
Collapsible hampers can be easily stored on shelves or behind shelving units when not in use. Having them out of sight is a great reminder of a job well done, and frees up more space in your laundry room.
Use a slim roll cart for in-between machines
If you have space between your washer and dryer, a slim roll cart might be a good fit. It’s a great way to make use of a small space!
Invest in hanging storage
With a few easy-to-install hooks or a tension rod, hanging baskets turn wall space into storage. Keeping things up and out of the way is essential to smart laundry room organization.
Drying Your Laundry
Not every piece of fabric can go straight into the dryer. In fact, using air-dry methods is better for the environment and your clothes. That said, air drying can start to make things seem cluttered fast. So here’s a few tips on how to dry your laundry but keep things organized.
Hang your drying racks to keep them out of the way
There are plenty of collapsible drying racks that work great but they take up a lot of floor space when in use. Consider a hanging drying rack to get it off the ground and give you more space.
Invest in a hanging mesh drying rack
If you have a lot of clothes that need to air-dry flat, mesh drying racks are lifesavers. They take up minimal space when not in use, and can be hung from a simple tension bar.
The nice thing about tension bars is they don’t require any special tools or permanent installation. They go up where you want them and can handle clothes for drying or impromptu organization. Any sort of bars you can hang up with help greatly in keeping your laundry room organized. Plus they also make steaming garments a snap!
Reusable dryer balls vs disposable dryer sheets
Dryer sheets do their job well, but they’re not exactly eco-friendly. Dryer balls are durable, last for years, and can be scented with your favorite essential oils.
Low on space in the laundry room? Consider an ironing blanket
These little space-savers go on any flat surface and take the place of an ironing board. You can even drape them over your washer or dryer if you don’t have any other flat surface in your laundry room.
Laundry Room Tool Organization
From stain remover to garment mending, a lot is going on in your laundry room. Keeping spray bottles, stain sticks, and sewing sets accessible makes your job much easier.
Hang a pegboard wall to keep things up and out of the way
Pegboards are easily customizable and exceptionally useful for storing all manner of tools. You can rearrange them as you need, and they fit on often under-utilized wall space. You can even add shelving if you’re so inclined.
Mounted storage organizer in laundry room
If your laundry room doubles as your cleaning closet, a mounted storage organizer is perfect for brooms and mops. It keeps them up and out of the way, and it looks extremely organized as well.
Attach flat-backed wire baskets to the machine’s exterior
Flat-backed wire baskets attach easily to your washer or dryer and provide even more storage. Attach a few magnets to the back and they’re easily moved to go where you need them.
Laundry Room Aesthetic
Your laundry room can be a very cute and cozy spot in your house. The difference an aesthetically pleasing space makes when doing chores is huge. A laundry room filled with plastic jugs and cardboard boxes just looks like a place for chores. Change your space and you’ll change your mindset!
Keep what you use within reach
Utilizing glass jars and bottles simply looks better than having plastic jugs sitting out. You can store away the boxes and bottles and refill as needed.
Keep the laundry room aesthetically pleasing
There are many places to cultivate an aesthetic in your laundry room. Dryer sheet dispensers, for instance, look worlds better than a bright orange cardboard box sitting atop your dryer. Magnetic lint holders are cute and attach right to your dryer’s side panels. Nearly every item you use in your laundry room can be upgraded to be more visually appealing.
Keep things looking uniform
Having a single theme in your laundry room will make it look and feel more organized. Simply using a common color palette between your laundry items can keep the whole room looking stylish and organized. Consider matching your shelving, bottles, and baskets for a polished look.
Label everything
Having every basket and jar labeled will help you stay organized. If have a Cricut, you can make your own vinyl labels, or pick them up off Etsy. In fact, many laundry room organization pieces come already labeled.
However you do it, labeling things keeps them in mind, in reach, and style.
If nothing else – use a bookshelf for storage
No matter how you go about organizing your laundry room, just make sure you do it. Simple, small organization steps can change how you approach laundry as a chore. Even using a bookshelf for storage is a great way to start overhauling your laundry nook.
Feeling good about the space can make cleaning clothes fun and enjoyable. With these laundry room organization tips and items, you can even craft a laundry room worth bragging about.
