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No room to fold… no storage… clothes everywhere! Does this sound like your laundry room? Laundry is already a chore, your laundry room should facilitate the process, not make it harder. Check out these tips on organizing your laundry room.
Clear It Out
The first (and worst) step is to clear out all of the things in your laundry room. Yes, all of it. It’s important that you get a clear look at the space so you can check out the potential without getting distracted by all of the things inside. Pass off the clean laundry to its owners and get the dirty laundry into a bin and off the floor. This is also a great opportunity to get rid of anything that’s in your laundry room that shouldn’t be, like empty containers of detergent or broken hangers.
Assess the Problem
Now that the space is cleared out, walk through your laundry process. It sounds silly, but actually walking yourself through your process will help you determine exactly what you’d like to change about the space. For example, as you go to put in the detergent, you have to reach up on your tip-toes to grab it from the shelf. Or maybe as you take your items from the dryer, you don’t have enough counter space to fold your clothes before they get wrinkly. Once you know what the problem is, you can figure out the best solution to fix it.
Storage Solutions
If you have the room for it, an island can make life in the laundry room a lot easier. Just as it does in the kitchen, an island provides a ton of extra storage while giving you a large platform to work on. If you’re working in a small space, storage is imperative. It’s the best way to keep things tidy. Overhead shelving is the best choice for small rooms as it doesn’t take up any floor space at all. Install a closet rod or bring in a rolling rack for the items that you don’t have space to hang. There are also retractable drying racks that fold against the wall when not in use- a great solution for tight spaces.
Multi-Purpose Laundry Room Problems
The best thing you can do for a multi-purpose laundry room is to keep things separated. One way to keep a laundry room in the basement separated from the rest of the room is to bring in wire shelving. This not only provides a physical barrier, distinguishing one area from another, but it provides an opportunity for lots of extra storage space. Consider organizing supplies into plastic bins or baskets so then can be easily found. You could also designate different shelves for different types of supplies. If you keep your cleaning supplies in the laundry room as many do, keep them sorted inside a portable caddy
Laundry Accessorizing
Ironing can be a hassle in a messy laundry room. Create an ironing station to make things easier. Install an over the door ironing board to save space. Keep the iron, starch, spare hangers and lint roller nearby for easy access. Accessories for the laundry room should be kept to scale, as in with any room of the house. A mini trashcan is better for this room because you’re only throwing out dryer sheets and lint. A full size bin, like in the kitchen, is not needed here and will just take up space. Just because the laundry room is for cleaning and storage doesn’t mean it can’t look great! Consider matching storage accessories or even hang some small art in the room.
Test these suggestions at your house and your laundry room will be looking neater in no time! Not to mention, you’ll have a place for all of those lonely socks.
This article was written by Erie Construction for Unique Furniture Online, where you can find anything from bathroom vanities and sinks to unique window pane wall mirrors that make a dramatic statement. Be sure to follow Erie Construction on Twitter for real-time updates on everything home improvement.
