They say that laundry is the chore that never ends. And that might just be true. We tend to own a lot of clothes. If you’re single and you don’t have kids, maybe you don’t do as much laundry. But once you add a couple of extra people to your household, it’s amazing how this chore multiplies.
And if you don’t have a comfortable laundry room, things can get ugly fast. Clothes get lost, socks fall behind the dryer, and delicate items get washed in hot water. It can get incredibly frustrating.
Thankfully, it doesn’t have to be hard to get your laundry room into great shape. All you need are a couple of handy dandy storage and organization hacks and you’ll have a place that’s perfect for getting your clothes neat and clean once again.
And there’s more good news: hacks don’t have to be complicated or expensive to really make a difference. Sometimes, a really good hack is all about making sure you can easily see what you need or just giving you a little more space. With hacks like these, you can get your laundry done even if you have limited space and a large closet.
A big part of getting organized is by working vertically, not horizontally. Hanging bars are a great way to improve your organization while helping you see everything more clearly.
Laundry takes a lot of organization and sorting. That means you need room to spread out. Make sure you have lots of counter space, whether by adding fold-outs or just an extra table or two.
Putting a pegboard on the wall is a great way to see all the little odds and ends that you need during the laundry process. That includes clothespins, scissors, dryer sheets, and anything else you might need to grab quickly. Learn how to make your own here.
Open shelving has become increasingly popular in recent years and it’s not hard to understand why. It not only looks attractive, but it also makes everything super easy to find at just a glance. That makes it perfect for organizing your laundry supplies.
5. Store ironing boards and stepladders in easy-to-reach places.
The best place for your ironing board is tucked up flat in the space between your washer and dryer. This is also a great spot to store items like stepladders, which can be used to reach items stored up high on the wall.
It’s important to clean your lint trap out every time you use your dryer. But it’s easy to lose track of all the tiny bits of lint — and then they get everywhere. Make getting rid of them fast and easy by addding a lint bin nearby.
One of the most important parts of organizing things in storage is labeling everything. You can do this with a dry erase marker, printed labels, special stickers, or colored tabs — whatever works for you!
Are you tired of hunting for a dryer sheet when you need one — or worse, trying to wrestle just one out of the box without it clinging to 10 more? Put a few in a tissue box so you always have one on hand.
If there’s one cardinal rule for laundry, it’s lots of hampers in lots of places. Make it easy for everyone to get their dirty clothes where they need to go — and of course, to sort clothes by color and type.
Baskets are another great way to keep your laundry neat and tidy. After all, what are hampers but regular old laundry baskets? The exact one you choose totally depends on your needs and what type you prefer.
Delicate items don’t belong in a dryer or you run the risk of ruining them. Make sure you have an easy place to hang them by installing a wall rack so they can drip dry.
12. Use a regular bookshelf to keep things organized.
Sometimes, the best solution is the simplest. If you need more shelf space, you can always install some floating shelves to keep everything visible and reachable. Or if you want to keep things super simple, just repurpose a regular bookshelf.
Do you want more hamper space without crowding your laundry area? Invest in one of these handy three-bag hampers. They make it easy to sort your laundry all in one place.
If you need a drying rack for delicate items but don’t have space, install this simple foldable one. When you’re done, pop it back in and you’ll have all the space you need.
If you don’t have a lot of space for an ironing board, put one in a drawer. It rolls back in to save space and even better, you don’t have to struggle with unfolding the board every time you need to press clothes.
Never underestimate the extra space that a door can offer. If you don’t have a lot of room in your laundry room, mount things on the back of your door like clothespins, dryer sheets, and ever detergent.
Rolling towels saves space and makes it easier to see them in a crowded linen closet. And that, of course, means you’ll have more room to keep other items stored and organized.
If you’re tired of having small clothing items like socks slip down behind the washing machine, think about putting in a laundry guard. This blocks off space to the back and sides of your machine so that clothing doesn’t go missing.
19. Put in a laundry junk drawer for miscellaneous items.
Have you noticed that laundry rooms tend to attract junk? It might be due to all the things we find in our pockets before throwing clothes in the wash. Put in a handy drawer or jar that’s meant to keep odds and ends in one place.
Hooks are your friends when it comes to organizing your laundry room. There are thousands of uses for them, from hanging mesh bags for socks to mounting cleaning supplies and other odds and ends.
Anything that can be collapsed and pushed into the wall is your friend in a laundry room. But if you need a little more counter space for folding clothes, consider putting in a pull-out station. Then when you’re done, collapse it back in.
Everyone has experienced the frustration of losing a sock in the dryer and we’ve never solved the mystery of where they go. Until we do, washing them in a mesh bag — the kind used for delicate items — is the best way to keep them together.
If you prefer some underneath storage, mount your washer and dryer on a couple of drawers. They’re the perfect place to store items like detergent and dryer sheets so you can reach them quickly.
You don’t have to mount a clothesline to air-dry your clothes. If you only have a couple of small things, take advantage of your window blinds, securing the clothes to them to dry. It’ll give you the added benefit of using airflow through the window.
25. Or use a retractable clothing line for anything that needs to air dry.
If you regularly need to dry a larger load of clothes on a clothesline, consider using one that retracts. That way, it will be there when you need it. When you don’t, it won’t be taking up any space.
Laundry rooms have a way of accumulating a lot of stuff. From debris that comes out of pockets to shoes that get tossed in the corner, they attract junk that can make things disorganized. Putting in a bench is a handy solution to help focus the clutter.
What’s the best way to make sure all your clothes get hung up? By keeping hangers nearby. One way to do this is to install a bar right above your washing machine. That way, you’ll always have hangers when you need them.
Do you have an old crib springboard that your kiddo is no longer using? Repurpose it as a laundry hanger. Simply attach it to the ceiling for an easy way to hang clothes and other items to dry.
Sometimes, getting organized is as simple as making sure there’s a separate place for everything. You can do that with a couple of regular baskets and labels, the kind you can find at any dollar store.
Inevitably, you’ll lose a sock or two in a load of laundry. But it doesn’t have to be for good. This handy sock clip station ensures you’ll always be able to match up your socks.
Use these tips to make your laudry room a functional space you don’t mind being in. Which tip is your favorite?
