Laundry room organization is always a challenge, especially if you have minimal space. No matter what your schedule is like, you're probably going to have to run another load of laundry in the near future. Luckily, there are several methods for effectively organizing a small laundry room.
All you need do is the following:
1. Add hanging bars
2. Make space to organize dirty laundry
3. Double-up a work table with storage space
4. Keep a stain chart
5. Utilize contrasting colors
6. Fill in the spaces on walls and elsewhere
7. Fold-down ironing boards
Institute a few of these suggestions, and who knows? You might learn to love doing laundry!
1. Creative Hanging Solutions
Some items are too delicate for the dryer and need to be hung up. Fortunately, hanging bars take very little space, so they can fit into even the tiniest laundry room. Something as simple as a bath towel holder mounted beneath a shelf can dry several shirts at once. Drying bars are also helpful when you’re ironing. Hang each item after it’s been ironed and it’ll retain its neat appearance while giving you more room to operate.
2. Pre-Organize Your To-Do Laundry List
Digging through a pile of laundry to separate darks from lights is a pain in the neck, both figuratively and literally if you’re coping with a cramped laundry room. You can better organize your room — and protect your lumbar region — by filling a nearby shelving unit with pull-out drawers.
Dedicate each drawer to various categories such as “lights”, “darks”, and “sheets” so they’ll be easier to wash when laundry day arrives. Mesh drawers are ideal as they allow dirty laundry to air out a little bit before washing.
3. Make Efficient Use of a Work Table
When dealing with a tight space, try to find multiple uses for every piece of furniture. A work table, for instance, can be instrumental in preparing dirty laundry, washing out stains, and folding clean laundry.
Even better, you can utilize the space below the work table to fulfill other needs, such as storage. The good people at HGTV went above and beyond with perhaps the most adorable solution ever: a workstation that doubles as a dog crate! Laundry day is a lot more fun when accompanied by a furry friend!
4. Display a Stain Chart
Ever make the mistake of wearing a white linen shirt to an Italian meatball dinner? Of course, you have! It’s crises like these that put your stain-removal skills to the test. Thankfully, you won’t have to go at it alone.
Martha Stewart (Who else?) put together this handy stain chart to provide you with needed assistance in the event of a marinara or lava cake catastrophe. Display this prominently in your laundry room, and you’ll know just what to do to combat stains from red wine, soy sauce, grass, or practically anything else you can imagine.
5. Colorful Storage Solutions
Laundry rooms are often decorated in a fashion that’s as utilitarian as the room itself. This usually means white walls, white laundry baskets, a white washer/dryer, and a room that can feel institutional and even claustrophobic.
To avoid going down this route, look for woven baskets to store supplies, and consider painting your cabinets a dark hue like navy blue or forest green to offset the lightly colored walls and appliances. Houseplants are also welcome additions that bring life and vitality into any space, even your small laundry room.
6. Fill Up Unused Areas
In a tiny laundry room, you need to take advantage of every inch of space available. If you lack shelf and table options, simply install a wall-mounted metal rack, better known as a Slatwall rack. These will provide ample room for baskets to store detergent, stain removers, and cleaning agents.
7. Add an Ironing Station
Ironing boards take up a lot of room if you’re still using the stand-up variety, so why not install a fold-down board instead? This style of ironing board takes up practically no square footage in a tiny laundry room, so you’ll be operating at peak efficiency.
You don’t have to stop there. By hanging a basket from a nearby rack, all of your ironing supplies can be within arm’s reach while you work, creating a genuine workstation!
Conclusion
Just because you have a small laundry room doesn’t mean it has to feel cramped and dull. Making a few of these simple changes can turn any laundry room into a place that’s so attractive and pleasant, you won’t even dread the most mundane of chores.
