Organizing Essentials for Every Laundry Room
Organize your laundry room with these quick and inexpensive tips.
Photo: Melissa George
When we bought our home, one of the trade-offs was the size and layout of the laundry room. It's connected to the master closet, which is amazing, but that also means it serves as a hallway with doors on both ends.
When it was time to update the drab laundry space , I had a $100 budget to add colour and get things organized. My three biggest problems to solve were the need for easily accessible hanging space, the lack of a trash can, and the random socks that end up sitting around waiting for their partner.
Challenge #1: Hanging Space
While I was overjoyed to finally have a laundry room that had a clothes rod, it didn't take long to realize I could barely reach it and it wasn't in the best spot. Eventually, we'll reconfigure the space, but for the mini-makeover I needed an easier and less expensive fix. Luckily, there are two options that will work in almost any laundry space.
We had a small section of wall between two doors and it was the perfect spot to add a coat rack . The three hooks hold an astonishing number of hangers—enough to empty the dryer! If you have zero wall space, option two is an over the door coat rack. The over the door version would also be a great solution in a rental!
Photo: Melissa George
Challenge #2: Trash
The second challenge was figuring out how to add a trash can when we had zero floor space available. Our old process was to toss dryer lint and any other trash into an open shoe box on top of the dryer. It was functional, but definitely wasn't an accessory that made the room welcoming.
If you've got a similar problem, I finally figured out the solution! You can add an outdoor literature box or a wall-mounted mailbox . I used a literature box and painted it to transform it into a functional part of the decor. It's so much more convenient to have this new trash can in the room instead of dealing with the shoe box or carrying lint through the house. I labelled my bin "Lint" because the L was pretty, but I do use the box for any laundry room trash. (You can save the lint for fire starters!)
Photo: Melissa George
Challenge #3: Lonely Socks
The last thing we added to keep the laundry room organized was a designated space for socks that come out of the dryer all alone.
Seriously, where do the socks go?
Instead of leaving the socks sitting out on the washer or dryer hoping the match shows up, we throw all the extras into an inexpensive container . I used a clear box that we already owned, and added a funny label since our bin is hidden in a cabinet. If you have open shelving, this is a great excuse to buy a pretty basket!
Photo: Melissa George
While I can't claim that I love to do laundry now, the combination of the new organization and fun decor make it a less dreaded chore.
Want to see more laundry room updates? Check these storeys out:
6 Laundry Room and Linen Closet Updates »
10 Simple Laundry Room Updates »
9 Clever Laundry Room Ideas »
