Let’s face it: most of us dread doing the laundry. Whether it’s because of the time it takes, the interruption of your day or you just don’t enjoy the mundane task of sorting, washing, folding and ironing, you’re not alone! For many homeowners, the issue isn’t so much the act of doing the laundry, but rather that their laundry room is small, cramped or just uninviting.
While it might seem like an afterthought, learning how to organize a laundry room is a crucial step in keeping your house clean. In most homes, the laundry room is a cramped space for shoes, towels and piles of clothes — but it’s time to streamline. Here’s how you can transform your laundry room into a welcoming, organized and functional space.
Minimize Your Wardrobe
You can’t expect to organize a laundry room when you have far too much laundry to work with. That’s why the first step is to reduce the clutter taking up space in your closet and dresser. Minimal clothes means minimal laundry, which means minimal hassle for you!
Here’s what you can do to eliminate wardrobe clutter:
- Toss or donate old clothes. We all have outfits taking up space in the closet that never see the light of day. If you have clothes you no longer wear, toss or donate them to create more space in your bedroom and laundry room.
- Swap out seasonal gear. If the bulk of your organization problem is off-season clothing, it’s time to clean out those closets and make room for the essentials. Store summer or winter clothes in bins or storage units until it’s time to wear them for the appropriate season.
- Simplify your laundry. Instead of waiting to do laundry until your hampers are full to the brim , create a system (and schedule) to wash different types of clothing. For example whites on Monday, lights on Wednesday, darks on Friday, towels on Saturday, etc. Minimizing your loads will help you learn how to organize a laundry room and keep it that way for years to come.
- Rent a storage unit. If you don’t have enough space at home to reduce clutter, rent a storage unit. If you have a few items you want to store in a storage unit, go with a 5×5 feet storage unit. If you have quite a bit of items to store, you can go with a large storage unit such as 5×8 feet, 5×10 feet, or bigger. At U-Lock Mini Storage, we have storage facilities across Greater Vancouver and Vancouver Island. Our facilities include storage units Victoria, storage units Parksville, storage units Nanaimo, storage units Burnaby, storage units White Rock and Surrey and storage units Chilliwack. Contact us if you have any questions!
Create Laundry Stations
Where do you keep your hampers? Do you have a dedicated place to fold and sort your laundry? How often do you find yourself carrying piles of clothes up and down the stairs because you have nowhere to put them?
That’s where organized laundry stations come in. Before you start organizing, come up with a system that allows you and your family to keep the room clean, spacious and clutter-free.
Consider the following items you’ll need when it comes to creating your functional laundry room space:
- Counter space. Make your life easy by having access to counter space or folding tables. With available counter space close by, you’ll be more likely to hang, fold and put away your clothes as soon as you take them out of the washer or dryer.
- Drying rack. Whether you prefer drying your clothes on hangers or placing them on a drying rack, make one (or both) of these areas available in your laundry room. Tension rods are a great way to save space while drying your clothes.
- Laundry baskets. Keep a hamper or laundry basket in the laundry room so you can quickly load and unload during the laundry process. Ideally, these can find a home underneath counters or in a nearby closet.
- Ironing board. Instead of putting away wrinkled clothes and ironing outfits right before you wear them, keep an ironing board in the laundry room so you can unwrinkle your clothes right away. This will save you time, space and hassle in the long run.
Purchase Space-saving Appliances
Just because washers and dryers are huge space-takers doesn’t mean we should let them conquer our laundry rooms. If you’re looking to purchase a new washer and dryer (or simply looking to downgrade to smaller, more efficient appliances), keep in mind that less is more. A smaller washer or dryer would give you more square footage in your home, more space in your laundry room and it would create a more functional area for you and your family, too.
There are several benefits of an all-in-one laundry unit:
- Stacking your appliances allows them to fit into closets, smaller spaces and studios or apartments.
- Smaller washers and dryers tend to come with pedestal drawers underneath, allowing for extra hidden storage space.
- Space-saving washers and dryers save more than just space. These smaller appliances are often high-efficiency—helping you reduce your footprint and utility bills, too.