Laundry Room Ideas: Unclutter and Organize

Clutter has a way of creeping into your space. It begins innocently enough with a sheet of paper on the counter and quickly spirals into mountains of overflowing clothing. One of the places where clutter can quickly get out of control in the laundry room. This space often serves not only as a place to clean laundry but also as a storage area for household supplies. See how this is the prime location for clutter to accumulate?

Taking on a minimalist approach can definitely help reduce your laundry room’s clutter. However, that’s not a realistic option for everyone. So we’ve got a few tips and tricks to help you not only reduce unsightly messes in your laundry room, but also allow you to put a personal touch on this part of the home that receives so little love.

Consolidate and Reduce

The first step in getting rid of laundry room clutter is to take stock of what is actually in the room. This is where you have to be absolutely brutal in deciding what stays and what goes. Do you have detergent bottles sitting around with just a wee bit of liquid left in them? Is there a pile of clothing sitting in the corner that is clean, but not folded? If so, then it’s time to get to work. Designate a couple of hours of going through any old bottles, baskets, and knick-knacks that are hanging around.

Improve Your Storage Space (Go higher instead of wider)

It’s time to go onward and upwards–at least in the laundry room. Take a look around. One of the easiest ways for a room to become messy is by putting things on old horizontal counter or shelf. Never fear though, you can better organize the room by taking advantage of unused wall space. A set of vertical shelves or even a storage tower can do wonders to help make a home for common items in your laundry room.

Throwing Out the Old (containers) and Bringing in the New

It’s an unfortunate fact, that the laundry room usually becomes a home for junk that you’ve been telling yourself you’ll eventually find a home for. Old appliance and gift boxes from years past take up valuable space that could be better utilized. Consider bringing in storage boxes that are specifically meant to store items that you would rather keep out of sight. You have a range of options from prefab cardboard boxes to heavy-duty plastic tubs, which are especially helpful in protecting items from the humidity.

Labels Are Your Best Friend

People often forget that adding labels to boxes can help create order in a sea of chaos. Organizing your folding station or ironing table will allow you to do your laundry more efficiently. This is better than trying to remember where you last saw the clothing starch.

Everything in Its Place

Consistency is key when it comes to making sure that your laundry room doesn’t revert back to its former messy state. When you bring in a new bottle or box of detergent, it’s important to put it with the rest of the laundry supplies. By creating a consistent system, it will eventually become second nature to put things in their proper place. Not only that, but you will find that it is easier to keep things neat and tidy around the house overall.

Washing and Folding Now, Not Later

It’s usually easier to put the laundry into the machine than it is to take it out again. Why? Well, because you’re one step closer to folding. For most people, this is their least favorite part of the clothes washing process. However, as the saying goes, “The sooner you take care of it, the better”. Procrastination will only cause laundry to pile up and you’ll be left telling yourself that you will “do it tomorrow”. As soon as your laundry is dry, you need to go ahead and fold it up and put it away. Try not to put off until tomorrow what you can do today.

Designate Specialized Areas Within the Room

In most homes, the laundry room is not solely designated laundry. This room often serves as the hub for storing other items such as small appliances or larger cleaning supplies like mops and brooms. Many laundry rooms are also located in the basement or double as a mudroom. You can help reduce the chances for clutter to accumulate by dividing the room into sections. For instance, in the mudroom section, you will only put shoes and coats. Of course, any laundry related items will only stay in that area of the room. You’ll find that when you break the room into different areas, it’s easier to keep them neat and tidy because everything has a home.

Adding Your Own Personality

With all of the customized washing machines and dryers that you can purchase now, your laundry room can have just as much personality as the rest of your home. Adding a stylish throw rug in front of your shelves can bring color into the room along with a nice set of curtains or shades. Don’t stop there though, unsightly electrical boxes or pipes can be covered with a cabinet overlay with a chalkboard surface. This leaves you with a usable surface to write notes on. Try not to only think of this room as a boring space to do laundry, but as yet another way to bring your personality into this area of the home.

Conclusion

Decluttering your laundry room can help you win the struggle against having a mess invade your space. While it takes a little work at the beginning, once you get into a routine it will become easier to maintain a neat and tidy room. Besides, who wants to spend all of their time looking for the detergent measuring cup? By organizing your laundry room and keeping everything in its place, you’ll even find that doing laundry isn’t even that big of a chore.