Here’s something we can all agree on: Doing laundry is a drag. Toting around a basket full of dirty clothes is no fun, and while it only takes a minute or two to deposit clothes in the washer and then move them to the dryer at the conclusion of the spin cycle, there’s so much more involved. Separating clothes. Folding clean clothes. Putting them back in your closet.
And to top it all off, it’s a never-ending cycle. By the time you finish a few days’ worth of laundry, you likely have new articles of clothing that are now ready to be washed.
But there’s hope. Keeping your laundry room clean and organized can make the chore a little less frustrating.
Here are our top tips for making your laundry routine a little less painful.
1. Create storage and a space for folding clothes.
2. Presort dirty laundry
3. Keep ironing withing reach
4. Check garment care labels to avoid disappointment
5. Use small accessories to create more storage
1. Create Laundry Storage—and a Space for Folding Clothes
No matter how big or small your laundry area is, using space efficiently will help you stay organized. You can do this a number of ways, but adding custom storage like cabinets and drawers to your space will give you a place to keep laundry detergent, fabric softener, stain removers, sewing materials, cleaning products and even bulk items like extra paper towels.
Space to fold clothes is also essential to your laundry room—it’s much easier to fold and organize there than anywhere else in your house. If you have a front-loading washer and dryer, you can place a countertop over them, creating the perfect place for folding and separating. If you’ve got top-loaders, you can add a countertop to another part of the room so you’ve got ample space. You’ll have a dedicated spot to fold laundry instead of using the top of your appliances and inevitably watching a sock disappear between the washer and dryer.
And if you’re short on space, a fold-down table will provide space when you need it and fold away when you don’t.
2. Presort Dirty Laundry
Rooting through a hamper full of dirty clothes to gather a load of lights versus darks or digging through a basket for delicates versus regular clothes is, to say the least, not fun. But presorting laundry into separate hampers can help you avoid accidentally washing a red t-shirt with light colored clothes.
Tilt-out or slide-out hampers built in to your custom laundry room are perfect for presorting and keeping it out of sight.
3. Keep Ironing within Reach
Ironing ranks right up there beside laundry with the top chores no one really wants to do. But if you have to iron a crease into your blouses, at least make it easy. Don’t hide your ironing board in some distant coat closet because that’s the only place it’ll fit.
Keep it nearby with a wall-mounted or drawer-mounted ironing board that folds down or swivels out just when you need it. It’ll make you more likely to iron your clothes than hanging them back in your closet wrinkly.
4. Check Garment Care Labels to Avoid Disappointment
While it may seem easier to throw all of your clothes into the dryer, that won’t eliminate the disappointment of finding a nice blouse that’s been ruined because it was supposed to be hand washed or hung to dry. Keep a guide to laundry symbols handy and follow the instructions.
To make it easier to dry delicate clothes, a hanging rod above a sink or counter gives clothes a place to drip dry. Or, you can add unique slide-out drying racks for delicate knits and other garments so they don’t lose their shape or get stretched out.
5. Use Small Accessories to Create More Utility Room Storage
If you’re looking to create a really functional laundry area, it’s the small accessories that can make all the difference. Adding hooks or pull-out valet bars can help you organize your freshly laundered clothes before they go back in your closet.
And for added storage, an omnitrack with some hooks and clips is great for hanging paper towels, cleaning products, an iron and any other tools you need to store nearby.
While keeping your laundry room totally organized won’t take away the actual chore of doing laundry, it will make it a little bit easier. You’ll have all of the supplies and tools you need within reach, places to keep dirty laundry and plenty of space to actually fold and organize your clean clothes. If you’re interested in transforming your laundry room into an organized and functional space, reach out to us.
