Your laundry room can be one of the most hated spaces in the house, especially if you have a busy schedule. Because of the amount of clothes and laundry products, this space can get messy quickly. Here are a few tips to prevent laundry room clutter from organizational expert Korrine Belock, owner of Urban Simplicity based in New York City:
Make a Plan…
Belock believes the number one way to maintain an organized laundry room is to make a plan. What would you like to do with the space? Determine how you can best utilize the space. Before organizing, discern the exact function of your laundry room. Will you only do laundry in the space or do you also use the space as a linen closet or utility room? If you’re simply using the space for laundry, either purge or find another home for items that don’t support that function.
Make sure to keep like with like. If your laundry room does not have any shelves, add a few shelves for keeping detergent, bleach, fabric softener and dryer sheets organized and easy to access. Each shelf or drawer should contain similar items. It may also be helpful to store cleaning supplies in a carry-all caddy or open-top storage container for easy access.
Make the Most of it…
Laundry rooms can be tricky and tight spaces. It can be hard to judge off angles and nooks in a laundry room so it is important to measure surfaces before buying bins and other storage items. Add sturdy shelving to utilize the awkward space between the washer and dryer. It can also be helpful to use a shoe hanger on the back of the door to store items you use regularly like stain sticks and dryer sheets.
Belock also suggests considering some simple improvements like adding shelving or cabinets on otherwise unused vertical space. She maintains that one of the most common mistakes people make in organizing their laundry room is that they do not designate a home for each item. Every item in the space should be something that you use regularly, supports the function of the space, and most importantly, has a place to be stored.
Make it a space you love…
If you ask people, it is almost a sure guarantee that very few would tell you that they actually liked to do laundry. To make it bearable, use bins that are decorative and functional. Paint the walls and hang some art on unused wall space. If the space is decorated nicely, the pile of dirty clothes growing won’t seem as bad as it looks. Belock explains the importance of not neglecting the space and making it resemble a dumping ground of dirty clothes. Divided laundry bins take a step out of the process and keep clothing sorted and off the floor.
