Who doesn’t love a good laundry room? And what’s not to love? Giant machines that whirr and whoosh and whirl. Also a repository for all abandoned things. Laundry rooms can turn into a little Lost Island of Misfit Toys real fast if you’re not careful. And who enjoys doing the laundry anyway? No one! It’s an arduous, time sucking task that never ends and can bring even the most righteous man to his knees! The laundry room, however, doesn’t have to be all doom and gloom. Here are a few ways to increase the functionality and flow of your laundry room.
Everything In Its Right Place
There are a lot of elements to laundry. Washer and Dryer – obviously, but those are what we’re working around. You’ve probably got some element of wrinkle eliminating machine (iron or steamer – or both!) a hamper or two, detergents, dryer sheets, sewing kit, etc. Many laundry rooms are multi-use, like being an en-suite with toilet and sink or so close to the kitchen it doubles as the food pantry. Providing adequate and designated space for every little thing is a huge help. You can do this a number of ways:
- Washer/Dryer Stands with Storage. Nowadays, many models of washers and dryers will come with matching stands that also double as a storage unit by including a drawer. The benefits to these include higher access to the machines – less bending over and resulting back pain – and built-in storage for smaller items like detergents, dryer balls/sheets, and your iron.
- Cabinets or Shelves. These cabinets can bookend the washer and dryer, or exist above them. When installing above the machines, though, consider how easy/difficult it will be to access them on a daily basis. If you have the stands for your washer/dryer, they’re going to be higher off the ground and you might need a step ladder to reach them. Not a deal breaker, but definitely something to consider. Shelves can be put anywhere in the form of a free-standing unit or mounted to the walls.
- Divided Laundry Baskets/Bins for Organization. Designate a type of laundry for each bin (whites, blacks/grays, colors, towels, etc.) to keep up with the sorting and eliminate a whole step in the laundry process. If you opt for added storage in the form of shelves, small bins for organizing your smaller items will help decrease the clutter. You can even use this opportunity to add some flair by purchasing decorative bins wherever you buy your home goods.
- Wall Mounted Drying Racks. For those super delicate items that are strictly air dry, having a place to hang them to dry will keep the laundry out of the bathroom, off the bed, or whatever other methods you use for air drying clothes. You can make this as simple or grand as you like by repurposing curtain rods or towel racks or installing a vertical drying rack with multiple rods for hanging that swing out 180 degrees from the wall when you need them, and then lay flat against the wall when you don’t.
Until you’re ready to completely remodel your laundry room, adding storage to fit the purpose of your laundry room and organize your life will at the very least keep you from dreading going in there. While you’re shaking things up, you can add a fresh coat of paint. Something fun and energizing like a lush Key Lime green or a vibrant Poppy Red to liven up the space and tingle the senses. However you do it, make it work for you.
