Project
2: Organize the Laundry Room
Whether you do your
laundry in a room or a closet, organization is
a must in order to keep it from becoming a
clutter catchall. Here, organizing expert
Vicki Norris provides a three-step plan for
getting started:
1. Evaluate your space by asking these
three questions:
- Is the space so small it will only
accommodate laundry and associated supplies?
- Is there enough storage to include
cleaning and utility items as well as
laundry?
- Is the room located near an entrance,
thereby also serving as a mudroom?
Once you identify the space limitations and
define the purposes of the space, the storage
can be built around those needs.
2. Determine the laundry room contents.
Use this list to check off what you already
have in your laundry room, plus what you want
to include:
Laundry
- washer
- dryer
- drying racks
- mounted bars for hanging and drying
clothes
- rolling garment racks
- freestanding drying racks
- laundry baskets or bins
- laundry soap, bleach, dryer sheets, spot
remover, spray starch, water spray
- ironing board
- iron
- clothes steamer
Cleaning
- household cleaning supplies
- rubber gloves
- rags
- paper towels, toilet paper, tissue,
trash can liners and other overflow paper
goods
- mop, broom, dust pan, vacuum
- shoe polish, leather cleaner, silver
polish and general purpose cleaners
- garbage can
Utility
- candles
- matches
- light bulbs
- batteries
- flashlight
- extension cords, outlet splitters and
surge protectors
- small selection of tools: hammer,
scissors, pliers, wrench, screwdrivers,
measuring tape and stud finder
- small selection of hardware: picture
hangers, nails and screws, furniture pads
and repair, household repair items
Mudroom
- shoes and boots
- coats, jackets, sweaters
- hooks and hangers
- gloves, hats, scarves and other
outerwear
- keys
- gardening supplies
- recycling
- infrequently used appliances
- overflow canned goods
Activity Centers
- hobby and craft center to accomodate
scrapbooking, painting, jewelry making, etc.
- gift-wrapping station with paper, bows,
ribbons and scissor
- sewing area with thread, material,
sewing machine and surger
3. Organize like items and set up zones.
Once you determine what you actually need
storage for, you'll need to group similar
items together to help limit over-buying and
signal when supplies are running low.
Evaluating the quantity of each type of item
is necessary when planning storage. For
example, if you have a lot of cleaning
supplies you may need more storage space than
someone who has a cleaning service.
After determining the types of activities
that will take place in this space, create
zones for each activity:
Laundry zone
- Have an area for clothes to hang, such
as knit delicates that are completing the
drying process or cotton shirts waiting to
be ironed. Hang items from a shower-curtain
rod, buy a hotel clothesline, or install
accordian-style hooks on the narrow wall
space normally found above the washer and
dryer but under wall-mounted cabinets. Fine
washables are best dryed on a collapsible
dryer rack, or even wire shelving.
- Place an extra coffee mug close to the
washer to hold items found in pockets.
Ironing zone
- Make a permanent space for an ironing
board and iron. To conserve space, attach
the ironing board to the back of the door,
so it flips down for you to iron, then back
up when you're finished.
- Hang a bulletin board next to that area
in the laundry room. Keep special care
instructions and threaded needles, one with
black thread and one with white thread. Poke
the needles into the cork for quick fix-ups
while ironing.
Mudroom zone
Set up labeled baskets with each member's
name to store personal items such as gloves,
sunglasses, hats and even cold-weather gear.
Place on easy-to-reach shelves or store under
a bench. Install hooks nearby for coats, bags
and backpacks.
A boot or shoe rack with a drip tray below
is ideal for keeping footwear dirt from coming
into the rest of the house.
Cleaning zone
- When storing cleaning supplies, look for
helpful tools that keep them accessible and
handy. Products such as window cleaner,
furniture polish and all-purpose cleaner are
well suited for a carryall caddy.
Infrequently used cleaners for leather,
marble and shoes will still be accessible if
stored on a turntable placed on a higher
shelf in a laundry room cabinet.
- Install low-profile hooks to hold mops
and brooms.
Utility zone
- Braced shelving around the perimeter of
the room, mounted 12" to 18" from the
ceiling, provides additional storage for
infrequently used items. Use utility baskets
that slide onto shelving to hold items like
extra paper towels, toilet paper and trash
bags.
- Use small bins or wire baskets to
separate like items in drawers.
Activity zone
- Wall-mounted shadow boxes, mini-shelves,
or mini-drawers offer accessible storage for
small items, like craft supplies.
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