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How I Organize my Small Laundry Room

I have a very small laundry room.

And as many of you know, I am a little Type-A.

My friends will tell you that I am obsessed with organizing my life to an inch of itself.

But as much as I find  joy in creating a calm, tidy, and pretty space, organization helps my brain function.

If a room is a mess when I’m working, I cannot focus. And something about the process of organizing, sorting, and purging, calms my overactive mind and really helps with my anxiety. 

Plus, with three kids in the busiest chapter of our lives (so far), systems keep us on track.

So I thought, after receiving such positive feedback on some of our home posts in December, it would be fun to share the hacks and products I use that have made a big difference in our day-to-day life.

Related: How to Create a Simple Self Serve Coffee Station

Look for this once a month, starting today, in our laundry area. 

Our laundry area isn’t a room at all but rather a small closet space off our kitchen, in the hallway leading to our girl’s bedrooms.

We did a fairly extensive home remodel three years ago while I was pregnant with Vivi. Unfortunately, one of the things that got cut from my wish list was a combination mud and laundry room because “money doesn’t grow on trees.”

This is what I came up with instead.

How I Organize My Small Laundry Room

How I Organize My Small Laundry Room

 

When we bought our home, the laundry was down in the dark, unfinished part of our basement, and I hated it.

So I came up with Plan B, turning an awkward hallway closet into a tiny laundry area. Our contractor and plumber at the time were less than enthusiastic about my idea, but I’m (annoying) persuasive.

It’s not ideal, but much more efficient than having to bring the clothes down to the basement.

It took some time to figure out how to make it work best, but I finally landed on the perfect use of the space and found some organizational solutions I didn’t even know existed.

The biggest challenge in the space is the size and shape. Our stackable unit just fits and didn’t allow us to build any permanent shelving around it so we could access the unit for service.

Instead, I found this slim bookshelf from Ikea that works perfectly. It’s especially nice since I lost a lot of storage when I gutted the closet. Now I can keep our large kitchen appliances at the bottom and have easy access when needed.

Small Details for a Small Laundry Room 

Of course, I’ve have the standard products you see all over Instagram and Pinterest, because I am a nerd.

I’m using Gallon Size Canisters (2 for $40) for laundry taps and scent boosters. Taking things out of their packaging really does make a difference. It looks neat, but you can also quickly see how much you have left. 

Lazy Susans are all over my house, in the fridge, bathrooms, everywhere. They provide so much extra room if you are working with a small or cramped space.

This one is a nice size and $30 for a set of 2. I keep things like stain remover, Febreze, lint roller, etc., corralled together. 

Then I came across a hack for trash bags. Put a roll in one of these storage bins and pull the center through to create a sort of dispenser, like a can of disinfectant wipes.

This bin fits a large roll of kitchen and contractor bags and is stackable. 

But wait, here’s what made my heart sing. 

I found magnetic bins for the side of the laundry machine.   

This is joy at 40, and I’m okay with it. 

The first is a set of two, one large for lint and pocket trash and one small for lost things. It’s about $25, and it is genius. Then I found this one for DRYER SHEETS

They save so much shelf space and I don’t have to walk back and forth with lint and trash. 

On the wall, I also hung this plastic grocery bag dispenser. It makes me feel like an adult. (You can see it in the first picture above.)

How We Manage All the Clothes

Finally, I find the biggest challenge with a laundry setup like this is that it’s easy for clean and dirty clothes to pour into other parts of your home. And we have an insane amount to deal as a family of 5 with a toddler and teenagers who play sports. 

So we came up with a system that works, as long as we follow it. 😉

Everyone has a hamper in their bedroom closet, and every day we do one person’s laundry from start to finish. This way, there isn’t laundry running down the hallway or into the kitchen. So essentially, we do one load a day, but some days it’s two.

Every few days, I’ll run a load of towels, and on the weekends, I do sheets and any additional dirty sports gear. 

Sticking to this has made the BIGGEST difference.

It’s still a lot of laundry, but we don’t get overwhelmed, and I’m not spending my weekend playing catch up.

To help, I found this over the door hamper and stuck it to the side of the  laundry machine with a magnetic hook. This helps keep stuff off the floor, and we can throw kitchen towels and things in without making a mess. 

Other things I love: 

This Wicker Laundry Basket, is pretty and practical. Everything goes from the dryer to the basket, is quickly folded and put back in the kids rooms for them to put away.

And this laundry drying rack folds up slim enough to slide between the machines and the wall. 

You can shop these products and everything else I use around the house in our new Amazon Storefront

Tips for Organizing a Small Laundry Room

  1. Utilize as much vertical space as possible. 
  2. Decant everything you can. 
  3. Edit down and keep only the essentials. 
  4. Use light colors to keep the space feeling bright and fresh. 

AND if you have tips for keeping laundry under control – share it in the comments below:) 

Shop Our New Amazon Store!

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How I Organize my Small Laundry Room

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MEET THE AUTHOR

Megan Kristel

Megan Kristel is an entrepreneur, working mom, and former personal stylist. Tired of the one-dimensional portrayal of women online, she founded The Well Dressed Life as a resource for other professional women.

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kathryn

Wednesday 16th of February 2022

I love your organized laundry space. Do any you ever find it to be easier to organize a small space? One recent hack I used when organizing my small-but-not-tiny laundry room was to purchase a spring-loaded (tension)shower rod. I mounted it in the laundry room doorway. When I can't hang clothes outside, I use my collapsible rack, but hang the shirts and on hangers to dry on that rod. Such a little thing, but a real game changer for me.

kathryn

Wednesday 16th of February 2022

can I just say, I got a thrill from purchasing the lazy susans through your new store! Congratulations!

Megan Kristel

Wednesday 16th of February 2022

Aww, you are so nice, thank you so much for all of your support!!

Elizabeth Knox

Saturday 12th of February 2022

I never thought I’d find a laundry room pretty but yours is quite lovely!

I have a great hack for dryer lint: Stuff it into tubes of cardboard toilet paper rolls; save them in gallon-sized Ziploc bags; use for excellent kindling and fire starter! Once I have a Ziploc bag filled, I put it in the garage with our camping gear to use in the next season.

Téa

Friday 11th of February 2022

Brilliant post. So very real. Each humans' laundry each day, and when it's transitioned as "their chore", it will be seamless. In my "laundry room" I have a drying rack that is on a pulley system that is attached to the ceiling and is lowered and raised as needed - it's brilliant and ever so useful for the never ending athletic clothing that must be "hung dry". Well done, Megan. Thanks for keeping it "real"...

Gale

Friday 11th of February 2022

LOVE the Amazon storefront! Sometimes I see things on your posts that I like but am not ready to commit to a purchase. It's great to be able to look at your storefront when I get to the point that I say, "Yeah, I really liked that idea Megan had on her blog. It will work for me."

Megan Kristel

Saturday 12th of February 2022

Thanks Gale! I'm hoping to figure out how to organize all our recommendations outside of Amazon in a similar way.

Beth

Friday 11th of February 2022

So good! I'm going to check out the bins for the side of the laundry machine. Love your laundry system - we have 4 kids (9 - 14), and they are all doing their own laundry - with each taking a day of the week. Laundry is so much less stressful now! I'm also very excited about your Amazon storefront. :D

Megan Kristel

Saturday 12th of February 2022

Thanks Beth! The bins bring me so much joy lol.

Deanna

Friday 11th of February 2022

I love these home posts of yours! Please keep them coming! As a tip for anyone who doesn't have their laundry machines stacked, I used command hook picture hanging strips to hang a dryer sheet container on my wall :)

Megan Kristel

Saturday 12th of February 2022

Yes! My house is basically built with command strips. lol

Winni

Friday 11th of February 2022

Great job!

Janice

Friday 11th of February 2022

My laundry fits in a closet like yours. Mine is in the kitchen. I try to keep everything organized. I also am a nerd. You have great ideas.

Megan Kristel

Saturday 12th of February 2022

Thanks Janice!

Sue

Friday 11th of February 2022

I love these! This link is using two of the foldout hanger holders and a bar, to make a wide rack.

I have one of those in my laundry room above the door leading to the garage. But I also have one of the end brackets, in three different places in my laundry room, as well. When they are not in use they fold against the wall and stick out only about 1 inch.

Silvia

Friday 11th of February 2022

Thank you for this! Dealing with laundry has been a pain. I think it reproduces when we're not looking. I'm excited to get the hanging hamper and magnetic hooks tomorrow. I, too, really appreciate your Amazon store.

Mary

Friday 11th of February 2022

I have really been enjoying your posts in the new year! They are not the same old stuff. You are creating new contact and great products. I love how you put them all in one place at the Amazon store by post. It makes it easier to shop! And you have such a wide variety of products. Everything from a Outfits to home care to personal care to beauty products etc. Brilliant! Keep up the good work!

Megan Kristel

Friday 11th of February 2022

Thank you so much Mary! It's always a little scary trying new things so I really appreciate your kind feedback.

Gretchen

Friday 11th of February 2022

Genius. Exactly what I needed for my small laundry room. Thank you!

Megan Kristel

Friday 11th of February 2022

So happy it's helpful!

Kim

Friday 11th of February 2022

Nicely done. I just redid my small laundry room, and one of my big "upgrades" was to ditch the folding drying rack that seemed to always be out and taking floor space, and use my wall more. I have a swing out arm towel rack now on the wall - one that folds flat against the wall when not in use, but I also looked at just installing towel bars or pipe on the walls to either hang things or to hang hangers from it for shirts, etc. Looks like you have enough room between your wall and your shelving that you could claim that space if you need it without interfering with the shelf. Depending on how deep the closet is, you might even be able to use tension shower curtain bars for a less permanent solution. Then again, you might like the "quiet" space on the wall which I totally understand. For me, not having to walk around the rack or constantly put it away was worth the trade off. All about you my friend!

Megan Kristel

Friday 11th of February 2022

I tried the hanging towel rack and we're a little short on space for it, but I never thought of a tension rod! LOVE THAT!

Jacqueline

Friday 11th of February 2022

Great information! I love an organized laundry area!! Will be looking into the items you mentioned!

Megan Kristel

Friday 11th of February 2022

It's the little things in life, right? XX