Tips for organizing small laundry spaces

May 01, 2012 4:40 AM by Elaina Verhoff

Posted in SheKnows TV / SheKnows TV: SheKnows HomeStretch

Make The Most Of Your Laundry Room

We love to drool over the enormous laundry rooms on Pinterest. Yes, if we had spaces like that, we'd do laundry all day... Kelly Ripa style. You know, joyfully tossing the laundry up in the air and having it wash itself while we magically bake perfect cupcakes and host a sleepover for half a dozen giggly girls. So maybe a football field sized laundry room is a fantasy. The good news is -- you can create a dreamy laundry room even if it's sweet and petite. Here are some of our favorite tips for organizing small laundry spaces.

Small laundry room

Clear the clutter

Space saving tip: Choose multi-purpose products like Purex Triple Action, a detergent and stain-fighter all in one. Fewer products mean more space!

As with any small space, less is more. Start by clearing everything out of your laundry area and giving it a thorough sorting. Toss or donate unused items and only bring back the things that need to be in your laundry area. Find a place for other items in the area of your home where they belong.

Pretty storage

If you're working with a small laundry area, you may not have a wall of cabinets to stash your supplies. No worries. The laundry room is actually the perfect space to display pretty storage. Decant your liquid laundry detergent in a glass bottle with a stopper and transfer your big box of Borax into a glass Montana Jar on a shelf or counter top. Use a stylish basket to contain any extras.

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Wall-mounted ironing board

When space is at a premium, look for items that fold up and stash away easily. Specifically, we're talking about fold-up drying racks and ironing boards. We like the dual functionality of the Wall Mounted Ironing Center from Bed, Bath & Beyond. When your ironing board is folded and stashed, the outside looks like a beautiful mirrored cabinet. There's also valuable space inside for storing an iron and ironing supplies.

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Counters and curtains

Even a tiny laundry space needs a flat surface. Add a counter top either next to or on top of your front-load washer and dryer to give yourself a place to stash hampers and supplies. Butcher block adds a warm feel, while white Formica freshens things up. If your counter top is over your washer and dryer, try adding a curtain to hide the appliances when they're not in use.

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Fold-up drying rack

Be prepared for clothing that needs to dry flat with a fold-up drying rack. Ballard Designs offers Beadboard Drying Racks that come in three sizes and three colors. Or if you're the DIY type, check out the tutorial from Censational Girl and make your own fold up drying rack.