10 Storage Tips for Your Laundry Room

The laundry room is a space that is notorious for being cramped. Since it is a multipurpose room, there is a constant quest to try to keep this room organized and utilitarian while still being an attractive space in the home. Especially in the case of smaller houses and apartments, the laundry room often lacks much-needed storage.

However, there are several different ways that homeowners can use this space efficiently and create storage where there may not have been any. Luckily, we’ve gathered together some innovative ideas for ways to incorporate extra storage into even the most petite of laundry rooms!

Here are 10 creative ways to design and devise extra laundry room storage!

1) Drying Bar

For clothing that tends to shrink or which is best removed from the dryer, have a space in your laundry room where these items can be hung and dried. This can be in the form of a drying bar that hangs above washer and dryer. A bonus is that the bar can double as a place to hang freshly ironed shirts and clothing if your laundry room doubles as the place you iron.

2) Lacking Floor Space? Install Floating Shelving

If you don’t have floor space for a drying rack or traditional stand-alone shelving, consider installing these items directly into the walls of your laundry room. Screw coat hooks into the walls to keep hangers of freshly dried clothing on, or install floating shelving above the dryer to keep neatly folded towels and other items. For a sleek look, hang a metal clothing rack that would normally sit on the floor up high above your washer and dryer.

3) Laundry Basket Dresser

source: Flickr, Sean McGrath

Not only is this a space-saving way to neatly organize laundry but it will also save time, as clothing can be pre-sorted in this brilliant DIY laundry basket dresser. Replace dresser drawers with small to medium-sized baskets, and label each drawer per its colour preference: white, light or dark. This way, everything is sorted and ready to go!

Also, consider investing in a dresser with wheels, or installing some on your own, allowing it to easily move from washer to dryer, to wherever you wish to store it! If you’re living with a larger family, consider creating a DIY laundry sorter out of larger but more inexpensive materials, these can include PVC pipe, fittings and laundry bags or splurging and investing in a larger set of drawers!

4) Washer and Dryer Pedestals

This DIY job is something that should be considered if your laundry room is in an upper level of your home. They can be purchased or can be built for little effort and cost. This structure will slide right underneath your washer and dryer, allowing for extra storage. Not only will these help to reduce noise bleeding into lower floors, but laundry bins or built-in drawers can be accommodated into their design. This is a great way to utilize space and keep things organized.  

5) Retractable Clothing Line

Looking for a place to hang solo socks after they’ve been found? Or maybe you don’t have a setup that will allow for a wall bar. A great option that’ll take up little to no space is a retractable clothing line! Hanging clothing can cut down on energy bills, allowing the dryer a much-needed rest period. This innovative solution can be taken out or stored away when needed, and since it’s cost-effective, your wallet won’t even feel it!

6) Over-the-Door Rack and Chalkboard

You probably haven’t considered using the space behind your laundry room doors. However, this is an excellent place to put an over-the-door organizer and even a chalkboard to contribute to the efficiency of this room! This is a simple and cheap solution to any storage issues, as this unit will be thrown over the door, accessible and out of the way. Moreover, it can store a variety of necessary knick-knacks. It will likely surprise you at how much can fit behind the door. For a fun touch, install a hanging chalkboard to leave little notes or details regarding what can be washed and what can go in the dryer.

7) Wall Organizer/Unit

source: Flickr, countrykitty

Lots of bits and pieces end up in the laundry room: lost socks, random articles of clothing, change. For this reason, you should consider creating a place for these items to be left. Your wall organizer could include a jar or catchall for loose change, popped buttons or whatever else might be in your pockets! Further, it could have convenient hooks to hang your ironing board from. Make sure to measure the length of your ironing board's feet before installing these!

8) DIY Ironing Board/ Counter Top

If you’re in a serious space pinch and need another place to fold your clothing, consider creating a removable countertop and ironing board in one to place over the washer and dryer! Use a butcher-block countertop and design it to the exact shape and size of your units. This is another great way to prevent things from falling between or behind the washer and dryer. Who knows, this method could save you a lone sock or two!

9) Lint Bin

This may seem like a straightforward suggestion, but installing a lint bin onto your wall will do wonders for your laundry room; you’ll question how you lived without one! This is especially true if you don’t have enough space for a full trash can in your laundry room. For this cute DIY job, mount an outdoor flyer box onto the wall, with a lid that closes of course, and problem solved! This will keep lint in one place, and as a highly flammable material, it’s best it stays that way!

10) Laundry Closet

source: Pixabay, LoggaWiggler 

If you don’t have space for a laundry room on its own, then let’s consider an option that combines storage and laundry into one! Tuck your washer and dryer out of sight into a kitchen pantry or inside its own closet! This is a great option for homes lacking in overall storage but looking to integrate laundry into the layout. Build shelving and hooks into the door and provide storage within a designated space, to gather all the necessities.

You can line the doors with anything from detergent, cleaning solutions and whatever else you might need depending on where the washer and dryer are located! Another option is to install a flip down ironing board, turning a closet or pantry into a multi-functioning room of its own!