Small laundry rooms can feel claustrophobic, especially when the room is cluttered, and you can’t move around without bumping things. When you can’t enlarge your laundry room through a construction project, you can expand its functionality by employing any—or all—of the following top seven tips.
1. Simplify and Organize
Clean out the laundry room of everything that doesn’t belong there. In other words, remove all non-laundry-related items from the room and find other places to store them. Once you are left with only laundry-related items, it is time to organize the small laundry room. Store like things together and keep the things you use the most frequently within easier reach.
An essential part of organizing small laundry rooms includes taking measures to prevent messes and clutter. For example, adding a tray to the top of the washer or dryer for storing detergent will help protect these appliances from spills and drips.
Adding a container to hold items found in pockets when preparing laundry for the washer will prevent those items from cluttering the space.
2. Make the Most of Cabinetry
If the laundry room doesn’t have any or enough cabinets, it’s time to add wall and counter cabinets to increase storage capacity. Not only do cabinets help keep things organized, but they also keep things out of sight. When clutter is removed, the room appears larger and becomes more functional. And, if you want to take the leap and make your laundry room more stylish, fully custom cabinetry is always a fantastic option!
We recommend a combination of open and closed cabinets for laundry rooms. Closed cabinets can keep certain utilitarian things like laundry detergent and fabric softener hidden from view. In contrast, open cabinet shelves allow easy access to frequently used items and can be a great way to display attractive items like folded towels.
3. Get a Laundry Sorting Cart
Sorting laundry into piles on the floor can be disastrous. Instead, get a laundry-sorting cart. These two or three-bin sorters make laundry sorting a breeze.
The ones on wheels are the best because they can be rolled out of the way. Also, by keeping dirty laundry in sorting bins or a hamper, the room always looks great even when there is a mountain of laundry to be washed.
4. Install a Wall- Mounted Drying Rack
Most small laundry rooms don’t have space for a large folding drying rack. However, even the smallest laundry rooms have wall space for either a pull-down or pull-out drying rack that can be folded back when not in use. These clever space-saving racks make hanging drying clothes both convenient and efficient.
5. Hang the Ironing Board
If the small laundry room has a door or even some open wall space, you can hang the ironing board to get it out of the way and also to keep it in the laundry room, where it is needed. Special over-the-door hangers make it easy to hang the board on the back of any door. There are also wonderful options for wall-mounted ironing board hangers. Several of those also include a compartment for the iron as well.
When displaying the ironing board, get either a cover that matches the wall color so the board blends into the background or a fun, bold cover so the ironing board can be a decorative element.
6. Use Hanging Rods
One of the best ways to increase usable space in small laundry rooms is to install clothes hanging rods under cabinets, under shelves, or on the walls. These provide places to hang button-down shirts and other items as they come out of the dryer or are about to be ironed.
7. Switch to Stackable Appliances
Instead of keeping the side-by-side washer and dryer arrangement, consider switching to a stackable formation. If your washer and dryer are already front-loading, they might be able to fit into a stacking frame. However, getting a pre-stacked unit might be a better fit if it is time to get new appliances.
Either way, you will be clearing up precious floor and wall space that can be used for additional cabinetry, shelving, or laundry sorter bins.
The keys to maximizing the efficiency of all small laundry rooms are organization and wise use of available space. When you want to revamp your small laundry room and are ready to shop for cabinets, remember that not all cabinet manufacturers are the same. Here in Lancaster County, a search for “cabinet shops near me” may turn up many results, but there is only one name to know—Red Rose Cabinetry.
Need Help Getting Your Laundry Room in Shape with New Cabinetry?
Whether shopping for custom cabinetry or ready-made options, homeowners in Central Pennsylvania should check out the selection of both here at Red Rose Cabinetry. Our expert Lancaster cabinet company design team is ready to help you create the optimal layout for your small laundry room.
When you want to upgrade your small laundry room, contact us to schedule a free design session!
