5 Keys to an Organized Laundry Room

Organize your laundry room today and bid farewell to spills and lost clothes. Follow five simple and quick tips that turn the laundry room from drab to fab. With a clean, bright and well-organized clothes-washing area, laundry will no longer be a dreaded chore.

1. Take out Everything

An organized laundry room is a clean area. Scrub the clothes-washing room from top to bottom and get rid of the caked-on dust and previously spilled laundry soap. Of course, before you can even get to the scrubbing chore, empty out the area entirely. Do not just move laundry machines and dryer appliances from left to right; instead, completely empty out everything and then clean.

2. Add Lighting

Task lighting is frequently harsh, and many are the laundry rooms that feature little more than a sole light bulb hanging from the ceiling. Consider using under-cabinet lighting, recessed lights or solar tubes. Avoid the functional but drab solutions that are cheap; sure, they're easy on the pocketbook, but they also do not add much pizazz to the area.

3. Paint & Pretty Up

Laundry room makeovers usually call for a fresh coat of paint. Do not skimp on this step! A nice new coat of paint turns a small, drab room into a bright and cheery area. Complete the makeover with a decorative wallpaper border. It offers definition to the room and gives you an opportunity to add some whimsy to an otherwise functional space.

4. Add Laundry Room Cabinets That Work

Logic dictates that laundry room cabinets hang above the washer and dryer. Too bad that this precludes most average-sized women from reaching their contents! If you are not averse to keeping a step ladder handy, go ahead and opt for the standard fare.

If adding gymnastics and aerobics to the task is not your idea of doing laundry, skip the difficult-to-reach cabinets in favor of hanging organizers and milk crate storage cubbies. Mount a fold-down ironing board and swinging shelves that allow for additional storage as needed.

5. Ban the Clutter

Laundry room organization demands that only clothes-washing items are granted entry into the area. An organized laundry room should not be the temporary overflow storage for the children's rooms or the kitchen pantry. Commit to not having laundry room cabinets hold anything other than detergents, a well-stocked sewing kit and related odds and ends.

Now functional and attractive, the clothes-washing space is now a well-designed area that caters to the task while also pleasing the senses. Who knew it could be this simple?