Tame the mess in your laundry room and keep it free from clutter with this declutter guide!
It’s hard enough to motivate yourself to do the laundry, but when the room itself is cluttered, it makes the task more overwhelming.
Apart from that, if you use the laundry room for other functions such as recycling, shoe storage, or an unofficial dumping ground for items that do not have their own designated places in the house, this room will surely have more than the usual clutter.
To motivate you and your family to do the laundry, and love the space, it helps to declutter the laundry room! No matter how big or small it is, it will benefit from a good declutter session.
Don’t know where to start? No problem! Here are some tips to help you declutter the laundry room!
1. Empty out the room.
Decluttering is always better when you start with an empty slate. So, empty out the room. Take all the items out from the cabinets and drawers.
No need to move the washer and the dryer – unless you plan to do some rearrangement too.
When you empty out the room, it will be easier for you to step back and envision how you want your laundry room to be and how to easily achieve it.
2. Start the purge.
Have a trash can and a couple of boxes during this stage to make everything a little easier.
Group all items into piles of trash, repair, keep, sell, recycle, or donate. This will be a breeze compared to the decisions you have to make in other rooms.
Get rid of products that are left untouched for months because these do not do the work for you. Donate or give these away.
I prefer doing this as I empty out the laundry room. Removing all the items from your drawers, shelves, or cabinets allows you to take a good look at your stuff and lets you evaluate these better, compared to just simply looking at the items.
Remember: only keep items that you really need and use! The fewer items you have, the less you need to clean up, and the neater the whole laundry room will look!
What to purge
When purging, ask yourself the following questions:
Do I use this regularly? If not, when was the last time I used it?
Do I have another item that serves a similar purpose? Which item do I like better?
Is this in good working condition?
Will I be using this soon?
Now here’s a quick list of some of the common items you may purge in the laundry room:
- Empty bottles and containers
- Misshapen and rusty hangers
- Hardened laundry detergent
- Socks with no partners
- Products that you do not like or do not meet your expectations
3. Clean up.
While you have an empty slate, do a quick clean up of the room. It will be easier and faster to clean without all the items in it.
Looking at a clean floor and a clean countertop in the laundry room will motivate you to really make something out of the room!
Tips for cleaning your washing machine:
- Clean your washing machine with two cups of vinegar and water. Run the machine on a hot regular cycle. After this, use the same water to scrub the inside of the washing machine.
- Use a vacuum cleaner to clean off any debris and dust from behind the machines.
- Clean off the lint trap with a dryer lint brush then use your vacuum to clean the brush. Repeat the process until you notice there is no more lint sticking on the brush.
- Sanitize surfaces with all-purpose wipes. This does not only keep the bacteria away but also helps to remove stains before they set in permanently.
- Freshen up your laundry baskets and hampers using an all-purpose cleaner and damp rag.
- Make sure everything you cleaned is completely dry before you start using them again.
4. Separate the room into zones.
As much as possible, only keep laundry-related items in the laundry room.
Now, not all homes are created the same. There are homes that do not have a dedicated laundry room. Either it’s a simple closet or it’s a corner in the basement or garage.
On the other hand, some homes have laundry rooms that are bigger than what you really need in a laundry room. So you can use the extra space for other functions like being a mudroom or just some extra storage space.
If you’re using the laundry room for other purposes, separating the room into zones is an important step. Each activity or purpose should have its own space so that every item has its own designated spot in the room.
For instance, one area will store cleaning supplies, the other will be for laundry supplies. Then another area will be for folding and ironing, and another area can serve as a mudroom corner.
This way, your stuff will not have to be mixed together. It will be easier to organize so the room can always stay neat. Remember, a room gets messy when items do not have their own rightful place.
So after cleaning the laundry room, assess whether you need to do some rearrangement. Like maybe the current setup you have of the room is not so functional because the folding zone is far from the dryer. Or your laundry products are stored away from the washing machine.
Think of functionality and traffic flow when arranging so that you can easily move around from one zone to the next and get the task done faster.
5. Set up a storage system for each zone.
Proper storage system is the key to a cleaner and more organized room – no matter which room it is.
Now if your laundry room does not have built-in counters, cabinets, or shelves, perhaps it’s about time to add some! You can always DIY the project or have one installed.
Look at the items that you usually store in the room to determine what storage solutions fit best.
Tips for a functional storage system in the laundry room:
- Organize items by category.
- Place items that you barely use on the top shelves and the ones you use all the time in lower shelves for easier access.
- Make use of clear bins or jars so that you can easily see what is inside and assess if you are running low on supplies.
- Make use of matching decorative baskets to store items on a floating shelf so that everything looks neat and uniform.
- Consider installing more counter space. This will give you more space to fold your clothes right in the laundry room.
- If you need more hanging bars in the room, you can simply DIY the project using tension bars.
6. Put things back.
After you declutter the laundry room, you know now which items must be kept. It is time to put those items back in their rightful place in accordance with the storage systems that you set up.
Don’t forget to set up a small trash can in the room for easily throwing away fabric softener sheets, lint, and other trash.
Also, keep a few containers available for loose change, loose buttons, and other knick-knacks that have been forgotten in pockets.
7. Set ground rules.
Now that the laundry room is neat and tidy and there is an organization system in place, it is time to gather everyone around and set some ground rules. Be sure to list them down so you will be able to cover everything.
This will help you maintain the orderliness in the laundry room. Hang up a signboard to remind everyone of the rules.
Here are some samples of very helpful ground rules that you can adopt in your home.
- Have a three-bag laundry hamper. Family members should separates their whites, light colors, and dark colors when they put their dirty clothes in. This speeds up the task since you no longer have to sort the clothes.
- Use mesh pouches when washing socks so the pairs do not get separated.
- Show everyone where items should be stored so that they can return these items in their proper place when they use the room.
Decluttering the laundry room doesn’t have to be a daunting task.
Remember, the key to a good declutter is preplanning. Figure out what you want to achieve or how you would like the room to look like when you are done.
If you have no idea, you can always go online and look at pictures to inspire you.
Now it is easy to overlook the clutter inside a laundry room since you may not be using it every day. So when you declutter the laundry room, clean it up, and organize it too.
Create a room that does not only look good. It must be functional so that laundry is easier for you and your family!
For an even more motivating laundry time, decorate your laundry room! Here are simple decorating ideas that you can follow!
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