How Do I... Maximise Storage Space in My Tiny Laundry?
Smart storage is the key to making a small laundry work – a decluttering expert reveals how you can achieve it
Georgia Madden
11 January 2018
In this practical series, we ask experts to answer your burning design and decorating questions. Here, Debbie Buckley, professional organiser at Gold Coast firm Downsized Living and a member of the Institute of Professional Organisers (IOPO), suggests some smart strategies for squeezing storage into a compact laundry.
The laundry is often the smallest room in the home, yet it’s required to perform multiple functions – it’s somewhere to wash, dry and sort clothes, as well as a place to store everything from cleaning products and batteries to brooms. If space is particularly tight in your laundry and your cupboards are bursting at the seams, it might be time to consider putting some new storage systems in place.
As the laundry is a functional spot that’s often used every day, particularly if you’re doing laundry for a busy family, you’ll want a storage set-up that helps prevent clutter from building up and allows you to find essentials with ease.
As the laundry is a functional spot that’s often used every day, particularly if you’re doing laundry for a busy family, you’ll want a storage set-up that helps prevent clutter from building up and allows you to find essentials with ease.
Cupboards
Cupboards are the perfect spot to store folded towels and linen as well as extra cleaning products. You can set a bank of cupboards low or high, or run large cupboards right from floor to ceiling. Store those items you use frequently within easy reach and those you use less often at the upper and lower points of cupboards.
Flexible shelving is a good idea as it will allow you to set shelves at the right heights for you. And don’t forget to label cupboard doors or interior shelves so that it’s easy for every member of the family to put things back where they belong.
Cupboards are the perfect spot to store folded towels and linen as well as extra cleaning products. You can set a bank of cupboards low or high, or run large cupboards right from floor to ceiling. Store those items you use frequently within easy reach and those you use less often at the upper and lower points of cupboards.
Flexible shelving is a good idea as it will allow you to set shelves at the right heights for you. And don’t forget to label cupboard doors or interior shelves so that it’s easy for every member of the family to put things back where they belong.
Wall-mounted pigeon holes
Installing six to nine pigeon holes above your sink will give you plenty of space to store and organise your cleaning and laundry products, while keeping everything within easy reach.
These self-contained spaces are also the ideal size and shape to stack lidded, plastic tubs, where you can house items such as car- and shoe-cleaning kits and extra washing powder. If you prefer to keep such things out of sight, attach doors to the pigeon holes.
Installing six to nine pigeon holes above your sink will give you plenty of space to store and organise your cleaning and laundry products, while keeping everything within easy reach.
These self-contained spaces are also the ideal size and shape to stack lidded, plastic tubs, where you can house items such as car- and shoe-cleaning kits and extra washing powder. If you prefer to keep such things out of sight, attach doors to the pigeon holes.
Pull-out hampers
If you can squeeze one in, consider ditching your freestanding clothes hamper and installing a pull-out drawer hamper instead. You’ll free up precious floor space, and it’s perfect for keeping dirty laundry out of sight.
Ideally the drawer will run from brenchtop to kickboard so you can store a large amount of washing. If you’ve got the space, consider installing two drawer hampers side by side, one for whites and one for colours.
If you can squeeze one in, consider ditching your freestanding clothes hamper and installing a pull-out drawer hamper instead. You’ll free up precious floor space, and it’s perfect for keeping dirty laundry out of sight.
Ideally the drawer will run from brenchtop to kickboard so you can store a large amount of washing. If you’ve got the space, consider installing two drawer hampers side by side, one for whites and one for colours.
Drawer dividers
Drawers are great for storing small items such as batteries and light bulbs. Just be careful to avoid the ‘second drawer down’ scenario commonly found in kitchens, where the drawer below the cutlery drawer is a jumbled mess.
Drawer dividers are the key to keeping small items organised. There are several different styles to choose from, including ones with built-in separators that go the full length of drawers (similar to a cutlery tray), or individual receptacles that can be mixed and matched to suit your requirements.
Drawers are great for storing small items such as batteries and light bulbs. Just be careful to avoid the ‘second drawer down’ scenario commonly found in kitchens, where the drawer below the cutlery drawer is a jumbled mess.
Drawer dividers are the key to keeping small items organised. There are several different styles to choose from, including ones with built-in separators that go the full length of drawers (similar to a cutlery tray), or individual receptacles that can be mixed and matched to suit your requirements.
Install a hanging rail
A hanging rail or tension rod, even a fairly narrow one, can be one of the most useful additions to your laundry. Use it to air dry wet clothes, hang freshly ironed items, or leave swimmers to dry. A wall-to-wall style is ideal, but if that’s not an option in your laundry, consider an upside-down style that can be mounted under shelves or wall cupboards. Alternatively, consider a space-savvy, ceiling-mounted clothes airer.
A hanging rail or tension rod, even a fairly narrow one, can be one of the most useful additions to your laundry. Use it to air dry wet clothes, hang freshly ironed items, or leave swimmers to dry. A wall-to-wall style is ideal, but if that’s not an option in your laundry, consider an upside-down style that can be mounted under shelves or wall cupboards. Alternatively, consider a space-savvy, ceiling-mounted clothes airer.
Choose stackable machines
Stacking your dryer above your washing machine, rather than having the machines side by side, will free up valuable floor space in your laundry. You can then use the extra space for storage, such as a pull-out hamper drawer or additional cupboards.
Stacking your dryer above your washing machine, rather than having the machines side by side, will free up valuable floor space in your laundry. You can then use the extra space for storage, such as a pull-out hamper drawer or additional cupboards.
Where to find hidden storage opportunities
- The back of a laundry door can come in very handy when space is tight. Over-door hangers can be used to hang everything from brooms and mops to raincoats. Or use the back of the laundry door to hang the ironing board from a special, over-the-door hook.
- If you have a spare section of wall, why not use it to install a flip-down ironing board.
- The top of cupboards is an often under-utilised storage spot. Store items you only use occasionally up there, or ones you’d prefer to keep out of reach of children.
- Lift the washer and dryer off the floor add a low drawer underneath.
- Add a pull-out drying rack under an overhead cupboard, a narrow cupboard between appliances for mops and brooms, or a sliding shelf beneath the benchtop to increase your bench space.
And don’t forget your walls
When laundry space is tight, the walls provide a wonderful opportunity for extra storage. Take your pick from open shelves, wall-mounted cupboards, or rails attached to the wall where you can hang small baskets or plastic caddies. Boost this with wall hooks for hand towels, dustpans and the like.
When laundry space is tight, the walls provide a wonderful opportunity for extra storage. Take your pick from open shelves, wall-mounted cupboards, or rails attached to the wall where you can hang small baskets or plastic caddies. Boost this with wall hooks for hand towels, dustpans and the like.
Tell us
How have you squeezed extra storage into your small laundry? Tell us in the Comments below. And don’t forget to like, share or bookmark this story. Join the conversation.
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How have you squeezed extra storage into your small laundry? Tell us in the Comments below. And don’t forget to like, share or bookmark this story. Join the conversation.
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Read more ‘How Do I…’ stories
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There are HEAPS of spaces and nooks in a laundry that can be converted to great storage. For example, under the sink... you can conceal slide out laundry baskets around the pipes and plumbing. Tall cabinets can be used to hide brooms and mops AND USE all the available space around. So many storage ideas don't require you to "start from scratch", they are actually DIY projects or easily done by local handyman. Following this link - you'll love the many laundry storage ideas.
I spent hours on the layout for our small, narrow laundry. With a family of only 4 (2 ad + 2 sch ch) it is a work-horse. So function & layout were important to me.
My final layout is custom joinery along one wall, with:
- 70cm deep bench for sorting & folding, washer, condensing dryer & narrow sink;
- 3 overhead cupboards to ceiling; and
- 2 full height cupboards. One with full height 'elfa' pull-out wire basket stack for dirty clothes, storage & space for the ironing board; the other for vacuum cleaner, mops etc. (The photo only shows the one of these cupboards)
Unfortunately, advice from our architect for this room was negligible. He told me he was not interested in space that was not 'on show' & that it was not important. This was disappointing for such a hard-working room, but I later found out that he did not use laundry in his home.
While I would have preferred a bigger laundry that permitted more functions, it was one of the trade-offs we accepted. It is absolutely a 1 person working space and that's fine for us. This room works extremely well for my family & I.
The final important addition for me now is a mini clothes on the wall opposite the cupboards.
I designed my own laundry in a retro fit. I recycled some blackwood upper cabinets and a bank of drawers below. Brooms are hidden behind the entry door on hooks and a narrow cupboard fits my ironing board and carpet sweeper style vacuum. It houses most of my pets' needs, as well as all my cleaning gear and dirty laundry. I used colours and textures to go with my 1960s house. My cabinet maker was as thrilled with the result as I was and even designed and made the frame for the mirror over the trough to elevate it to inviting powder room status!
The hatch, that was likely an external window prior to a 1970 addition of the sunroom, means the tiny galley laundry, never feels claustrophobic and gives great views of the TV and views through to the back garden!
So sorry your architect was utterly recalcitrant on the laundry design front try2, but it seems your own efforts have yielded great results!