Laundry Storage Ideas – Tips From The Experts

Laundries have come a long way since the days of the sterile, uninspiring ‘out-back’ laundry room. Which is not surprising given that they are one of the most used rooms in the house (most of us visit the laundry at least once a day!)

But whether you’ve got a separate laundry room or even a transformed cupboard, making the most out of the area that you have available is critical. Plus, there is no better way to be inspired by the often-mundane chore of washing than undertaking it in a stylish, functional space. Here are some of our favourite laundry storage ideas.

Wall storage

Wall storage, including cupboards, can be a practical solution to alleviating the untidiness that sometimes comes with a busy laundry, so try and maximise your cabinetry as much as possible.

‘Floating shelves’ can be an inexpensive way to create additional space for storing cleaning products or stacking towels, particularly if you make use of some functional pull-out baskets. Built-in areas can also keep everything looking tidy, without taking over any floor space. Be clever about how you use the space below your ceiling as well by mounting cabinets or adjustable shelving to the wall above your dryer and washing machine.

In terms of modern laundry ideas, investing in tall wall shelving will give you room for multiple bins or laundry baskets that will enable you to separate clothes by colour, type and required care.

And if space is a real issue, some great small laundry ideas include stacking your dryer and washing machine on top of one another, or opting for a combination washer/dryer to truly maximise space. Adding a shelf between your appliances that pulls out and retracts will allow you to fold items fresh from the dryer, and then slide back in so that it’s out of sight. Or alternatively, think about investing in a laundry pedestal with a drawer. These not only ergonomically raise your front loader or dryer to the perfect height, they provide a clever storage solution as well.

Hanging storage

If you’re short on space in the laundry then you need to take advantage of every available nook and cranny. Hanging wire storage racks are great for storing bits and pieces, and if they include hooks are ideal for hanging lingerie or other smaller items to dry.

In an ideal world, laundries would have a variety of hanging spaces for garments of different lengths, but as our homes have decreased in size, the notion of squeezing ample drying space into one laundry is sometimes a little tricky. The solution? Built-in or retractable drying racks. A retractable clothesline or drying rack can be placed under a shelf and wall-mounted so that it folds out when you’re ready to use it.

When it comes to clever laundry storage, drying racks can also be hidden inside cupboards and if you install a heating vent in the floor below them, you’ll maximise air-drying, minimise wrinkles and hopefully decrease ironing time!

Rods inside cupboards, under shelves or on the wall above your countertop can also be ideal for drying items or hanging freshly ironed clothing. Or you can truly up the ante with a ceiling mounted version that can be designed to operate on a pulley system, which can be lowered to a manageable height when it comes time to load it up with wet washing.

Cupboard and drawer storage

In terms of laundry room storage ideas, maximising space can be as simple as investing in cupboard space of varying sizes, including smaller areas for cleaning items and a taller cupboard for things like dustpans, mops and brooms.

Dividers on existing cupboard shelves can help to separate things like linen and towels, drawer dividers keep similar items together, and decanting detergents and fabric softeners into glass jars within easy reach will keep everything looking spick and span as well.

Labelled laundry baskets within larger pull-out drawers will help you separate whites, darks and delicates prior to washing, and cabinets and drawers can also be upgraded by adding plastic tubs and adjustable shelving that will allow you to change the height of your storage space when you need to.

Or consider the space-savvy option of a multi-basket trolley – keep it in the bathroom and then all you need to do is wheel it into the laundry when it’s weekly washing time! You can also make use of narrow spaces (between your top loader and the wall for example) by investing in a wheelable storage cart – these are perfect for keeping detergents and softeners right where you need them.

And don’t forget your doors! Over-the-door racks are ideal for storing cleaning supplies and even simple hooks mounted on the back of your laundry door will provide additional space to hang laundry bags or dry delicate items.

Fold-up storage

Out of sight truly is out of mind, particularly when it comes to laundry storage ideas. Bench tops mounted above your dryer or washing machine can give you ample room to fold and sort laundry, particularly if they are hinged versions that fold up when they’re not in use.

And let’s talk about the most cumbersome laundry appliance of them all – your ironing board. For what is essentially a thin sheet of metal on an expandable frame, these can often take up way more space than they should. Portable ironing boards can be unstable, plus they are difficult to store without looking, well, just plain messy!

Fold-down ironing boards can be mounted inside a cupboard, on a wall or even behind a door, and they can be folded away easily after the ironing’s all done. Custom-designed cupboards are also an option – these have a height-adjustable ironing board inside that can be rotated depending on your preferred ironing style. Whoever said doing laundry was a chore!

Inspired to change-up your current laundry? We don’t just ‘do’ bathrooms! Contact the experts at All Bathroom Gear today on (07) 3391 8628.