August is a good month to organize the laundry area. Vacation is over and the laundry has stacked up since return. Team practices have begun and caused extra laundry. Your laundry zone may be bursting at the seams! Laundry zones can be located almost anywhere in a home. I can remember my mother’s was in the basement and even had a laundry chute where clothes could be dropped from either level of the house and land in an open laundry basket. (I believe a cat or two also got a laundry chute ride as well.) My laundry area is in a small room off my living room that was once a porch. If you look at the picture, you can see my dryer is just a drying rack. My handy husband enclosed the area so when it is not in use, it is not seen. Wherever your area, utilize every square inch. Shelves can be added to give extra storage space. Make sure the area is well lit. You’ll want your laundry soap, dryer sheets, stain removers, sponges, and scrubbing brushes near your washer. If you buy your detergent in large containers, transfer some into smaller containers that are easier to handle and will less likely be spilled. Post a stain-removal chart on the wall. Counter space is helpful for laying out items to treat or a place to fold clothes. I use a small table that is in the adjacent area. If you have room, you might buy a small table for your area. A bar or bracket to hang hangers for shirts taken out of the dryer is useful. It does not have to be large but just enough to hold what would come out of one load (because, of course, you are going to immediately put them away ;-} ) Even if you have a dryer, a drying rack hung on the wall is handy for drying items you don’t want to toss in the dryer. Have a container handy for tossing in the items you find in pockets or loose buttons. If possible, have your ironing board, iron, and water or starch spray bottles in this location. A stack of colored laundry baskets is a handy way to sort clean clothes for each member of the family and for one for the bath/bed linens. When the laundry is taken out of the dryer and folded, immediately put it in the correct basket. Each family member can pick up their baskets, put their clothes away, and return the basket. Have dirty clothes stay in the various clothes hampers in bedrooms or bathrooms until you are ready to do the laundry. That keeps the laundry area from accumulating heaps and mound of dirty laundry (which cats also love to hide in).
I would love to hear about any laundry zone tips you have tried.
Jonda S. Beattie Professional Organizer
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