Love Your Laundry Room: Cheap and Easy Updates to Make the Chore More Efficient, Effective, and Enjoyable

Love Your Laundry Room: Cheap and Easy Updates to Make the Chore More Efficient, Effective, and Enjoyable
An updated laundry room makes for a more pleasant and efficient laundry experience.Yuganov Konstantin/Shutterstock
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The average family with children does 300 loads of laundry per year, according to professional cleaner Molly Maid, and most laundry rooms are used once a week. Make this chore more pleasant and improve efficiency by creating a space that’s attractive and organized specifically for the task.

If it’s been decades since your last laundry room remodel—replacing the washer and dryer don’t count—or if the room has never been properly finished, you’re probably overdue for an update. It can be as simple as installing new lighting, or even just the right bulbs (as close to CRI 100 or “sunlight” as possible), to brighten up the task and make stains easier to see and pre-treat.

If you have matching front-load machines, top them with a washer/dryer countertop for more folding space.(ImageFlow/Shutterstock)
If you have matching front-load machines, top them with a washer/dryer countertop for more folding space.ImageFlow/Shutterstock

No More Wasted Space

One of the quickest, easiest, and cheapest fixes—and one that provides instant gratification and inspiration for the rest of the revamp—is to hang your ironing board on the wall, using double coat hooks available at any hardware store. It clears up floor space and you can use a pretty new cover to convert even an old ironing board into a perky DIY form of “wall art.”

In a similar vein, add a skinny laundry room cart with three-shelf slim storage slide-outs, designed to maximize the tight space between a side-by-side washer and dryer. A laundry cart on wheels hides and organizes detergents, the clothes iron, and other laundry supplies.

If you have matching front-load machines, maximize function by topping them with a washer/dryer countertop. It can be as simple as a piece of wood cut to size and painted to create a large, flat surface for sorting and folding. Or, you could insert custom-made cabinets, or a store-bought model. You can also consider a washer pedestal that raises the twin front-load machines to make them easier to use and creates storage space beneath.

Box shelves offer a wide variety of sizes to be hung over, in between, and around the room. Fill them with baskets to organize your detergent, dryer sheets, and spray starch neatly. Consider hanging a clothes rod between them for wet clothes (be sure there’s a protective surface underneath to catch the drips) or dry clothes that you don’t want to wrinkle before you iron them. Lastly, if your layout allows, adding a shelf behind the door can maximize an otherwise typically overlooked storage opportunity.

Paint tops the list of budget updates for most projects, and the laundry room is no exception.(FabrikaSimf/Shutterstock)
Paint tops the list of budget updates for most projects, and the laundry room is no exception.FabrikaSimf/Shutterstock

The Beauty of Laundry

New paint tops the list of budget-friendly updates for most projects, and the laundry room is no exception. For the cost of a brush and a gallon of paint—or less if your room is very small—you can totally revamp the space. Simple white is an easy choice, followed by a pristine gray; yellow brightens the room, blue is soothing, and sage green is zen. Or you can go for tuxedo formal: White machines, shelves, and cabinets set against black walls. It’s all about personal taste.

Which leads to the next thought: This room is a great place to test a paint color before spreading it to larger areas of the home. If you hate it, it isn’t that big of a fix. A small laundry room is also the perfect spot to use leftover wallpaper or remnants bought on sale.

Doing a wash load means being on your feet, so consider adding a nice rug to soften the room. Another thing that has a big effect but isn’t often considered is to hang a piece of art, perhaps something whimsical, that makes you smile. Avoid tongue-in-cheek prints with laundry themes.

Update cabinet handles, particularly if they’re boring builder-grade; if you have a laundry sink, install a nicer faucet. And bring in the greenery; whether real plants or a quality silk, nature is refreshing. Start thinking of this as just another room in the house, and let your imagination fly.

Sorting Station

A well-designed laundry room adds value to your home; organized systems are highly coveted these days. Additionally, creating a laundry room that everyone enjoys spending time in can lead to better organization throughout the rest of the house.

Start by taking the hampers out of each of the bathrooms and put them in the laundry room. If you have little kids, this may not be possible, but even a single laundry basket hidden in a hall closet can go a long way to keeping floors and chair backs neater.

Organizing laundry for a big family is an art form. Make it easier by using a light/dark/color sorting basket for incoming attire, and giving each family member a labeled decorative basket or mesh drawer in a shelf unit for their newly clean shirts, socks, and other clothes. This will also save you valuable “delivery” time.

If there’s space for it, consider adding a fold-out iron for quick touch-ups. Take a moment and print out a handy guide for stain removal, then frame and hang it to share your expertise when you aren’t around.

All-In-1 Clean

Make the laundry room Clean Central: Move your mop, bucket, and all those cleaning supplies jammed under the sink out of the kitchen and into the laundry room.

Wall-Mounted Wonder

Hang a wall-mounted tool organizer on the wall or behind the laundry room door to hold the mop, broom, Swiffer sweeper, and other tools. The best units feature hooks between the tool clips to hold a dustpan, brushes, sponges with loops, and more.

Every Room Sparkling

Take a tip from hotel housekeepers and create a cleaning caddy that allows you to carry all your cleaning essentials from room to room. A basic kit should include an all-purpose cleaner, disinfectant, tub and tile cleaner, toilet bowl cleaner, glass cleaner, dusting spray, scrub brush, microfiber cloths, and rubber gloves.

Fuss-Free Vacuuming

The laundry room is the ideal space to store a vacuum. The machine is easily accessible and hidden from guests, and it frees up valuable closet space that you’d otherwise use. And when cleaning, you can start in the laundry room and then move into the kitchen—two rooms you’d probably otherwise skip.
Sandy Lindsey
Sandy Lindsey
Author
Sandy Lindsey is an award-winning writer who covers home, gardening, DIY projects, pets, and boating. She has two books with McGraw-Hill.
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