Keep dirty laundry neatly organized and off the floor.
Your laundry room can be a gathering place for your family's dirty laundry, making it easy to toss items into the washing machine as soon as you have a full load. Keeping the dirty laundry organized and not too aromatic are challenges that face you when you begin organizing your home this way. Fortunately, there are several options, so you can find one that suits nearly any layout. Does this Spark an idea?
Canvas Bins
If you have extra wall and floor space, set up three canvas laundry bins: one for darks, one for lights and one for sheets and towels. You can purchase pre-made frames that include three canvas bins together or buy individual bins and frames on your own. Tall, thin bag-style canvas bins are best and many have attractive chrome or wood frames. The most important part in selecting your bins is to make sure the canvas can be removed from the frame. This way, you can run the bins themselves through the washing machine if they become smelly.
Buy or build a rolling card for your bins so you can push them out of the way as needed. If you have extra room, hang a small mesh lingerie bag off the side of the lights bin so you can sort delicate items out separately. Make sure your family members all know to empty their pockets before sending the laundry through. If smell is a problem due to athletic socks or similar items, get bins with lids and hang a bag of lavender or some other light, natural scent above your storage bins.
Vertical Shelving
Small laundry rooms may not have space for roll-around bins. In that case, use your vertical space and place tubs or baskets along a sturdy shelf set above the washer and dryer. Make sure you can lift any top-load lids comfortably beneath the shelving. Keep at least three bins on the shelf (lights, darks and sheets and towels or delicates) and line them with washable liners. You can use nearly any type of bin--plastic, wicker, cloth or wire--that suits your decorating style. If you have additional shelves above the bins, make sure there is plenty of room to toss laundry in over the basket tops. Keep a folding step stool hung on the back of the door or on a wall in the room to help you safely lift the laundry down from the shelves.
Cabinets
Keep your laundry baskets or bins in a closed cabinet to give your laundry room a tidy look. Use kitchen base-style cabinets and place your bin style of choice inside them, and add a counter top with an 8 to 10-inch diameter hole drilled over the area for each bin. You can drop laundry through the holes into the bins, and then remove the bins when you are ready to do laundry. Make sure you line the holes with something smooth so clothing won't snag on rough edges. Use the rest of the counter top for storing laundry soap, ironing supplies and other related items.
If you prefer a tall, pantry-style cabinet to a counter top, use the lower shelves for bins and upper shelves for supplies. You can also cut holes in these doors for laundry drop-offs, but the room will look neater if the doors are solid and you simply open them to add more dirty laundry. Keep a deodorizer in the cabinet to make sure the room stays fresh.
Tags: dirty laundry, bins make, bins make sure, have extra, laundry through, Make sure
