10 Big Ways to Organize a Tiny Laundry Room • Organizenvy

Not everyone is blessed with a spacious laundry room (myself included). And it may feel like there’s just no way to keep this area neat and tidy and efficient. I’m here to change that!

Those of us with less space CAN, in fact, streamline and organize a tiny laundry room with some creativity…and help from fellow organizing experts.

Check out my top 10 BIG ways to organize even the smallest of laundry spaces below. There’s some great inspiration in here!

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1. Declutter First

Step one of ANY organizing project is ALWAYS to declutter. Decluttering means:

Toss/recycle anything broken or expired
Donate unused items (in good condition)
Remove items that don’t belong in the space

When organizing a small space, it’s really important to set clear boundaries on what the space will be used for. This will help ensure the space works for you and your organizing efforts save time and effort long-term.

For my teensy laundry room, this meant storing only laundry and ironing supplies (detergent, softener, bleach/stain, starch), brooms/mops and cleaning supplies for carpet/pet/upholstery.

I moved everything else (like daily household cleaners, sponges & brushes, etc.) to the kitchen or bathroom.

Organize a Tiny Laundry Room: Before — _{Photo Credit: Organizenvy}

Everything is decluttered… however, (as you can see in the photo) it still needs to be organized. On to the next step!

2. Group Like Items Into Labeled Bins

Step two is to group the remaining items by category. I stored my supplies in large woven bins above my washer and dryer with category labels:

Organize a tiny laundry room: use bins and labels to store items by category. — _{Photo Credit: Organizenvy}

Amazon offers a set of the seagrass bins in my laundry room here.

I made the labels with balsa wood, chalkboard paint and my Cricut (see more DIY label ideas here). Another really cute option would be these basket label clips that come with an erasable chalk marker:

Basket Bin Labels Clip on | Label Holders for Basket or Storage Bins | Metal Hanging Bin Clip Labels | Chalkboard Labels for Baskets - Black Finish [Pack of 6] - Includes [1] White Chalk Marker

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If you’re the crafty type, here’s a super-cute project idea from Craftsy Hacks: make a storage box from an old sweater! (How apropros for a laundry room.)

3. Use the Wall for Storage

To organize a tiny laundry room, we need to maximize every inch of usable space. This means using that valuable wall space! I didn’t like how my brooms and mop leaned in the corner, so I mounted brackets and hung them and my ironing board instead:

Organize a tiny laundry room: wall mounts for ironing board and cleaning tools — _{Photo Credit: Organizenvy}

Amazon has a wide variety of wall brackets to hang brooms, mops and other cleaning tools here. Here’s a similar ironing board wall mount:

Brabantia Wall-Mounted Iron Rest and Hanging Ironing Board Holder - Cool Gray, 385742 , Black

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4. Add Shelving or Cabinets

My laundry room thankfully came with a built-in shelf. If yours didn’t, consider installing a shelf or two or even some pre-built cabinets…if you’re the handy type! A few examples that you can purchase for a DIY project:

Wire Shelving

Stephanie from Cottage Living added storage to her narrow laundry room by installing a simple wire shelf high along one wall. This is a smart, affordable solution that can be accomplished without a lot of DIY experience.

Wire shelf kits like this one can be found at your local home improvement store or on Amazon:

Rubbermaid Direct Wall Mount Closet Shelf, 3 Ft. Wide, Mounting Hardware Kit Included, White, Wire Shelving Organizer System for Home/Laundry/Bathroom/Mudroom/Pantry/Linen Closet

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Paint & Mount Unfinished Cabinets

Erin and Eric from The DIY Nuts bought unfinished stock cabinets, painted and mounted them above the washer and dryer. Beautiful and budget-friendly way to add storage!

Unfinished cabinets are usually easy to find at a home improvement store. If you’d prefer not to paint them yourself, Amazon has a wide selection of wall-mounted cabinets to choose from.

Customized IKEA Cabinets

Organize a tiny laundry room: customizing IKEA cabinets is an affordable way to upgrade laundry room storage. — _{Photo Credit: Birdz of a Feather}

IKEA is another fab source for inexpensive cabinets, and many DIYers have found lovely ways to customize them. The duo at Birdz of a Feather bought the frames and rail system for these beautiful upper cabinets and then custom-built the fronts.

5. Install a Rod to Hang Clothes

Give those air-dry clothes a place to hang! I have very little spare wall space, so I’m eyeing this collapsible over-the-door version:

Honey-Can-Do Space-Saving, Over-The-Door Collapsible Hanger Holder, Chrome HNG-01519 Chrome

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You can also install a simple tension rod or curtain rod on the wall or beneath a shelf, like The Typical Mom:

6. Assign Laundry Baskets to Each Family Member

I don’t have space for laundry to pile up, so each family member gets their own basket for clothes to be loaded into after drying to be put away. I like to keep them stacked neatly on the dryer until laundry day.

Cook Clean Then Repeat does the same thing, with color-coded baskets:

Organize a tiny laundry room: use color-coded laundry baskets for each family member to make laundry day easier. — _{Photo Credit: Cook Clean Then Repeat}

7. Use ALL the Tight Spaces

Don’t forget: you can maximize that small, awkward space between your washer and dryer (or appliance and wall) with a smart, narrow utility cart! I love the look of this steel cart by mDesign. Just measure first to ensure proper clearance.

mDesign Steel Rolling Utility Cart Storage Organizer Trolley with 3 Basket Shelves for Laundry Room, Mudroom, Garage, Bathroom Organization - Holds Detergents, Hand Soap - Biro Collection, Silver

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8. Prevent Clothes From Falling Behind the Washer/Dryer

It’s beyond annoying to try to retrieve a sock that’s fallen behind the dryer. A fabulous solution to this universal problem: a magnetic laundry guard! It snaps right on to your washer and/or dryer. (Front-loading washers only.) How awesome is this?

Haus Maus - The Original Laundry Guard - Keeps Laundry from Falling Behind Your Washer/Dryer - Magnetic - Fits Most Front Load Machines - 50.5' x 21' x 8' Made in North America (Slate Gray)

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9. Keep Daily Items Accessible

I love my woven baskets because they keep everything looking tidy. However, when you organize a tiny laundry room, you also need to keep the items you use most easily accessible.

So, rather than pull down a large basket every time I need detergent, I stored my pods in a large glass jar in the middle of my shelf.

You can store not only detergent, but dryer balls or sheets too. Another option for storing detergent is a clear plastic canister with a scoop, like in this image from Jar of Lemons:

Organize a tiny laundry room: use clear plastic canisters to store detergent for easy access. — _{Photo Credit: Jar of Lemons}

The benefit of using clear containers is you’ll know when you’re running low and need to add detergent to the grocery list.

10. Make It Pretty AND Functional

I’m all for styling a laundry room! When it’s a small space, I recommend combining style with function so you keep things streamlined and usable. Here are some great examples:

Cute Pail & Jar for Laundry Needs

How adorable is this little setup from Home Made Lovely? A pretty pail for lint (why didn’t I think of that?) and a jar for dryer sheets on a tray on top of the dryer. Love!