24 Laundry Room Storage Solutions to Freshen Up Your Space

Storage for Tight Quarters

Bathroom laundry room — Michael Partenio

Because you can't afford to waste a sliver of space, take tiny laundry room storage as high as possible with creative shelving. Keep the laundry storage tower design simple to prevent the room from feeling overcrowded. Stacked washer and dryer units leave space for lower side shelves rather than limiting the storage with higher shelving.

Editor's Tip

Reserve low shelves for frequently used items so they are easy to access.

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Maximized Space

Whether your laundry room is very small or you have plenty of square footage to work with, it’s in your best interest to maximize your available space. Store cleaning products in lower cabinets, stash small and miscellaneous items in drawers and place laundry supplies on a shelf just above the machines for easy access. Install a variety of wall hooks or under-cabinet rods for hanging items to dry. Upper cabinets can stretch to the ceiling and hold bulk-buy items, such as a jumbo pack of toilet paper or paper towels.

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Clean Aesthetic

white cabinets in laundry room — Laura Moss

Doing laundry can feel like a never-ending chore—probably because it is. However, creating a calm and clutter-free laundry room can make the task less daunting. Whether your laundry room storage is behind cabinet doors or on an open storage cart, everything should be as organized as possible. Use coordinating containers to corral things into categories and add clear labels so that anyone doing a load of wash knows where everything is located. Opt for bins with handles, especially those on higher shelves, so they’re easy to pull down.

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Creative Thinking

laundry room with tile floor — Hector M. Sanchez

Many older homes include the washer and dryer in the kitchen, which isn't ideal because housing fresh food and dirty clothes in the same vicinity can be unhygienic. If your house lacks a separate laundry room, consider other options: Repurpose an unused closet or transform a small sunroom. Doing so will keep your laundry room storage and appliances out of the way, and while you'll likely need to hire a plumber, you can avoid a major home renovation.

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Think Efficiently

Consider adding a laundry space in your mudroom if it has the space and hookup capabilities for a washer and dryer. The things that come in and out of the entryway are usually the dirtiest, so this is an efficient way to gather dirty garments. It’s called a mudroom for a reason, after all. Sweaty sports uniforms, gym clothes, wet bathing suits, and stained clothing can be stripped off, spot-treated, and tossed right into the washing machine before they touch anything else in the house.

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Simple Process

Similarly to a mail-in, mail-out system you might already have in your home office or command center, you can create an inbound and outbound clothing system for each household member. Add gliding pull-out drawers below a countertop in the laundry room: Aim for two stacked vertically and as many as you need across the width of the wall. The bottom drawer can serve as the dirty hamper, while the top will hold clean clothes ready to be put away. The surface above is ideal for folding, and the openness of the drawers allows clothes to breathe.

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Rolling Supplies

Multi-tier rolling carts are one of the most versatile organizing solutions on the market. Place the frequently reached-for items such as detergent, dryer balls, and stain removers on the top tier. Less often used products like bleach and washing machine cleaner can be placed further down. Roll the cart between the appliances or wherever it’s out of your way while working.

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Smart Laundry Room Storage

Craft and laundry room — Heather Anne Thomas

A well-designed layout smartly blends a laundry room and hobby space. A front-loading washer, dryer, and utility sink fit neatly along one wall in this colorful multi-use room. Upper cabinets offer versatile laundry room storage for cleaning products and crafts supplies. A center table is as handy for folding clothes as it is for crafting. Storage between the washer and dryer offers a place for detergent pods and dryer sheets.

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Hidden Asset

blue cabinets in laundry room — John Granen

If you’re lacking a door to the laundry room and are limited on space, this clever hack will help you sneak in an ironing board. A recessed nook in the wall can both hide and store the ironing board. Install it in an area where you'll have room to extend the board, and be sure it's near an outlet for the iron itself. Include a few shallow shelves to store supplies such as spray bottles and lint rollers.

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Appliance Drawers

Some washer and dryer manufacturers conveniently provide storage drawers in the base of the appliance. If you're shopping for a new washer and dryer and your laundry room is short on space, look for this feature. Make the most of a small space with a few laundry room storage shelves, either for supplies or decor.

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Easy-Care Kits

Corral clothes-care supplies in cute laundry room storage bins that clean up quickly if anything drips or spills. Organize other household and laundry items by type in attractive containers and label them so you can find things quickly. Within the bins, use jars or cups to gather smaller supplies.

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Wall Decor

Laundry room decorating — Werner Straube

Hang an ironing board on a sliver of blank wall or the back of the laundry room door to save valuable floor space. Mounting an ironing board holder to the wall is a simple solution for a cramped laundry room—and wall-mount holders set up in seconds. This clever laundry room storage idea uses every inch of space wisely.

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Stylish and Functional

Vintage-looking details and clever use of cabinetry give this spacious, open laundry room its cottage-style charm. Shelves encourage organization and let flea market accessories come alive, while upper and lower cabinetry provide practical laundry room storage for wash day supplies. A laundry room folding table offers room to sort and fold without interrupting traffic flow.

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Small-Space Laundry Closet

A full-size laundry room might not be an option for some condos, apartments, and small homes. For those types of spaces, test this laundry room storage idea. This stacked washer and dryer tucks away in a slim closet off of the kitchen and uses nearby cabinets for storage. Perforated door panels add visual interest and ventilate the laundry area while keeping the appliances out of sight.

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In the Bag

Gather each family member's socks and underwear in a separate mesh bag, then send the whole bag through the washer and dryer. When the cycle ends, each person can grab his or her bag to sort and put away. Use hooks to hang the bags, and attach a label to indicate whether the contents are clean or dirty to keep the laundry system going smoothly.

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Turntable Convenience

Whether you store laundry gear on a countertop or under the sink, using a turntable is an easy way to keep it accessible. Group items by purpose—such as the post-wash supplies shown—for easy, sensible organization. Gather smaller items like clothes pins in a tall container to keep everything organized.

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Open Shelving

Laundry basket labels — Greg Scheidemann

Stash overflowing laundry baskets in open cubbies. They'll look tidy, and the air circulation will help prevent mildew and odor problems. Labeling them by load type or family member helps keep things organized and in one place.

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Clear Canisters

Economy-size boxes of laundry powder save you money, but wrestling with the large container whenever you wash clothes can be a chore. Consider transferring manageable amounts into clear canisters for a laundry room storage idea that you can keep on an open shelf. They look pretty and show when you're getting low on supplies.

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Custom Storage + Work Surface

If you want to install cabinets to make your laundry room storage beautiful and efficient, use a mix of cabinetry options. Combining shelves and drawers provides versatility, which is critical to well-organized storage. A countertop spanning the washer and dryer provides a work surface for sorting and folding garments. A tension rod above the sink provides laundry room hanger storage.

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Slim Down

Maximize tight laundry room storage spaces with a slender shelving unit. Designed to fit between the washer and dryer, the unit is perfectly sized for small jars and containers, and it neatly corrals everything within arm's reach. Use open baskets to gather mismatched socks or items found in pockets.

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A Solution with Style

A space-saving stacked washer and dryer in this closet-turned-laundry area leaves plenty of room to install shelves for storage. If your laundry closet lacks a door like this, conceal it with a cute, colorful shower curtain suspended from a tension rod. The curtain solution hides the otherwise visible laundry room—a definite plus when guests visit.

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Hang Time

The secret to wrinkle-free clothes is hanging them up the moment the dryer buzzes. Extend hang space with an over-the-door rack or valet hook. This small version is perfect for drying undergarments and camisoles.

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Organize with Baskets

Use matching baskets for laundry room storage. Removable cloth liners protect the baskets from spills and can be washed to keep them fresh. Use metal baskets or attractive boxes to store laundry room essentials, such as sheets or towels. Label the boxes to find what you need without lifting a lid.

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Shelf Helpers

Put the space in your laundry room cabinets to better use with a hanging wire shelf unit that hooks onto a cabinet door. Store laundry supplies in cute containers to organize the shelves in a smart and stylish way. Over-door hooks can work on the back of the door to the laundry room to stash the ironing board or extra supplies in a shoe organizer.