4 Steps to Corral those Piles
You may think it’s funny to write about laundry room clutter, but believe it or not, this is an area I have helped people organize on many occasions. Whether you live by yourself or live with an entire family, this out-of-the-way space can become disorganized just like any other area in your house.
Have you bought lots of laundry detergent because you didn’t think you had any? Perhaps you’ve even bought in bulk (think Costco) because you didn’t want to run out. You’ve probably even purchased many different kinds of stain removers, bleach, dryer sheets, and dryer balls.
In addition, how do you sort your clothing? Is everything thrown together, maybe on the floor and maybe in different parts of your house? Do you separate your whites, darks, permanent press, sheets, towels? If you want to separate your items, do you have baskets or containers set up so like goes with like?
Believe it or not, a laundry room (or if you don’t have an actual room, but a closet or an area in another part of your house) can be one quickest area to organize. Here are four (4) steps to help you with the process.
- Decide on whether you want to separate whites, colors, permanent press, sheets, towels, etc. If so, invest in laundry baskets or any other types of container to differentiate the piles. As you can see in the picture (this is my laundry room closet), I used what I already had and designated them as such – brown for permanent press, white with a gray handle for darks, and all white for whites. I did not have to invest in any fancy sorting system. I also separate my sheets and towels and frankly, they are piled on the floor to wash on that particular day. When it comes down to actually doing the laundry, I don’t have to spend time sorting.
- Keep all your laundry detergents together either on a shelf, if you have one, or in some kind of container on the floor, out of the way. Some of the new machines have drawers built under them for storage as well. Make sure you are storing like with like. When the products are together, you can see what you have and what you need. The less you buy, the less you’ll have to take care of, and the easier it’ll be to manage.
- Fold items and put them away as soon as you can. I realize that is not always possible, but if you get in the habit, it may be easier in the long run.
- Get others involved if it’s more than you in the household. Set up similar basket arrangements in your kids’ rooms and have them bring the baskets to the laundry room either when they are full or when the time is to do the actual laundry. Show them your new system and engage them in the organization. As your children get older, you may want to even show them how to do their own laundry.
The benefits of corralling your laundry are three-fold. Think how good you’ll feel to not see dirty laundry all over the place. You’ll be safer in your house as there will be less things for you and/or your family to trip over, fall, and get hurt. Finally, which is the greatest benefit, you and your family members will no longer have to be looking through tons of piles on the floor or in baskets to locate socks, favorite shirts, clean pants, etc.
What is your plan to get your laundry under control? Wouldn’t it be a great idea to get this organized so you can spend more time outdoors? Summer is just around the corner!
Now is Your Time to Go from Bedlam to Brilliance!
Barbara Berman
www.bb-clutter-solutions.com
info@bb-clutter-solutions.com
856-912-0077
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