How to Maximize Small Laundry Spaces

Many homes near city centers or in gentrified or historic districts- and even in newly build housing- end up with laundry rooms the size of the modern closet. This creates a big challenge in figuring out what to put where in a space where function is key. Read on to find out some neat ideas on maximizing your small laundry room without compromising style or requiring any HGTV episode remodeling.

Choosing the Best Location for Your Laundry Space

A well-organised laundry area isn’t just about saving space—it makes life simpler. By arranging storage, appliances, and layout wisely, you can create a neat and functional space you’ll enjoy using.

Smart Layout Ideas: Find the Perfect Spot for Your Laundry Area. Your laundry space doesn’t need to be big—it just needs to be in the right place. A corner in the kitchen, a bathroom nook, or even a closet can work well as long as it has water, power, and is easy to access.

Use Vertical Space Smartly: Go upwards! Tall shelves or cabinets are perfect for holding detergents, cleaning supplies, or even small decorative items. They keep everything organised without taking up floor space.

Divide the Area Into Zones: Set up specific zones for washing, drying, and folding. Even in a small space, this makes your work easier and keeps the area tidy.

Appliances for Small Spaces

Collapsible Hamper

A bulky hamper is the last thing you want to fit with for space in your laundry room. Collapsible hampers are perfect because the fold down when they are empty and are very light to carry.

Narrow Storage Cart

Even the smallest laundry rooms usually have a few inches of space between the washer and dryer…the perfect spot for a narrow storage cart that slides in and out easily. This product is great for storing lint rollers, clothes pins, detergent, dryer sheets and other laundry essentials. You can find them online priced anywhere from $15 – $50.

Countertop Over Washer/ Dryer

Give yourself folding space by putting a countertop over your washer and dryer. If you’re handy (or know someone who is) you can build a table with a countertop that sits above your washer and dryer. This will give you a smooth, flat surface to fold on without taking additional space in your laundry room. Of course you’ll need to own front-loading machines for this idea to be applicable.

Wall-Mounted Ironing Board

Just like it sounds; this is an ironing board that is mounted to your wall. You can pull it down when you need to use it then neatly retract it back up against the wall.

Over-the-Door Garment Rack

When the weather does not allow me to use my clothesline, I love to use my door rack to hang-dry garments. It fits snuggly over any door and is very reasonably priced at around $10. You can also find variations of this product that mount to your ceiling or wall.

Wire Shelves

Cheap yet effective, wire shelves are great for storing laundry products and aids. You can find them at a local hardware store sold as single shelves or complete shelving systems.

Hooks

I don’t think I need to explain what hooks are. They are useful for many things ranging from hanging laundry bags, garments that need ironing, panty hose, bras and anything else that can be hung.

The key to making the most out of your small laundry room is to keep the essential organized (detergents and softeners together, garment repair kits and stain treatments) and everything off the floor. Stackable washers and dryers are great for the small laundry room as well as wire shelves. Laundry is a chore most of us dread so it’s important to make this room as inviting as possible. Use bright lights to make the room appear larger and add décor like wall stencils and pictures.

Organisational Tips:

Keep your laundry area organised by grouping items like detergents, fabric softeners, and stain removers into categories. Store them in labelled containers so they’re easy to find. Use colour-coded bins to sort clothes into whites, colours, and delicates, making laundry faster and preventing mix-ups. To keep the space neat and functional, declutter regularly and only keep items you actually use.

Ready to be Laundry-Free?

Lyndsee Onstott

Lyndsee Onstott is the Marketing Manager at Laundry Care, with a deep-rooted history as one of the company’s original care providers. Her journey from hands-on laundry care to strategic marketing gives her unique insights into the service and its customers. Lyndsee's commitment to delivering convenience and quality has helped Laundry Care become a trusted service for busy professionals and families nationwide. Today, she combines her firsthand experience with a passion for customer-focused marketing, ensuring that Laundry Care meets the evolving needs of its clients.