Laundry Room Logistics
This month it’s time to get ORGANIZED! I hope last week’s blog post helped you to corral the clutter in your mudroom or entryway. It always feels good to get a room arranged so it functions well for the family.
Another hard-working room in the house is the laundry room. This room typically gets a tremendous workout weekly. Do dirty clothes multiply in the night at your house? I’m sure they do here! Here are a few logistical tips for you.
Worktable
My husband, Scott, found an antique table for me at a yard sale. It’s perfect for the laundry room. A sewing box is handy for quick repairs with scissors, needles, thread, and other helpful items. Button jars are useful when searching for a replacement. HINT: Use dental floss when sewing on buttons. They will NOT fall off again if sewn on with floss!
Ironing Board
I really do not like to iron. As a result, clothes can often be found hanging on a free standing rack after being pulled from the dryer while still wet to avoid ironing. But when duty calls to press a shirt or pair of pants the ironing board and iron can be found tucked behind the door on a hanging wall rack. Out of sight… unless needed!
Cleaning and Laundry Supplies
The cleaning supplies are kept up and out of reach for little visitors. Jelly jars keep stain sticks handy and make a quick bank for loose coins found in pockets. Alka Seltzer removes lime deposits from vases. Laundry supplies are kept above the washing machine for easy access. Large detergent containers with push-button nozzles are so convenient. Once the container is on the shelf, I don’t have to move it until it’s empty.
Open Shelving
Labeled clothes baskets for sorting dirty clothes are helpful. Even little kids can sort their own laundry by lights, whites, and darks. Just add a white or black sticker or purchase color-coded baskets. Keep an additional basket handy for lost socks. How so many get separated is beyond me! I occasionally go through the basket pairing the ones I can and use the mismatched socks as dust cloths. I wear them like mittens for quick dusting jobs.
Bed linens can be stacked on open shelves rather than kept in a closet. HINT: To get a flat fitted sheet that’s easier to place on a shelf, nest the corners together. This eliminates the lumps. Fold ends together and press to flatten. Stack sheets with pillowcases to keep the sheet sets together so they are ready to go when house guests arrive. (Or when a sick child needs fresh bed linens in the night.)
I keep two department store bags under the table. One is for charity clothing donations and the other is for friends whose kids were just a bit smaller than my youngest son. What is no longer wanted, needed, or just too small is washed, folded, and placed in one of the two bags to be given away.
Make your laundry room more efficient. Dress it up too, so it’s a pleasant place to spend time. Why? Because laundry baskets are rarely empty!
Soak me in your laundry and I’ll come out clean,
scrub me and I’ll have a snow-white life.
Psalm 51 The Message
© 2013 Becky Danielson. All rights reserved.
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