Does your laundry room feel like a cramped, chaotic closet where things go to be forgotten? Because the laundry room is traditionally a "utility" space, it often becomes the dumping ground for household clutter. From half-empty detergent bottles to random hardware, this clutter drastically shrinks an already tiny room.
If you want your laundry room to feel bigger, cleaner, and more functional, the first step is ruthless decluttering. Here are 7 things that simply don't belong in your laundry room—and how removing them will instantly create more space.
1. Oversized Plastic Detergent Jugs
Those massive, brightly colored plastic jugs take up a massive amount of visual and physical space. They are difficult to lift and look terrible on open shelves.
The fix: Switch to laundry sheets (which take up zero space), or decant liquid detergents into sleek, uniform glass or acrylic pump dispensers.
Laundry Detergent Dispenser Set
Problem: Giant plastic detergent jugs take up too much visual and physical space on open shelves.
Solution: Decanting into these clear, uniform acrylic dispensers drastically reduces clutter and the pump prevents messy drips.
- Dramatically reduces visual clutter
- Pump design prevents messy drips and spills
- Clear acrylic lets you see when you need a refill
2. Spare Household Linens
Many people store spare bath towels, beach towels, and bulky blankets in the laundry room cabinets just because that's where they get washed. But they take up prime real estate.
The fix: Move clean linens to the actual rooms where they are used—under the bathroom sink, in the bedroom closet, or in under-bed storage bins.
3. Random Cleaning Supplies (Not Used for Laundry)
Glass cleaner, toilet bowl scrubbers, and heavy-duty floor chemicals often migrate to the laundry room simply because it's a "cleaning" room.
The fix: Only keep laundry-specific products (detergent, stain remover, dryer sheets) in the laundry room. Move bathroom cleaners to the bathroom and floor cleaners to a utility closet or under the kitchen sink.
4. Duplicate Products
Take a look in your cabinets. Do you have three half-empty bottles of the exact same fabric softener? Duplicate products are the #1 cause of clutter in tiny spaces.
The fix: Consolidate liquids into one bottle, throw out the empties, and implement a strict "one in, one out" rule.
5. Giant Floor-Standing Drying Racks
If you have a tiny laundry room, a massive wooden or metal drying rack that sits on the floor will completely block your workflow and make the room feel claustrophobic.
The fix: Get the rack off the floor! Install a wall-mounted accordion drying rack, or a fold-down ceiling rack that utilizes dead space.
Wall-Mounted Folding Drying Rack
Problem: Floor-standing drying racks take up way too much room and block traffic in a small laundry area.
Solution: This accordion-style rack mounts to the wall and pulls out when you need it, then pushes completely flat against the wall when you're done.
- Zero footprint—keeps the floor totally clear
- Folds away discreetly when not in use
- Surprisingly sturdy for heavy, wet garments
6. The Ironing Board
A full-size ironing board leaning against the wall is an eyesore and a tripping hazard. It takes up critical floor space and constantly falls over.
The fix: Hang it on the back of the laundry room door using a simple over-the-door hook, or mount it securely to the wall.
Wall Mounted Ironing Board Holder
Problem: A full-size ironing board leaning against the wall is an eyesore, takes up floor space, and constantly falls over.
Solution: This simple over-the-door or wall-mounted rack securely holds both your ironing board and your iron.
- Gets the bulky ironing board completely off the floor
- Heat-resistant basket safely stores a hot iron
- Takes advantage of unused wall or door space
7. Loose Change, Buttons, and Pocket Trash
We all empty our pockets before washing, resulting in a pile of receipts, loose change, screws, and buttons covering the top of the washing machine.
The fix: Keep a small, aesthetic "pocket catch-all" tray or jar on the shelf specifically for this purpose to contain the visual clutter.
By removing these 7 space-wasters and sticking to the rule of keeping only daily laundry essentials visible, you will instantly double your perceived space and make laundry day significantly less stressful!
