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Your laundry room may be the size of a closet—or actually in a closet—but with these organizing solutions and storage ideas your small space can actually be quite efficient. Here, we’ll show you how to turn your cramped quarters into a clean and tidy spot that will make doing laundry a whole lot more enjoyable. Trust us!

Create a Workspace on Top of Your Machines

A usable surface on top of your washer and dryer creates a spot to fold clothes or a much-needed area to rest supplies if you don’t have room for overhead cabinets or shelves. Try a sleek waterfall countertop around your appliances if they only extend across a portion of the back wall. This will help tuck them away and separate the room into different zones.

Add Storage That Rolls With the Flow

If you don’t have a lot of built-in storage, a rolling cart is a convenient way to stash your most frequently used items in one easily accessible spot. This also means no more rummaging through the deep, dark corners of your cabinets to find the fabric softener. You can leave the cart in front of your machines to save a little extra wall space. Or, if you have the space, push your washer and dryer apart so the gap between the two machines becomes a stealthy spot to store your cart.

Make Use of Your Jar Collection

Pouring detergents into glass jars instead of keeping them in their boxes will save you precious cabinet space—especially if you’re the type to load up on cleaning supplies when there’s a sale. Most large jars can hold at least two boxes of detergent at a time so you can say goodbye to overstuffed cabinets. Since they also double as decorative accents, store them on an

open shelf

or on top of a front-loading machine to free up even more room in the cupboard. Bonus tip: If you use liquid laundry detergent, a glass drink dispensers does the trick.

Turn to the Back of the Door

This oft-forgotten spot can save the day when you’re dealing with a small room storage dilemma. Whether you hang an adjustable shelf rod that holds different sized wire baskets or repurpose a shoe organizer, don’t overlook this hardworking location to store commonly used cleaning supplies.

Raise Your Machines Off the Ground

This clever boost not only adds additional storage underneath your machines, but it also means you won’t have to constantly bend down to load and unload washes—a check plus for anyone with back pain. You can see if your current appliances’ models have pedestal drawer options or, for a more budget-friendly approach, build your own platform that’s customized to your storage needs.

Utilize Awkward Spaces

A handy ledge turns the small space between the wall and the top of your appliance control panels into a functional surface to rest detergent, soap, dryer sheets, and decorative accents.

Streamline Your Stuff

Don’t underestimate the power of a cohesive decorating scheme to bring a sense of openness to a tiny laundry room. Coordinating accents will make your space look polished, not messy.

Bring the Drying Rack Up

If you don’t have the floorspace for a free standing drying rack, a wall-mounted design is just what you need. Both fold-up versions or accordion-styles provide plenty of room for your drying needs, but they lie flat on the wall when not in use. If you’re the type to air dry almost all your items, install multiple drying racks as high as possible to utilize the vertical space.

Make Your Storage Work Twice As Hard

Souped up shelves and cabinets with rods, hooks, or pull-out drawers are storage-savvy ways to bring much-needed additional space to a

small laundry room

Run a clothing rod across your cabinets to hang just-pressed shirts, use hooks to hang small mesh wash bags or hand towels, or mount a short towel rod underneath your cabinets for hangers.

Create a Home for Lost Items

The easiest way to keep your laundry room organized is to make sure every item has a specific spot. This means even lost socks and loose change should have a palce so they don’t pile up and become clutter.

Use the Organizing Miracle Worker

Is there anything a pegboard can’t organize? This go-to tool lives up to the hype for creating sleek storage in small spaces. Put it in your laundry room to hold everything from your ironing board to your broom to baskets for stain removers.

Maximize Your Corners

If your appliances are tucked away in a reach-in closet, here’s a sneaky way to make the most of those hard-to-reach corners: Instead of installing shelves on the back wall, take advantage of the dead space by anchoring brackets on the side wall so the shelves run the width of the closet.

Keep Things Hidden

No door, no problem! If your laundry space is out in the open, consider using a curtain and tension rod to conceal the machines when they’re not in use. When the appliances aren’t visible, the dedicated laundry area blends in with the rest of the room and works double duty as extra counter space.

Opt for Open Shelves

For a

narrow laundry room

open shelves above your machines take up less room than cabinetry and practically force you to stay organized since everything’s on display.

Get Creative With Storage

Wall-mounted wire baskets make stylish shelves that keep things orderly and accessible. Small ones can fit in even the tightest of nooks. And placing them high up the wall makes the most of the room’s vertical space. Wood crates are another inexpensive shelving option that add a rustic look.