The links in this post may be affiliate links.  That means that if you click them and make a purchase, this site makes a commission.  It will have no impact on the price you pay or the experience of your purchase.

Whether you have a small laundry closet, a stacked washer and dryer, or a laundry area in the basement—these tips will improve your laundry room organization. 

Last year we changed our laundry room design. We took our time and thought through what storage solutions would work best in our small space. Below I will share some of the tricks that worked to make our space more functional—including double barn doors, collapsible clothes hangers, a rolling storage cart, and improving the lighting. Scroll down for 12 practical small laundry room ideas.

Our laundry room is from the 1990s and the layout is TINY. The space is roughly 62” wide and  66” deep. For four years we lived with a barely functional laundry space. We had no place to hang clothes or fold them, and the open wire shelves were cluttered with extra food from our pantry. Laundry was always backed up and the pedestals weren’t used and took up too much space.

This article contains affiliate links, please read my full disclosure here.

1. Double Sliding Barn Doors We added barn doors to our laundry room because the hallway was cluttered with doors and it gave us better use of space in the hallway. Double barn doors also add presence and character to a small room, and can make it feel larger and more open.Get the Look: GRIMO Door ($30 each, IKEA) with Double Door Sliding Barn Door Hardware Kit $70, Amazon

2. Maximize Space with Collapsible Clothes Hangers

When you don’t have much wall space hanging clothes can feel impossible. I recently discovered metal collapsible clothes hangers that fold when not in use. They easily hold at least 10 clothing items per hanger, take up very little wall space, and could work well in bathrooms and closets, too.

Get the Look: 2 Retractable Clothes Hangers, $40 Amazon

3. Install a Bright Light Fixture

Laundry room lighting is important-you need to see stains on dirty clothes and whether a shirt is wrinkled or ready to wear. Switching out our old light fixture with a strong, bright fixture immediately made our space more functional. If you can’t switch the light fixture, check what max wattage the fixture can take, you may be able to swap the bulbs for a brighter LED light.

Get the Look: 3-Light Semi Flush Mount Fixture, $97 Home Depot

4. Squeeze in a Storage Cart

We slid our washer and dryer a few inches away from each other to make room for a narrow rolling storage cart. This three tier cart holds daily items including bottles of detergent (I keep detergent in juice containers so it is easy to pour), dryer sheets, cleaning wipes, and more. At just over 4” wide the cart creates great storage space.

Get the Look: Rolling Storage Cart, $27 Amazon

5. Use a Light Paint Color

When you have a really small room that needs to function well, paint the space a light color. I painted our laundry room SW Eider White because it is a neutral white and a good match to our hexagon flooring. You can add personality in the space with pops of color and texture while keeping the walls light.

Get the Look: Paint Color SW Eider White, more here: 10 Best White Paint Colors

6. Keep a Folding Step Stool

To create countertop space we removed our washer and dryer from their pedestals. Honestly it was challenging to lean over to wash & dry clothes, so I purchased a 13” step stool. 

Now I sit on the stool while removing clothes from the dryer up to the countertop. I also use it to access our cabinets over the washer & dryer. The stool is stored against the wall when not in use.

Get the Look: 13” Folding Step Stool, $22 Amazon

7. Install Storage Cabinets

Wall cabinets with doors will hide all the clutter. We use our cabinets to store emergency supplies, extra lunch boxes, and cleaning supplies. If you are renting and have wire shelves you can’t replace, add baskets and bins to improve organization over your washer and dryer.

Get the Look: Askersund Wall Cabinets (2, 30×30”), IKEA
*Spent $379 for 2 cabinets, deco strip, hinges, suspension rail, and shipping

8. Create a Place to Fold Clothes

If at all possible give yourself a small space to fold clothes. Now that we have a countertop I sort clean clothes on top of the washer and dryer, then our kids carry their clean clothes upstairs (when I remind them!).

Get the Look: How to make a wood countertop for $60

9. Maximize Vertical Space with Hooks

Small laundry rooms don’t have a lot of wall space, but use what you do have! Take advantage of vertical wall space and add hooks. I installed hooks near our washing machine to dry off wet towels so they don’t smell musty in the dirty clothes basket.

Get the Look: How to Easily Hang a Shelf and Hooks

10. Remember the Dirty Clothes

If you install a countertop over your washer and dryer you will have room for laundry baskets. We use two baskets for dirty clothes and one for clean towels & sheets. If you don’t have space near your washer and dryer, laundry bags are a good alternative and can be hung along a wall or on a door knob.

Get the Look: Large Cotton Rope Baskets, $31 Amazon

11. Be Smart with Decor

A functional space can have cute laundry room decor–faux greenery can go over cabinets, or artwork along the wall. But when you add decor to the space, make sure you and family won’t bump into it while washing clothes.

Get the Look: Hexagon Floating Shelves, set of 3 $48 Amazon, painted gray with SW Peppercorn

12. Understand Space Limitations

No matter how much you maximize the organization of your laundry room, when working with a small space there will be limitations. Identify what is important to you in the room.

How often do you fold clothes? Iron? Hang up wet clothes to dry? Identify what you do and don’t need to access everyday. In our home we iron every other week, so I moved our ironing board to the nearby garage.

Looking for more ideas for storage in the laundry room? Check out these 25 simple laundry room storage ideas by Karo of Craftsy Hacks!

Check out my Amazon shop for more laundry decor and organization ideas!