Small Laundry Room Revamp with All the Organization Ideas!

Small Laundry Room Pass Through Challenges

Before we jump into all the solutions, let’s chat about the layout and our efficiency struggles I wanted to address.

1. We opted for a top load washer when we moved in — we had been told that especially with the units being upstairs, coupled with stories of front-loader regrets when it came to leaks and smell, we thought this was the safest bet. What I hadn’t taken into consideration was that a top loader would also essentially abolish the possibility of adding a countertop at a later date, if we chose.
2. A single wire rack didn’t cut it. There was tons of wasted space above and below and the shelf was so shallow, I could barely stand on my tippy toes to reach anything.
3. Between our bathroom (which connects to the laundry room), bedroom, hallway and laundry room, we have an insane number of doors — all that open into each other. At one point, I wanted to look into adding a barn door or pocket door to our bedroom door to keep it from opening into the bathroom and blocking the laundry room, but it hasn’t been as much of a budgetary priority as other projects. But, especially with the swing-out dryer door, it’s always been a challenge getting dirty laundry into the room and taking the clean laundry out while managing to open and close doors to shimmy through.
4. Our laundry room is a pass-through with the door frames butting up against the wall, opposite the machines. There is no forgiveness and not even an inch to spare for hooks or a slender shelf. We are solely confined to working within the 33″ of depth in the space where the units are.
5. Our attic access is in the laundry room, via pull-down door and stairs. You don’t even want to see the door magic that has to happen to get that thing unfolded haha.
6. I wanted storage for the surmounting boxes that didn’t close and various heavy bottles and all the cardboard and plastic that seemed to constantly remain in disarray. Due to lack of storage space, I actually had TWO separate accidents where bottles of detergent fell off the dryer during extra “active” cycles. Not a fun clean-up either time haha.

Small Laundry Room Organization: Before & After

So what did our small laundry room look like before? Well, take a look…

And today, well, not only does it look better but it is actually working for us better! Here’s what our pass through looks like now.

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Let’s break it down! I mentioned that virtually nothing was done exclusively for aesthetics but I did do an easy flush mount lighting switch. I got a fantastic deal on this fixture from PB Kids, but unfortunately, it’s no longer available. Like I said, this project actually started a year ago, haha. And by the way, along with PB Kids, I also find a lot of non-teen-exclusive furnishings and fixtures at PB Teen. If you’ve never given them consideration, check them out for lighting and curtain rods, especially, next time you’re in the market 😉 I did find an incredibly similar flush mount HERE.

Small Laundry Room Shelving

When it came to shelving, I ordered everything to be custom sized for the space. Considerations I had to take into account were:

• What did I want to be able to store on the shelves?
• Did I want to be able to hang clothes?
• How could I make most use of the space, wasting as little as possible?
• At what height were my washer and dryer units and further, at what height did I need to clear when my washing machine lid opened upward?
• For spacing shelves, what were the tallest bottles/containers I would need to fit? (we shop in bulk from Costco for our detergent)
• Was I storing things in the laundry room that shouldn’t be stored in there? Were there things I wasn’t storing in there that I would benefit from storing in there?
• Was there space to be able to utilize the side walls?

Small Laundry Room Organization Ideas & Improvements

Aside from configuring shelving to give us more storage and flat surface space, there were lots of little improvements, too. I mentioned earlier in the post what a struggle it was to get in and out of the space with laundry. While a lot of that can be credited to the 3094590 doors that open into each other, the oversized, hard plastic basket didn’t make things any easier. The width spanned almost the entire doorway with zero give and required two hands — tough when you rely on at least one hand to open and close doors to maneuver through. I ordered THIS oversized woven rope laundry basket and OMG, while it was such a simple change, it may have been one of the biggest efficiency improvements we made. It’s lightweight, malleable to get through doorways, even larger than the previous hamper, and I can easily cinch it and carry it with one hand… like a bag. If you’ve never tried a fabric tote for laundry, especially if you’re working in a confined space, do yourself a favor and treat yourself.

If you’ve checked out my other organization posts (like my pantry, HERE), I firmly believe that you don’t have to de-contain and re-contain everything you have. While there are benefits to some, that isn’t the case with all items, and that goes for the laundry room, too. In addition to not even being able to reach my detergents before, there were a lot of items that were in original containers that were also frustrating. My OxiClean was in a bag, without a seal, in a box, that didn’t shut. I had huge, economy sized bags of baking soda that were unwieldy and bulky and my vinegar was shared between the laundry and kitchen. I also had stain removers with nozzles that didn’t work, so they were never used. I took inventory of my “problem children” to address while establishing which laundry solutions were fine, as-is. Here’s a peek of the before, albeit even a little more tidy than usual (yes, I know that’s sad, haha)…

And here’s the after.

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I actually don’t have a hand-held label maker; as I’ve always done with files and labels, I printed these directly from my computer, using these clear Avery label sheets.

Small Laundry Room Utility Board Organization

As far as other space I was able to take advantage of — well, while the main shelves are deep, taking up wall space, I was able to add a unit with small shelves and a board over to the side. Before, I had the ironing board and step stool sandwiched beside the dryer.

Here’s how the solution turned out.

It may not be the custom cabineted goddess of my dreams but our small laundry room is finally efficient — and aside from the unexpected washer/dryer replacement, was achieved without a ton of expense. If you’re struggling through some of the same laundry room layout frustrations as me, making a list of challenges and ideas to address them helps a ton. Focus on the function rather than letting the “pretty” take precedence and you’ll probably find some aesthetic wins along the way. For more projects, reveals, and organization ideas, subscribe to my emails HERE and never miss a thing!

Other Posts You May Be Interested In

See the full organization gallery HERE.

See Room Reveals & Befores & Afters HERE.

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Note: All shelving is custom fit. You can build your own online or in store HERE.

Rug – 2’x3′ // White Rope Laundry Basket // Dryer Sheet (Wipe) Dispenser // Light Fixture (SIMILAR) // OXO Pourer (dispenser for vinegar, technically for cereal) // OXO POP Containers (6 qt.) // OXO Clear Scoops // Clear Handled Baskets // Woven Lidded Basket (SIMILAR) // Door Hooks // Clear Spray Bottle // Clear Glass Bottle // Clear Printer Labels // Slim Velvet Hangers (full sized) // Slim Velvet Hangers (child sized) // Mesh Laundry Bag // Collapsible Plastic & Rubber Laundry Basket // Iron // Steamer // Ironing Board Cover // Step Stool (SIMILAR) // Label Holders (on utility board)