Home Renovation Toronto

By Christine OKelly

Laundry rooms are difficult to work with because they usually lack convenient closets and work surfaces. When there is no place to keep things, the area becomes unruly and the job becomes dreaded. These rooms aren”t meant to be comfortable like a living room, but they need to be functional. Laundry rooms need to have closet and work spaces that work for you and your family.

Each step involved in cleaning clothing needs to be defined by how you perform each job and what supplies you need. Say to yourself, “it would be easier if…” and write down the answer. It might be separate closets on either side, but when you”re done, you should have a plan for everything.

Getting Started

Having clothing on the floor is common, particularly in busy households because there is too much laundry to do in one day. Start a system where each person has two laundry baskets — one in their room and one by the washer with dirty clothes in it. To save space, use collapsible styles. In the washing area, have a closet system with enough room for four baskets for sorting the laundry into. Excessively dirty or stained items of clothing can have one container as well as the delicates, lights, and darks.

Washing And Drying

The washer and dryer should do most of the work, but having closets and storage spaces to hold everything you need to use can help make the job even easier. Shelving should be separated for the two different jobs while using space wisely at the same time. A garbage can and commonly used items, such as stain sticks, soap, softener, and dryer sheets, should all be within easy reach.

A large sink should be close by for treating stains and soaking really dirty clothes. A clothesline and a jar with clothespins or a rod and plastic hangers are ideal for those ”hang to dry” items. Drying sweaters and other items that need to lay flat also need to have a space. Consider installing a wire rack or wire under-the-shelf system to lay them out of the way. Also, keep a jar close to the washing machine for anything that is still in pants and jacket pockets as well as a separate basket for dry-cleaning only items.

Solutions For Folding, Ironing, And Storage

One space not to ignore is a clean and designated area for folding and ironing. If you don”t think you have enough space for a traditional table, add a folding or slide out surface. If you have an ironing pad made for the top, it can double as your ironing board so there is no more fighting with awkward metal legs. Place it close to your dryer to shorten the distance you need to walk with the clothing and eliminate the use of a basket.

For odd socks, have a small container to keep them in until its buddy comes through the washing process and keep it in a special area with items like starch, distilled water, and your iron. Decide where you will place the folded clothes. Some people fold them into separate baskets while others have a specific shelf for each person to return items that were left in pockets as well as their clean clothes.

For homes around the world and throughout Chicago, closet and designated space is the secret to a convenient and efficient laundry room. Start by walking through the process and decide what can stay and what needs to go. Go through pictures and examples to get an idea of what you would like to have, but be sure to design one that matches your own personal needs and habits and not a one-size-fits-all solution.

About The Author

Christine O”Kelly writes for the leading supplier of a Chicago closet, Closet Works (http://www.closetworks.com/). For more than 20 years, Closet Works has created, manufactured, and installed closets in Chicago of virtually any style (http://www.closetworks.com/).