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Declutter Laundry Room Around Washer & Dryer {15 Minute Mission}

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Today's mission is to declutter the laundry room, specifically around the washer and dryer.


laundry room organization challenge
This mission is designed to be done while working on the Laundry Room Organization Challenge, which is part of the 52 Week Organized Home Challenge.

This task applies no matter where you keep your washer and dryer, be that in a dedicated room, in the garage, a laundry closet, utility closet or room, basement, or wherever else. (My washer and dryer are actually in my guest bathroom!)

It is amazing how quickly we can accumulate clutter in this room. The washer and dryer are flat spaces after all, and it is easy to put stuff on top of them, especially if you don't have a top loading washing machine where you have to lift the lid each time you wash something.

But ideally you won't keep too much on these surfaces though, but instead, during the course of this week as you work on the Challenge you'll make space for storing laundry supplies somewhere else convenient and close by, but not directly on the washer and dryer. That could be on a shelf, in a cabinet, or in a laundry caddy between the appliances, just as examples.

The picture at the top of the page was provided by a reader, Gwen. She stated, "We have way too much stuff in ours, but last
week I organized it and found many treasures. Now I know what we have and where it is." As you can see, it definitely does look more organized and containerized, but once she declutters this area more it will feel so much more functional because there will be more room to actually do the laundry.

So look around your washer and dryer, and remove clutter in front of it (such as dirty clothes that have accumulated), on top of them, or to the side of them.

If you can, also remove any laundry baskets you're currently storing on top of these appliances, whether you place them there permanently or temporarily.

Below is a reader photo from Tamara, who said, when we were discussing decluttering the laundry room, "I need help," when she submitted this photo. When you look at this photo though you can tell that just by removing those baskets and other items sitting on and around the washer and dryer, and placing them elsewhere, would make a big visual difference in the room without too much time commitment.

laundry room clutter


So I hope you're getting excited and ready to tackle your own decluttering project in this room.

Below I've shown some before and after photos from other readers who've already taken on this mission to inspire you and to show you what a difference this can make in your home.

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Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. How? Simply click here to return to cleaning and laundry supplies clutter.

Massive Laundry Room Decluttering Project Broken Down Into More Manageable Steps

I found these photos, above, sent in by a reader, Sharron, to be quite inspiring. And get this, she used my list of the types of items you can declutter fast to help her break the project up into smaller chunks and make it more manageable! She explained:

"It was a post-builder apocalypse of nastiness and grime and I hadn't wanted to face it. But it wasn't so bad once I got started with your list.

I first targeted the obvious 'rubbish/trash,' then the 'broken,' then the 'stuff people had given us but we didn't want/weren't going to use,' and the 'stuff too difficult to wash.' It Made it easy to clear and then clean! :) thank you!"

She continued on, saying, "Thank you for this post. I used the list to help me to get to grips with my seriously junky utility/boot room. It now looks like this. :) All detoxed and shiny too."

massive laundry/utility room declutter projectuse this Pin it button to save to Pinterest


Others have found success decluttering their laundry rooms, even if they had a lot of clutter in them.

Here's a couple more before and after photos to get you inspired.

First, is this collage from a reader, Brandy. She said, "This has to be my most embarrassing room. This had become a 'catch all' room, but I worked ahead a bit in the past few weeks and a little bit every day. It took me 2+ hours to get this room done." She continued, "And most importantly that room has stayed like that. I make sure to put things away where they belong and not just sit it on top of the washer like I was doing 'for later' because 'later' never came."

Before and after of major laundry room decluttering project {featured on Home Storage Solutions 101}use this Pin it button to save to Pinterest


In addition, here's another reader, Kimberly's before and after photos. She did a great job, didn't she?

Before and after collage when Kimberly decluttered her laundry room as part of the #Declutter365 missions {featured on Home Storage Solutions 101}

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Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. How? Simply click here to return to cleaning and laundry supplies clutter.

Once You Clear The Clutter Doing Laundry Isn't Too Bad!

These before and after photos above were provided by a reader, Jennifer. She said of the before picture, "So embarrassed to post..but this is before." (Hint, click on the smaller thumbnail of the collage and it will show bigger so you can see it all better.)

Then, of the "after" collage she stated, "After!! Now it's not so bad to do laundry."

And that's really true, and one of the big reasons I encourage everyone to do today's mission. This isn't just about making our homes look nice, but this particular mission can really help you also feel better about getting your laundry done, and since we've got to do laundry whether we really want to or not, why not make it as easy on ourselves as possible, right?

Here's another set of before and after photos, from another reader, Tina. You can tell how just removing the clutter makes the room feel so much more functional.

Before and after of decluttered laundry room {featured on Home Storage Solutions 101}use this Pin it button to save to Pinterest

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Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. How? Simply click here to return to cleaning and laundry supplies clutter.

If You Can't Keep The Tops Of Washer & Dryer Completely Clear At Least Containerize

My final tip about decluttering this space is that if you can't keep the tops of the washer and dryer clear, at least containerize what you keep on there.

We all live in the real, non-magazine shoot, world. As much as we might declutter and pare down our belongings, depending on life circumstances and the space you've got to work with, perhaps you've got to keep some stuff on top of your washer or dryer.

No problem! If you do have to do this, then do exactly what a reader, Melissa, did who showed the photo above, and put everything in a container. The beauty of this solution is that if you need to move the stuff, for whatever reason, it is so much easier to move just one container than each individual item.

Remember too, once you've done this declutter mission I would love to see your results. You can submit your photos here and I'll add the best ones to the site!

Want To Do More Decluttering Missions? Get Started With Declutter 365 Today!

Declutter 365 missions: 15 minute missions for your entire home

Once you declutter one type of item in your home I bet you'll want to declutter some more. After all, decluttering gives you a great reward for even a small investment of time and energy.

The Declutter 365 system is designed to help you declutter, over the course of a year, your entire house, with just 15 minutes of decluttering each day!

Hundreds of thousands of people use this proven system to get rid of their clutter, and bring peace and calm back to their homes.

Declutter 365 works to guide you to clear the clutter without overwhelm, focusing on just one small area at a time, and without making a huge mess in the process, so you see consistent forward progress without all that "messy middle" that makes it even harder to function in your home than before you started.

In addition to building a daily decluttering habit, the Declutter 365 program, along with the accompanying 52 Week Organized Home Challenge, teaches you the skills, habits, routines, and mindsets necessary to maintain the clutter free and organized state of your home from now on, so it'll never be as messy and cluttered as it is right now, ever again.

If you haven't already, make sure to get your copy of this year's Declutter 365 annual calendar here (it's FREE!), find today's date, and do 15 minutes of decluttering on the day's mission. Then, repeat again tomorrow, and again and again. Over the course of the next year, if you do this 15 minutes per day, you'll declutter your whole house!


Click here to take me to this year's Declutter 365 calendar



Get This Laundry & Laundry Room Decluttering Checklist + 32 Other Decluttering Checklists For Your Home

Right now you're decluttering your laundry and laundry room, and there's a lot of stuff to declutter in this space.

Get your 1 page laundry and laundry room decluttering checklist, plus 32 other decluttering checklists, to help you declutter your entire home here.

Get this laundry and laundry room decluttering checklist and 32 other decluttering checklists for your home {on Home Storage Solutions 101}

I've done the hard work of breaking down these tasks into smaller more manageable steps for you, so you don't get overwhelmed or worry you're forgetting a task, and you can go at the pace you want, whether that's fast or slow.

In addition, you can tackle these decluttering tasks in whatever order you want when you use these checklists!

Click here to learn more about 33 Decluttering Checklists Pack



How to declutter your laundry room, with tips and before and after photos from readers who've done this #Declutter365 mission {on Home Storage Solutions 101}use this Pin it button to save to Pinterest
Before and after collage photos from a reader, Regina

Related Pages You May Enjoy

Getting Clutter Free 15 Minutes At A Time Hall Of Fame

Go From How To Declutter Laundry Room To Home Page

Comments for If You Can't Keep The Tops Of Washer & Dryer Completely Clear At Least Containerize

Click here to add your own comments

struggling with laundry
by: Anonymous

I'm struggling with the laundry. We don't have a laundry room. Our washing machine and dryer is in the kitchen. We're a family of four and just have a laundry basket in the bathroom. Any ideas?

response re laundry struggles
by: Taylor

Thanks for the question. I can't quite tell from your comment what your struggle is, but it could be a number of things from collecting dirty laundry (since you mentioned the laundry basket in the bathroom) to not utilizing your laundry space as well as you could. I know it's a struggle having laundry in an unconventional area. I myself have mine in my guest bathroom, so it's tough, I understand. Check out the Laundry Organization Challenge article here, and it will have links to all of the various laundry articles on the site so hopefully some of those articles can point you in the right direction!

Laundry baskets
by: Cheryl

Just curious where you keep your laundry baskets. I have cabinets but no counter space so the only place I have to keep my baskets are on top of the washer or dryer.

response to Cheryl re laundry baskets
by: Taylor

You may consider whether you need to keep your baskets in your laundry room, or not. It works for some people and is clutter for others. Here's my article on where to place clothes hampers and laundry baskets throughout your house to make sure you're adequately collecting dirty clothes where they accumulate.

help no storage
by: Stacey

I have been trying to organize my laundry room since I live in an apartment where the water heater is and I think my hubby is gonna get shelving or storage drawer above the washer and dryer. I'm not sure so what can I do if I don't have any of these. Help.

Other launderers in family
by: Hope

My biggest problem is "organizing" all the other family members who do their own laundry here also. Everyone has their own little pile on top of the dryer and I am constantly fussing at them to clear theirs out, or have to remove it from dryers etc. before I can tackle the bulk of laundry. Love this section! It has been my hardest area for years!

collapsible laundry baskets
by: Anonymous

I like the new type of laundry baskets that collapse. I use then for laundry coming out of the dryer and store them between washer and dryer in the mean time.

Collapsible baskets
by: Paula R.

I, too, found collapsible baskets! I really like that they can fold up and fit into narrower areas. Living in a single wide mobile home, rethinking items double-duty or investing in an item (like collapsible baskets) to save on limited space. I reused the other baskets in the storage barn to keep garden supplies, outdoor holiday ornaments together.

I did it!
by: Tracey

Have decluttered my laundry. wow fantastic. I even bought 3 small baskets for clean laundry so amazed with myself.

Laundry Room closet
by: Melody

My laundry room is actually a really large closet. My husband put two doors on it that meet in middle as it will open to the den. My washer and dryer are in there. He built 2 large shelves across the top of w&d which on top I keep larger roasting pans, punch bowl, etc. lower shelf I can reach is detergent, etc. on one end is a basket for my dogs supplies like brush, sweaters, bows. There is a 3 tiered shelf plastic beside the washer I keep dusting supplies there and a wicker type basket beside the dryer for grocery bags. On the inside of doors are hanging hooks for dry clothes. This is nice and neat and works great for our family. I fold and hang clothes as they come out of dryer and put them up immediately. So nice because years ago they were in garage with a small shelf above them for detergent.

Excess cleaning products
by: Robyn-Maree

I am slowly completing your challenges working around my ill health but what I struggle with most is excess cleaners. I have heaps of cleaners that I have tried and tested and then found better ones. Some are not as quick or require more scrubbing. On top of this we have combined two households over the last 6 months AND we are slowly renovating our newly purchased renovators delight which is our first home. I keep putting aside products that I say I will use on the clean up of a house that needs every wall and roof scrubbed. The truth is I know that I won't use them, and though I have donated some to community groups I am still constantly knocking over dozens of bottles trying to get to things I need. I don't want to just throw away all of those chemicals into landfill. Is there any good way to throw out excess cleaners and half empty bottles, it's not like you can combine them and only get rid of one bottle like with cosmetics or creams as it's often dangerous to mix cleaners 🤔

response to excess cleaning products question from Robyn
by: Taylor

This is a common problem. Check out my article about how to dispose of excess cleaning products here. You can also consider donating half used bottles to some organizations (ask first, of course, to see if they want them!)

my laundry closet
by: Cheryl Van Voorhees

I have a laundry closet with a shelf above it to keep extra supplies, so that is where I keep stain remover, soap etc. I have a top loading washer so there is nothing on top of it. The dryer is another story, it has things from our office that my husband put on it. I have baskets of various things I unpacked from boxes when we moved and did not know what to do with the contents. Because the shelf is wire, I purchased little shelves that hook onto the wire shelf, so you can keep small things contained.

Basement Laundry
by: Anonymous

We have the fortunate benefit of still having a laundry shoot in our house and the laundry basket is contained in the basement where our laundry machines are located. But, that brings up the question how much do you actually declutter when your laundry is done in the basement and there is no designated room or closet? Obviously the goal is not to declutter the entire basement (yet).

how I set up laundry room to make it work for me
by: Denise

I have laundry from 7 persons, including a baby. My laundry room looks like a U. On the left side I have a biiiiig box for all the laundry. Then comes a worktop with 4 vents and under this are 5 laundry baskets. So I can take the laundry from the big box and put it to the right color. After that, I have 2 washing machines and 1 dryer. On the right side I have a worktop to fold it and put it in the different boxes. Each child, grandma, Dad, Mom, etc. has their own box. And after this I have a shelf for all these boxes.

shelf for clothes
by: Stefanie

I have six children between 7-13 years old and I have one closet that has a shelf for each child in our finished basement where our washer and dryer are. This keeps me from schlepping folded clothes upstairs. HUGE time saver.

benefits of this task
by: Bonnie

I hated laundry until I organized my laundry room to work perfect for me. Now it's so easy!!!

A Place for Hangers
by: Deborah

Where to put the hangers in your laundry room? You need them but left to their own devices, they get tangled up. I have a towel rack that is mounted underneath a wood cabinet in my laundry room. It hangs upside down from the cabinet and I hang empty hangers from it. The hangers are right there to use when clothes come out of the dryer and there's no fussing with untangling the hangers or reaching into a pile of them to pull one out. This is the 2nd house that I've done this in and it works great.

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Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. How? Simply click here to return to cleaning and laundry supplies clutter.


Get 33 digital decluttering checklists for $1 each or printed checklists for $2 each during this flash sale celebration


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