Making Your Laundry Room A Happier Place To Be

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Streamlining your laundry room not only helps laundry day go more smoothly, it can add value to your home and help the environment. If you’ve been suffering through a dirty basement laundry room or cramped closet laundry area, change it up with laundry room renovations that increase the sense of space and set a peaceful mood. Start with these top tips.

1. Update Old Appliances

Not only will you see cleaner clothes when you update your washer and dryer, you’ll save on your energy bill by switching to new, energy-efficient products. The reduction to your energy and water bills helps offset some of your upgrade expenses. Before you shop, think about what would work best in your space. Stacked pairs may work best for tiny laundry areas since they open up the floor plan. Side by side units can double as an ironing area when you lay a flat ironing board atop your appliances.

2. Spruce Up Your Decor

Create a pleasant atmosphere in your laundry room to feel relaxed and happy when you’re there. Laundry may never be your favorite chore, but if the walls are a serene blue and you’ve got a gallery of family photos on the wall, you might be less frustrated while doing the wash. Bright or light colors do wonders in basement laundry rooms, and can take away some of that dreary “basement feel.”

3. Maximize Storage Options

Wall-mounted shelves or storage cupboards give you plenty of room to keep laundry items out of sight. If cabinets are a no-go, free-standing units offer the same storage benefits. You’ll find many attractive storage options to match your new decor, and if you don’t find exactly what you want — DIY plain furniture with a can of paint of stain.

Once you’ve got storage set up, spend time organizing where everything will go. Keep detergents, fabric softeners and stain removers in one area. If you use drying racks, stash them in another area. If there’s anything in the laundry room that doesn’t belong there, take this chance to relocate it. And if you haven’t already, take this time to green your laundry practice by switching to eco-friendly laundry detergent. In place of dry fabric softener sheets, switch to dryer balls. These reusable balls remove static cling from clothes.

4. Create Some Counter Space

Counter space gives you room to sort dirty clothes before you wash them and fold the laundry afterward. It also allows you spaces to flat dry heavy garments like sweaters and to iron clothing. You’ll save time by locating a counter in your laundry area. No more lugging heavy loads of laundry through the house to find an ideal place to fold clothes. No more setting up a separate ironing board. If you’re short on space, consider an island with storage underneath or consider a stacked appliance unit to leave space for other amenities.

5. Don’t Forget a Sink

If you don’t have a sink in your laundry room, strongly consider adding one. While a utility sink makes hand-washing garments a breeze, it can also double as a work sink for other projects that would dirty the kitchen sink. Often, adding a sink to your laundry room doesn’t come with a high price tag.

Sketch out some possible layouts or browse completed laundry rooms on Pinterest before you commit to a plan. Develop a budget so you don’t overspend on this project. You’ll be able to tackle most of these renovations in your own, which is wonderful news if you’re on a tight budget or saving up for something special.

Matt writes on behalf of Sears and other deserving brands. He specializes in writing guest posts on home living and repair.