It’s an essential room in every home and if you manage your laundry basics well, then the chore of doing the weekly washing and ironing becomes much more enjoyable. A mess in any room looks bad and leaves you feeling overwhelmed, which is all the more reason to have your laundry designed with practicality, this will help you maintain a well organised space. Here are some laundry basics to help you get your laundry back into shape:
Make space for folding: Install a countertop so you have a place to fold clothes as they come out of the dryer. Ideally, it should be right above the dryer, if space is limited then have a fold out table nearby so that you can bring it into the laundry when needed.
Create a space for hanging: Every laundry room needs a place to hang clothes fresh from the dryer or delicate items you prefer to air-dry. Installing a hanging rod either under your cabinets or next to them is one of the laundry basics.
Laundry organisation: Have a cabinet with shelves and spaces which can handle all your detergents, powders and pegs. You could also install a drying cabinet for air drying delicate clothes and a storage cabinet to put washed clothes in before ironing.
Convenient ironing: A wall-mounted ironing board which can fold in or out is a great space saver and makes ironing less of a chore. When planning your inbuilt ironing board make sure a power point is close at hand.
Plan it out: If you’re starting from scratch in designing your laundry and toilet, think of your plumbing. Place appliances where the outlets are placed. If you have a front-loading washer you can use the top for other things.
Good light:
Speaking of power points, you do need good lighting for certain laundry tasks, so adding a spotlight is a great idea. However if you can add natural light so much the better, it is better for your reduced power bill and better for the environment, and enhance you laundry basics strategies.
Keep the flow: Working surfaces in a laundry can replicate those in your kitchen and bathroom. It gives a continuity of style throughout your home.
Reduce bending: Accidents happen in laundries. Flooding is a common occurrence as are sore backs from humans. Use appliances which require as little bending and stooping as possible. Think about your own health when designing your laundry. And on that topic of health, think about the placement of your appliances. Think about stacking. From washer to dryer can be a no-brainer. Save yourself from walking and carrying heavy loads of washing.
Aesthetics: And don’t neglect the appearance of your laundry, the more you like your laundry the more time you will want to spend in it. Easy to wipe tiles, bright colours and natural light with matching curtains can all add colour and character to this small but important room.