21 Genius Tips to Organize Your Laundry Room on a Budget

Organizing your laundry room on a budget can transform your laundry days to stressful to calm without breaking the bank. 

With a few creative and cost-effective hacks, you can maximize storage space, streamline your laundry routine, and create a pleasant environment that makes chores less overwhelming. 

From repurposing household items to finding budget-friendly storage solutions, this quick guide will teach you all the best organization tips for your laundry room. 

This post is all about how to organize a laundry room on a budget.

The Best Laundry Room Organization Ideas on a Budget

1. Start by decluttering your laundry room

Starting from a blank slate will make this process much easier. If possible, take everything out of your laundry room to see what you are working with. 

Things to declutter in your laundry room: 

• Empty laundry detergent bottles or other cleaning bottles that are expired
• Items found in pockets like loose change etc. 
• Mismatched socks that you were planning on matching and never got around to (no shame!) 
• Any clothing that doesn’t fit, is stained, needs mending etc. 
• Any laundry room organization products that seemed like a good idea at time of purchase but didn’t work for your flow
• Any non laundry related items that can be relocated back to their homes

Be mindful to not immediately throw everything in the trash. Try to make categories of items to keep, trash, donate, repurpose, or relocate. 

2. Deep clean your laundry room

You may be surprised at just how much dust and debris gets caught underneath your washer and dryer, on your walls, and in between bottles of cleaning supplies.

How to deep clean your laundry room:

• Deep clean your washer and dryer with a mixture of soap and water
• Clean underneath your wash and dryer by sweeping and mopping
• Dust all surfaces first including behind appliances, on top of appliances, light fixtures, baskets, shelves etc.
• Clean baseboards, the floor, and the exterior of your washing machine 
• Run your washer with vinegar and hot water on an empty cycle to lift dirt and grime. 
• Vacuum your dryer and remove the lint trap. Wash your lint trap with soap and letter and let it dry completely before replacing it. 

3. Rethink what laundry products you actually need to get your clothes clean

There is SO much marketing encouraging buyers to get the “new and improved” or “best-smelling” laundry detergents, dryer sheets, fabric softeners, scent booster beads, and stain removers. The list goes on and on! But do you really need ALL of those products to get your clothes clean? 

In most cases, the answer is no, or at least probably not.

 If you have a small budget, reimagine what your laundry routine can look like. The less stuff you have means the less stuff you have to organize. It is also WAY more cost-effective to have a more simple laundry routine since you won’t be buying various products. 

Here are some simple laundry products for a complete laundry routine:  

• Dropps laundry detergent 
• Vinegar or baking soda for stain-removing 
• Dryer balls instead of dryer sheets 
• A few drops of essential oils for added scent 
• Hanging items outside to dry immediately after the washer to minimize wrinkles 

Learn more about our recommendations for laundry room essentials below:

{RECOMMENDED POST: 5 Best Eco Friendly Laundry Detergents You Need To Try}

4. Install floating shelves above your washer and dryer

Make the most of the wall space in your laundry room by installing simple shelves. You can use repurposed wood to make these very affordable.

Floating shelves are the perfect place to store baskets to hide away laundry products. Even if you have cabinets in your laundry room, a few added shelves can keep clutter off the floor. 

5. Use simple hooks to hold laundry essentials

If you have wall space near your door or beside your appliances, install a few simple hooks or a pegboard to hand items on.

This system is perfect for hanging items like your ironing board, small vacuum, broom, and dustpan. 

6. A collapsible drying rack that you can hang on the wall

If you have a small laundry room you will love wall-mounted drying racks.

They are the perfect way to air dry clothes inside on rainy days but also don’t take up too much space. 

7. Choose thrifted baskets or clear bins to hold laundry products

Once you have decided what laundry products you will be using in your routine, you can repurpose or thrift organizers to hold it all.

Baskets are great because they create less visual clutter in a space. When you walk into your laundry room you will see pretty baskets rather than random groups of bottles. Or if it works better for you to see the products you can use clear bins.

Either way, group similar products together and label everything! This streamlines the process and cuts down on rummaging through containers to find what you need. 

8. Over-the-door organizers to hold small laundry and cleaning supplies

Laundry rooms tend to be used not only for laundry but other storage as well.

Over-the-door organizers are a great vertical storage solution that keeps counter space clear. They can store small items like dryer balls, clothes pins, mesh bags for delicate items etc. 

9. Upcycle jars to hold small laundry items 

Clean out and repurpose mason jars (or other food related jars) to make good use of them in your laundry room.

If you choose to use smaller items like dryer sheets, clothes pins, stain-removing sticks etc. you will love using jars. They keep all of your products organized and can be easily labeled if needed.

It can also help to preserve the scent of products longer since they are in a tightly sealed container. The jars can be placed inside a cabinet or even stored in an over the door organizer so they are easily accessible. 

{RECOMMENDED POST: How To Extend The Life Of Your Clothes? Care For Your Clothes With These 9 Simple Tips}

10. Install a hanging rod over your washer and dryer 

If you have the space, install a rod that can be used to hang clothing over your appliances. Closet rods are a super easy way to prevent wrinkles and make your laundry routine more efficient!  

11. Swap out your bulky ironing board for a small steam iron 

Ironing boards are not ideal if you have a small laundry room because they can take up a ton of space.

Steamers are perfect because you can hang your clothes vertically to steam them and don’t have to make space for a large board! 

12. Use a laundry cart with hanging rack

If you don’t have space to put up a tension rod in your laundry room you can pick up one of these rolling laundry carts.

They are great for small laundry rooms because you can roll them around to create extra space. The wheels have stoppers so you can easily steam clothing on them and it won’t roll away.

13. Repurpose plywood or an old countertop as counter space over the washer and dryer. 

If your washer and dryer sit next to each other you can create a designated spot for folding clothes and holding organizers.

For some reason a board just makes it look so much better than simply stacking items on top of your appliances. You can paint the board to fit the theme of your laundry room or leave the wood as is for a more rustic look. 

14. Choose the right laundry hamper for your space to hold dirty laundry and clean laundry

There are tons of laundry hampers to choose from and the “best one” will look different for everyone.

If it is just you, then a collapsable hamper is great because it can be easily tucked away and moved around. If you have a large family you may need a few hampers.

Either way, a secret tip is to not only have a hamper for dirty laundry but also clean clothes!

Once your clean clothes are out of the dryer you can hang it on rods or throw in in your clean hamper to be organized later. This is much better than it laying on your bed on on the couch. 

A big part of maintaining an organized space is simply having a home for everything.

15. Choose energy-efficient light bulbs to brighten the space

No one wants to fold clothes in a dark and dingy space. Open up the windows or choose bright light bulbs to make the task of doing laundry even a bit less drab.

You may be surprised at how much more inviting and peaceful the space looks when you are mindful of light. 

16. Create a mini folding station using a small table 

If you are working with a tiny laundry room, a small foldable table may be the perfect solution for having an area to comfortably fold clothes.

When not in use you can simply slide it on the side of your appliances. 

17. Repurpose furniture in your home to bring in extra storage space

A wonderful budget-friendly way to increase storage space is by repurposing furniture or storage containers from other parts of your home in your laundry room.

Dressers, cabinets, and containers can be transformed with a simple coat of paint and then used to hold all of your laundry supplies and cleaning supplies. 

18. DIY Magnetic lint bin on dryer 

Attach a few magnets to the back of a container that you can place on the side of your dryer to put lint in. This is a great way to free up floor space by not having a trash can in the way. 

18. Stack your washer and dryer if possible 

To free up a lot of space in your laundry room you can stack your appliances. Of course this doesn’t work for everyones home and appliances but if possible go ahead and do it!

This gives you more space to work with when looking at your laundry room layout. You can add in a repurposed dresser next to your appliances that will be perfect for folding laundry and holding laundry products. 

19. Laundry room makeover 

Design can be just as important when it comes to organization as organization systems are. Sometimes it is not just the clutter but the look of a space that makes it feel overwhelming.

Although a laundry room is used for boring work, it can still be beautiful. We might think to choose a color theme for areas like the living room or bedroom since we spend more time there but why not do some basic improvements to beautify your laundry space?

Here are a few ideas to start with to bring a little bit of life into your laundry room:

• Repaint the walls. A fresh coat of paint can go a long way.
• Pick out a cheap roll of wallpaper for an accent wall and pop of color 
• Add in some simple wall art in frames 
• Choose organizing baskets that fit the color scheme 
• Add in some low maintenance house plants for a touch of greenery
• Thrift a mat or rug to make the space more comfortable and inviting. A squishy standing mat is perfect for making laundry days more comfortable as well 
• Skip the paper towels if you have a nearby kitchen sink (or utility sink) and use colorful cleaning rags

There are so many different ways to bring in a little extra charm and personalization to your space to make laundry less of a chore. 

20. Choose a laundry day and stick to it the best you can!

Sometimes a new organization product won’t be the answer to having an organized space.

But having a laundry day routine will be life-changing! Aside from getting your laundry room decluttered, deep cleaned, and a few strategic fixes it is so important to brainstorm when and how your routine will work best in your schedule. 

Again, this will depend on your lifestyle but at least choose one day per week you can set aside to throw a load in. 

Where can you buy budget friendly budget friendly organizers for your laundry room? 

If you want your laundry room to feel more organized you really don’t have to spend a bunch of money. 

Try your best to prioritize products made from durable materials that will not break easily that way you don’t have to replace them as often. For example a stainless steel drying rack rather than a plastic one that could easily snap. 

It may take a little extra time to design your dream space but it is possible! Here are some places to find budget-friendly laundry organization products:

• Thrift store
• Yard sales/garage sales
• Facebook market place & buy nothing groups 
• Swapping items with friends 
• Repurposing items from other areas of your home and DIY projects 

Have any other creative ideas to organize your laundry room on a budget? Let us know in the comments below! I’m sure others in the community would love to learn from you as well as they do their own laundry room makeover!

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Stay well, 

Maggie 

This post was all about the best tips to organize a laundry room on a budget

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