Laundry zones get a lot of heavy usage. They can be large or small and can be located in many places in homes. Some older homes have laundry zones in the basement. I remember my mother’s was in the basement and even had a laundry chute where clothes could be dropped from either the main level or upper level of the house and end up in the basket in the basement. ( I believe a cat or two also got a laundry chute ride.) Some are at the top of the stairs behind folding doors. I’ve seen them in closets off hallways or next to the closet in a master bedroom. Mine is a small storage room/laundry zone off the kitchen. What you don’t want to see is mounds of clothes migrating into adjoining areas.
Keeping up with the laundry becomes less of a chore with a well organized space and a plan for keeping on top of the never-ending influx of dirty clothes. The idea is to keep the laundry moving. Only bring to the laundry zone, the items you intend to wash right away. Leave everything else in the designated dirty clothes hampers. As soon as the tub is washed, get it in the dryer or drying rack. And as soon as clothes are dry, get them back to their “home”. Delegate putting items away to the family member who owns the items. Even young children can sort and put clothes away. If an item needs repair or ironing, have a designated place to store those items and then schedule a time to do that task. You really don’t want your holiday table cloth in the ironing bin in August.
A stack of colored laundry baskets is a handy way to sort clean clothes for each member of the family and one for the bath/bed linens. When laundry is taken out of the dryer and folded, immediately put it in the correct basket. Each family member can pick up their baskets, put their clothes away, and return the basket.
Maximize your area by installing shelves or using over the door storage. You’ll want your laundry soap, dryer sheets, stain removers, sponges, and scrubbing brushes near your washer. If you buy your detergent in large containers, transfer some into smaller containers that are easier to handle and will less likely be spilled. Post a stain-removal chart on the wall. Make sure your area is well lit.
Have a container handy for tossing in items you find in pockets or loose buttons. If possible, have your ironing board, iron, and water spray bottles in this location.
It’s wonderful if you have counter space to fold clothes but if you don’t, you can use a table in a nearby room as long as you remove the clothes right after folding them. A bar or bracket to hang hangers for shirts taken out of the dryer in useful. It does not have to be large but just enough to hold what would come out of one load (because, of course, you are going to immediately put them away ;-} )
Whether you do laundry daily or once a week, have a planned time scheduled to handle it. That keeps laundry from accumulating in heaps around the laundry zone.
Having this zone organized may not make you love to do laundry but it certainly will make it less of a chore.
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