7 Things to Declutter From Your Laundry Room Today (to Help Keep It Organized Forever)

All the Stuff You Find in People’s Pockets

If your family isn’t so great about emptying out their pockets, you can quickly end up with a basket or bin filled with a wide assortment of random items.

To sort through the pocket clutter fast, Katrina Teeple, founder and CEO of Operation Organization, recommends the following:

• Keep a designated “pocket finds” jar or tray near the washer to temporarily hold found items. Empty it regularly!
• Have a change bowl in a common area where loose coins can be collected and used later.
• Place a trash bin nearby to immediately discard unwanted paper scraps, wrappers, or outdated receipts.

Single Socks

Take one last pass through that bin of single socks—then “Repurpose a few as dusting mittens or discard,” Teeple says. Want to minimize the matchless sock dilemma the next time around? Teeple suggests stocking socks in one or two colors only, so it’s easier to pair them, rather than a wide array of sock designs and colors that can end up getting relegated to the single-sock pile.

Broken Laundry Tools

Cracked laundry baskets and hangers could snag and damage your clothing, so go ahead and take those out of your rotation.

Clothes That Need to Be Folded

Does laundry end up taking up space in your laundry room long after they’ve been washed? Teeple suggests instituting a “laundry reset rule.” “Before starting another load of laundry, take the time to ensure all clothes are put away, laundry supplies are returned to their place, and the washer and dryer are wiped down from dust and lint. This small ritual keeps messes from building up.”

Pet Toys and Accessories

While some pet products may need to be stored in the laundry room, things like leashes, sweaters, and toys might find a better home near the entryway or another spot in the house.

Random Household Clutter

Laundry rooms can quickly become the home to some strange things that don’t really fit with the vibe, like owner’s manuals, random hardware (like extra screws or nails), buttons, and more, Teeple says. Take the time to go through any random items and clear out as much as possible. “Then keep what you need in labeled containers up high instead of taking up prime real estate,” Teeple says.

Anything That’s Keeping You From Doing Laundry

Do you have to constantly move the vacuum aside to open the dryer, or clear away a pack of toilet paper to have room to fold? Hord suggests reorganizing to ensure that nothing in the laundry room stands in your way when you’re washing clothes. “It’s important to create zones and structure to avoid chaos. Figure out what’s landing there and create a proper home for everything.”