It is estimated that people spend approximately eight hours a week doing laundry. However, unlike the bathroom, the room is reserved in the basement and isolated from the home.

Laundry Room: What Should Be In There?

Here is a list of must-haves that laundry rooms should have to make them attractive and easier for you to do laundry.

1. Utility Sink

A utility sink is a multi-functional sink. It is best used today in homes that call for the designer style.

A 2-inch recessed drain is the utility sink of choice due to the versatility in the laundry room.

Utility sinks are compatible with all types of washing machines, such as front loading or top loading, compact units, or stackable washers and dryers.

If needed, the best place to install one is next to equipment, such as the front-loading washer and dryer combination.

However, it would help to place a utility sink near your main entrance, but not within three feet of the door.

This makes the machinery vulnerable to catching on fire due to floodlighting structure that lights laundry room corridors.

2. Hanging Racks

Every laundry room should consider having hanging racks because they make it easier to separate shirts and bedsheets.

Some people will prefer floor-standing racks that make it easier to reach the top ones or wall racks dependent on home décor and make it easy.

The floor-standing racks come in handy when you add accessory shelves like baskets, rods, and shelves according to your taste and need.

3. Lighting

Since laundry is generally done at night, lights are usually fitted in the room for better light for doing chores.

Lighting can be traditional fixtures, commercial fluorescent lights, shop lamps, and fluorescent light strips.

Alternatively, instead of fixed lights, you can have task lighting in and around your laundry room.

Homeowners are advised to place these lights in places that require specific work zones. These work zones include under-cabinet strips, baseboard strips, and in-wall sockets.

Using wall sconces, cordless lamps, and table lamps allow the homeowner to use these lights for many other activities in the room.

They can also move around with the light. The latter does not limit their activities at the various stations in the laundry room.

4. Steam Ironing Table

The steam ironing table is another valuable addition to the laundry room. If you happen to like ironing clothes, a steam-ironing table makes life easy in the laundry room.

Several ironing tables exist, including an optional bench with a heating system (steam or dry heat) and a built-in extra storage space or grooved tops.

Steam ironing stations are specialist furniture designed to prevent burns and help remove wrinkles with minimal effort.

5. Cabinetry

Cabinetry is the storage area that is integrated within the laundry rooms. The cabinetry area has changed from predominantly wood to steel cabinets in vertical and horizontal applications.

This change is functional, and built-in storage allows a small space to perform various functions.

When designing the cabinetry, the storage should conceal the laundry equipment, keeping it out of sight. It elevates the room and maintains a visually appealing space.

The slat wall design for this space is mainly used to conceal other things like air-drying garments, hairdryers, or iron with a bar or wire shelving above.

Other things you might keep in your cabinet include an ironing board, sliding utility rails, and pull-out hampers.

You can improve the appeal of your laundry room by using neutral colors or paints for the cabinets. In addition, you can position LED lights around the cabinet to improve lighting.

It would help if you considered overhead cabinets. These are especially useful because they save floor space and allow you to hide many of your things out of plain sight.

Moreover, overhead cabinets can allow you to keep clothes and linen high off the ground and dry.

Alternatively, you can consider low cabinets, in which kids can collect clean clothes and drop dirty ones.

6. Open Storage

You should consider open storage for your laundry room if its function is storage and fits the overall space idea.

The open storage design gives your laundry room a more significant appearance. Open cabinets are an excellent option for tiny spaces for functional storage.

A laundry closet can include open shelving where you can hang clothes that are not put out to dry.

The open shelving system makes a small room appear more significant when nothing is blocking the living room or kitchen view.

7. Water-Resistant Materials

Since the laundry room is usually found in the basement, it is more prone to flooding than most rooms in your home.

Therefore, you should invest in water-resistant, easy to clean, and durable materials.

Install only materials that specify a certain degree of water resistance, like the concrete counters, store floor tiles, and ceramic tiles.

8. Track lighting

Incandescent track lighting is one of the more cost-effective methods of adding artisanal light to your laundry room while also making it easier on your eyes.

Moreover, you can install track lighting section by section, controlling the layout presentation. The best thing about track lighting is that almost all design features conceal it completely.

Track lights can also incorporate other associated functions, including blending music and dimming lights.

It would be an added advantage if the tracking lights blended in with the rest of the fixtures, thus ending the need for a traditional wide ceiling-mounted chandelier.

9. Durable Flooring

Since laundry is central to the home and tends to create large amounts of vibration, the floors should be strong enough to withstand years of use.

If you find vacuuming very difficult on hardwood flooring, you should explore other flooring options to avoid damage from extensive use of vacuums.

Before installing a loose weave rug fabric, adding an extra carpet pad would make the laundry room comfortable.

An oriental rug can make your laundry room cozier, primarily if the amount of light is restricted in the space due a ceiling uplighting.

10. Stackable Machines

Most laundry rooms could use energy-efficient stackable machines, clean by burning off mold, and cost hundreds less than the traditional vacuum cleaners.

Stackable machines easily tuck into a corner when not in use. Moreover, these machines leave enough room for you to have open storage shelves or extra cabinets.

There are many styles of machines to choose from that won’t overwhelm your laundry room. The stackable model can be used as a gift for children who love toys and utilities.

Remember that the capacity of each section should somewhat match the manufacturer ratings.

11. Energy Efficient Laundry Machines

Some washing machines incorporate solar panels to heat water when needed in this option.

Since laundry rooms get flooded with dirty water, they must have a drain that draws off excess moisture to prevent rust from forming.

You can keep the water from overflowing by installing a spin off-pump.

Other features include:

• Cleaning made easy
• Fluffiness is maintained by using gentle cycle options in your washing machine
• Push button controls make it quick, simple and easy to use
• Touch screen displays show times and options using clear symbols input buttons

12. Tidy Bins

Containers can come in handy in the laundry room. You should have at least two or three lidded, open-top woven containers holding your dirty and clean laundry.

Moreover, you can use such tidy bits to hold extra toiletry and cleaning supplies. Furthermore, it would help label the baskets and bins for easy identification and organization.

13. Attach Hanging Rods

All laundry rooms should have ample counter and storage space to hold cleaning equipment and clothes.

However, designers should ensure that the laundry room has a hanging rod. It comes in handy when hanging garments and linen.

Moreover, the rod can be a great place to hang your keys and let you access them easily.

14. A Safe Compartment

You will find two compartments in the laundry room. One section houses the washing machine, dryer, or both, together with equally important accessories like detergent and bleach.

This compartment could get messy if not well organized due to liquids oozing.

The other drawer is designed to hold smaller bits and pieces, including clothespins, washing and drying soaps, sponges, and poo sticks.

The cabinet should contain enough storage space to ensure easy identification. It can be accessed when standing in front of it instead of bending or reaching out for clothes.

15. Hang a Pegboard Wall

Laundry rooms can easily be cluttered and disorganized, making them unsightly.

You can attach a pegboard on a blank wall of your laundry room to corral cleaning supplies, a first aid kit, and miscellaneous items.

Moreover, you can install a wall-mounted drying rack as an additional space to leave delicates to dry.

16. Increase Hanging Space

You should use the empty space in your laundry room wisely. For instance, use the space above the washing machinery and dryer to hang additional laundry.

Consider mounting pull-out drying racks on the wall. You can also add a line that can be used to put wet clothing as they are being washed or as they finish drying.

If you are beginning from scratch, you can use coat hooks on either side of the laundries machine entrance to secure jackets, handbags, or umbrellas.

17. Laundry Room Decor Tips

The dryer easily gets forgotten and neglected. However, adding some accessories makes it more functional and aesthetical.

For instance, dedicate a shelf underneath the dryer to tidy up the lint screen, lint brush, detergents, and fabric softeners, among others.

Due to the continuous turning of clothes, they tend to pick lint and loose threads while washing them.

Therefore ensure you keep it clean and clear. This means the clothes in the dryer are ready to wear without being spotted dust or cobweb.

Consider using artwork that features laundry-related topics.

Such a display can give a vintage touch to your décor and be a conversation starter among friends and relatives when visiting you.

18. Folding Station

It would be best to create a folding station in your laundry room. Start by using your countertop space to fold your clean and dry clothes.

Countertops are ideal folding stations because they are smooth and level. In addition, you can use the countertop as a work surface for sewing projects, minor repairs, and crafts.

19. The Right Dryer and Washer

The dryer and washer are essential machineries for any laundry room.

To create efficiency and minimize the time for the laundry room, you should buy machines that come with a time-saving feature, such as the advanced wetting option.

This function spreads water over damp clothes to match heat application and provides added speed to dry clothes.

20. Finishes Matter

Adding finishes is integral for some laundry rooms showing wear from day-to-day. The finishes you choose must be scratch-proof since they are often touched by dirty laundry and stains.

These surfaces should be stain-proof and easy to clean because the laundry room floor and walls are prone to stains.

21. An Iron Box

An iron box combo is ideal storage to save you from odd space. An iron box combo takes up lower space but with a 14 cubic foot capacity.

It is large enough to hold a lot of clothing, accessories, and shelves. You can fit the iron box and the ironing table between the washing machines.

22. Laundry Bucket Spot

You should create a room within your laundry room to hold the baskets.

Ingenious spaces you should consider are underneath the stairs and corner cabinets or the laundry rod right above your washer and dryer.

Keeping your basket’s insight will give you hints throughout the washing, drying, or folding routines.

23. Accessories

Add more safety within your laundry room by adding a clothesline, floor protectors, and shelving units to mount on any wall.

Accessories will allow all utility items to be hidden during small lunchtime gatherings or when expecting guests at your doorstep.

Such a move would ensure that your laundry room is organized and visually appealing.

Final Thoughts

In conclusion, laundry rooms are often viewed as the most chaotic rooms in your home.

The above 23 listed items and ideas are commodities that every homeowner should consider adding to their laundry room.

Without a doubt, these ideas would create a comfortable, organized, and fun environment for doing your laundry.