A well-organised laundry can change how you live day-to-day. Efficiency in a laundry is vital, no matter what your stage of life. It’s easy to feel like you are forever in the laundry, and you could be right. The average Australian family does four loads of washing a week, which means at least 3 hours spent in the laundry, washing, drying, and folding.
Here’s our 5 top tips for creating an organised and efficient laundry
1. Create a space to suit your needs
A laundry should be designed to suit your lifestyle. Look at how your family spends their time and design spaces that enhance the way you want to live. Do you have kids and need organisation to suit the afterschool rush? Perhaps you have space to include a custom built mudroom. If not, hooks and shelves may be the answer.
Maybe your fur baby needs a designated area. Consider creating a built-in dog washing station or pull-out drawer for the pet bowl. Perhaps you're sick of tripping over the cat litter tray, and having it hidden away in an unused cupboard would solve this problem.
Dream big at this stage. If it can improve your lifestyle, it's worth asking.
2. Consider your workflow
Workflow is the order you undertake tasks. When designing the layout, consider how you can reduce time spent walking up and down the length of your laundry. Try to locate your dryer next to or above the washing machine to minimise the handling of washing. Also, consider creating landing spaces for laundry baskets and folded clothes.
If you are building a new home or relocating the laundry in a significant home renovation, think carefully about the best location to suit your family's needs. Ideally, there should be direct access to outdoor drying facilities and a site away from bedrooms and living spaces. A laundry located in a services area of the home, such as near the kitchen or garage, is advantageous.
3. Make the best use of available space
A laundry does not have to take up a vast amount of space within your home. A European-style laundry located within a cupboard along a hallway or within a kitchen, garage, or bathroom makes excellent use of a small space. Use overhead or full-height storage to take advantage of height in a room.
Are your washing machine and dryer best stacked or side by side? Both have their benefits. Working with professionals to design the layout for your laundry can help to make sure that every part of the space works for you. We can assist in developing a design for shelving, cabinets, and joinery that can store everything you will ever need, creating a space that functions efficiently.
4. Consider using multiple laundry hampers
Why not separate your laundry as it comes in? Creating a system with your laundering creates efficiencies and can reduce time spent in the laundry. Sorting laundry as you go into lights, darks or dry cleaning, can reduce the time spent doing laundry on weekends.
Creating built-in laundry hampers for different loads of washing means you will know when a load is ready to put on, and it will also be pre-sorted ready to go. No more red socks lurking in the whites! Laundry hampers can be custom-built into large pull-out drawers right alongside your washing machine. Ensure they have ventilation holes to allow air to circulate around the dirty clothing.
5. Add a hanging rail
Consider if a hanging rail will make getting the laundry done easier during wet weather or save you ironing time. A hanging rail can be hung over a laundry sink or bench and make the perfect place to hang delicates or partially dried clothing. If you are going to install a hanging rail, remember to allow enough space for clothing to hang. One metre is a minimum. If you live in a particularly cold area, you may also want to consider incorporating a drying cupboard. This will speed up the rate at which your clothing will air dry, and keeps drying clothes out of sight.
Feel free to contact us with any questions you may have and we can talk you through our process and create a beautiful new laundry for you.
Resources to Help You Get Started
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If you have any questions or would like help with any project, feel free to contact us for a no obligation discussion.
We help busy families and individuals achieve their ideal version of luxury living, blending it seamlessly with practicality to suit their lifestyle perfectly.
If you are building or renovating, we’d love to hear from you to discuss creating a beautiful interior that fits your dream of luxury living.
