Laundry organisation ideas: Top tips to tidy your space
Seen all over TikTok for keeping laundry rooms clutter-free, this affordable product has been praised for being “very useful” and “worth the money”.
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Put your hand up if laundry is your most hated household chores.
Just when you think you’re finally on top of it, the cycle begins again: there’s an overflowing hamper to sort through then lug to the machine to wash, and when that’s done, you need to hang it all up on the line (or stuff it into the dryer) only to have to fold it and store it all away. Rinse and repeat forever.
Expert organiser Anita Birges says in her experience the “most disliked task in the house is laundry” and it’s is one of the top three places where people want help.
“Psychologically, if you clean a bathroom or kitchen you feel satisfied, but laundry is a necessity and it always needs to be done,” she tells news.com.au.
Given laundry is an essential task (sorry, there’s no hack to get the laundry magically done), it’s worth spending time organising the space so it will become a place that you might actually want to be. Or at least a place where you know you can get through your laundry quickly and efficiently – and isn’t that what we all want?
“If you have an organised laundry, the space doesn’t feel as overwhelming,” Anita says. “If your space is organised and a system is set up, you feel better about doing it. It becomes a workable space instead of a struggle space.”
Here we’ve rounded up the best products and storage solutions to help maximise the space and functionality of your laundry room — which while not actually doing the laundry for you, will definitely help make wash day less of a chore.
Our top pick? This $30 collapsible laundry basket that we’ve seen all over #laundrytok for keeping laundry rooms clutter-free. Five-star reviewers on Amazon have praised the “very useful” laundry basket and love that it can be “folded away after use”.
“The collapsibility of this makes it perfect for those wanting to carry large loads of washing but not have to worry about storage afterwards. Good quality plastic. Worth the money,” one satisfied shopper wrote.
HOW WE CHOOSE PRODUCTS
Our team of experienced writers spend hours researching products to include in articles. We find out what factors make a good product by talking to experts, reviewing test results and analysing thousands of customer reviews.
For this article we spoke to Anita Birges, who has a hugely popular Instagram @mise_en_place_aus where she shares home tips and cleaning hacks, and Amy Revell, podcast host and decluttering and organising expert at the Art of Decluttering, to share their top hacks and tricks to get through your laundry as quickly as possible.
In this article
- Laundry Organisation Ideas: Best tips to tidy your laundry
- How do I sort laundry effectively?
- How can I streamline the folding and storing of clean laundry?
- How do I dry clothes efficiently and reduce energy usage?
- How can I prevent wrinkling or creasing of clothes in the laundry process?
- What is the best hack for saving time and effort in the laundry?
LAUNDRY ORGANISATION IDEAS: TIPS TO TIDY YOUR LAUNDRY
1. Separate laundry into categories
Anita’s number one hack for saving time and effort in the laundry is to create a sorting system that works for you and your family.
“You can’t have just one hamper,” she says. “You need at least a hamper and a laundry basket – the hamper is for dirty laundry and the basket to transfer the laundry to the line.”
She advises households to sort the dirty laundry from the beginning, whether that’s into lights, darks and colours or another system that works for your needs.
“You don’t have to have lights or darks – you can instead have a basket for school uniforms. Or if your partner is a tradie, they can have a basket for their clothes as you don’t want their stuff with everything else,” Anita says. “You can find great solutions, like a two or three divided section laundry basket.”
Sorting your laundry from the beginning also has the added and important benefit of having a quick visual “indication of how much laundry you have”, Anita says.
“Is it all school uniforms or is it towels? Because towels are much easier to fold.”
VASAGLE 2-Compartment Laundry Hamper, $129.95, Amazon
What You Need To Know
This chic-looking laundry station comes with two hampers to make sorting your laundry a breeze. Featuring a top shelf that gives you extra storage space (or an ideal resting spot for your laundry basket), there are over 700 five-star reviews on Amazon raving about the sturdiness and practicality of the hamper station. One shopper noted how each bin is the “perfect size for one load of washing”.
It also comes in a three hamper version if you’ve got more space in your home.
Xcellent Global 135L Laundry Hamper, 3 Sections, $38.88, Amazon
What You Need To Know
Available in three sections so you can sort your dirty laundry before it makes it to the machine, this lightweight and durable hamper can hold 135 litres of clothing. It’s also collapsible so you can store it when it’s not in use and is easy to carry thanks to the handles.
A glowing five-star review on Amazon notes how easy the hamper is to carry around the house and another said it’s been such a “timesaver”.
“All our clothes used to be jumbled in two large baskets and I would spend time sorting before each wash. This way clothes are already sorted,” they wrote.
Joseph Joseph Tota 60-litre Laundry Separation Basket, $100 (down from $169.95), Myer
What You Need To Know
This sleek and stylish laundry hamper holds two 30-litre fabric tote bags, with each bag featuring handles at the top and bottom. The self-locating rim also ensures the bags will conveniently slip into place.
Looking for something bigger? There’s a 90-litre size with two 45-litre bags.
Catzon Hanging Laundry Hamper Bag, $29.98 (down from $44.74), OZSALE
What You Need To Know
No space for a laundry hamper? This hanging hamper for the back of doors is just the solution. It features a large opening for you to throw dirty clothes in and a bottom zipper so the clothes can easily come out.
Simple Houseware 4-Bag Heavy Duty Laundry Sorter Rolling Cart, $46.87, Amazon
What You Need To Know
For ease and convenience, get a laundry hamper on wheels. This cart has a sturdy frame, with bags that can hold up to 41 litres, which one reviewer said “looks small but wow, it fits so much”. The four bag system means separating your laundry has never been easier. Sort laundry by person or type of clothing – whatever works best for your home.
There are over 1000 five-star reviews on Amazon with customers praising it for helping “make things much easier and saves a lot of time”.
Don’t need a four-bag hamper? It also comes in a three bag and two bag version.
2. Create a system and schedule that works for your household
If you want to save time doing laundry, you need to have a schedule or routine and stick to it, both Anita and Amy advise.
“Will you do it on one day or chip away through the week?” Anita asks. “For me, Sunday is when I do my laundry. Or one day could be when you do your linens and bedding. Split it up so it doesn’t feel so overwhelming.”
Amy suggests a routine like “putting a load on each night before bed and then it’s ready to be hung/dried when you wake up in the morning”.
Both Anita and Amy say to get your family involved to lighten the load.
“Have a sorting system like a bucket or cube or container or those mesh drawers for each person. Put their name on it,” Anita suggests. “I know some families that live out of the system.”
Amy is a “huge fan” of having “one laundry basket for each person in the family”.
She says: “Once the washing is dry, you can sort it straight into baskets for each person and then they are responsible for putting their own washing away.
“I see so many families who fall behind in the washing so buy more laundry baskets, which really just gives permission to stay behind and then there are more and more baskets of washing to deal with. One basket per person keeps things simple.”
SimpleHouseware Foldable Cube Storage Bins with Handle Pack of 6, $29.87, Amazon
What You Need To Know
This six-pack of storage cubes are lightweight and sturdy and ideal to put clean laundry in for kids to pack away.
They come in a range of different colours and feature side handles for easy transportation. The bins are also collapsible, meaning you save on space if you find you don’t need to use them all at once. One Amazon reviewer gave it five stars, noting they were “very sturdy” and “great storage boxes”.
Closed Weave Rectangle Seagrass Basket, $25, Target
What You Need To Know
Looking for a chicer take on the storage cube? This closed weave seagrass rectangular basket from Target is simple yet stylish. The two rope handles make it easy for carrying and it’s a decent size – not too big or small – for stashing laundry in. Plus, it’s guaranteed to look great in the laundry.
With over 100 reviews on the Target website, and sitting at a 4.6 rating, shoppers says it “looks nice and is practical” and is a “beautiful” basket that is “large and deep”.
Basket Bin Labels Clip On Pack of 6, $28.80, Amazon
What You Need To Know
This six-pack ofblack chalkboard label holders easily clip onto most buckets and baskets and includes a white chalk marker so you don’t need to buy that separately.
It also looks uber chic while being easy to remove and reuse.
3. Create more and smarter storage solutions
Yes, a few smart buys can make a world of difference in maximising your laundry space, minimising the mess, and importantly maintaining the tidiness of your laundry.
“There are really smart solutions out there – it has evolved and there are so many affordable options now,” Anita says.
If you’re short on space in the laundry, make sure you’re using the back of the door or any available free wall space.
“Use the back of the door and walls to hang stuff, like an ironing board or if you’re drying indoors, you can also get airers that an hang at the back of the door,” Anita says.
“You can also get collapsible laundry baskets which you can have sitting on the back of the door on a hook or get a hamper that can slide between the laundry and dryer.”
Not using your laundry sink?
“Create more space by covering the laundry sink with a piece of wood so that’s more benchspace,” Anita adds.
But make sure you do you research and measure your space to find the right products to fit into your space.
“That’s the most common mistake I see,” Anita says, “people see an idea online but don’t measure up their space.”
Another product Anita swears by is laundry baskets on wheels, saving on backbreaking labour of lugging the laundry basket around. “You can actually wheel it from room to room,” she says.
Seymour’s Collapse-A Laundry Basket – 37L, $30, Amazon
What You Need To Know
If you’ve got a small laundry, a collapsible laundry basket will be a handy addition. This one fits up to 37L and reviewers on Amazon say can “handle a little throwing around”.
Other five-star reviews say that the collapsible basket can be “folded back and forth quite a bit with no issues at all”.
Another wrote, “I live in a very small flat and big solid laundry baskets when they are not in use take up way too much space, these things are fantastic and easily tuck away when not in use.”
Box Sweden Hanging Clothes Airer, $23, OZSALE
What You Need To Know
Short on space? No worries. This two-pack over-the-door airier features six rails to hang your laundry from. It’s foldable design means that it’s convenient to store away when not in use. Ideal for small washes, particularly a delicate loads you want to air dry.
LT Williams Overdoor Ironing Mate, $27.98, OZSALE
What You Need To Know
This over-the-door hanger conveniently holds both your ironing board and iron. Made of powder coated steel wire, there’s no need for screws on this – simply hang over any type of door.
GILLAS Over The Door Hooks Hanger, $24.99 (down from $27.99), Amazon
What You Need To Know
Keep your laundry neat and tidy with this over-the-door hanger that features two mesh baskets and six hooks. There’s plenty of space to store everything you need in a small laundry.
One reviewer on Amazon said: “We are renting and can’t adhere items to the wall, and with limited storage space this has been great for our laundry door. I have outside hats, and outside gardening aprons stored on this, and it looks decorative yet it is very practical.”
Laundry Hamper Basket Butler Cart with Wheels and Hanging Rack, $87.05, Amazon
What You Need To Know
Featuring a hanging rod, a deep wire basket, a bottom shelf, and wheels, this laundry cart can do everything. Plus, the fresh white look will suit any laundry room.
With over 700 five-star ratings on Amazon, one reviewer said: “Makes sorting and moving my laundry a breeze, shirts and dresses dry fast on the rack and I can easily wheel straight to the wardrobe to put clothing away. The deep basket at the bottom holds a large amount of folded laundry.”
“One of the wisest choices I have purchased. Makes my life so much easier with my laundry,” another wrote.
SimpleHouseware 3-Tier Slim Rolling Cart with Handle and Hooks, $29.87, Amazon
What You Need To Know
If you’ve got a narrow gap between or beside your washer and dryer, you can still use the space with this slim rolling cart which measures 14x41.3x60cm. Coming with handles to pull out and move around, the cart also features six hooks to hang stuff on.
With over 600 glowing reviews on Amazon, people have praised the “nifty little storage unit” for “fitting into tight spaces but holding large bottles”.
“Ideal shelves to fill the narrow space between the wall and the toilet. Adds extra storage space in a small area. Plastic shelving with mesh bottoms are perfect for use in a damp area. Comes with optional wheels, hooks and a handle,” one shopper wrote.
Cooper & Co Laundry 3-Tier Bamboo Storage Unit in Natural, $89.95, Myer
What You Need To Know
If you’ve got space in your laundry or bathroom but limited storage, this stylish bamboo three-tier compact storage rack will keep all your necessities within reach. Made of ultra durable bamboo, the natural look rack will make a chic addition to any room.
A reviewer on the Myer site gave it a tick of approval, writing: “Easy to put together, clean design and fits well within small spaces.”
VIYAGOOL Mop and Broom Holder Wall Mount, $25.28 (down from $33.24), Amazon
What You Need To Know
Featuring five racks to hold brooms and mops, as well as four hooks to hang towels, this handy wall-mounted rack fits perfectly behind. It’s made of high quality stainless steel, and you can either install it with self-adhesive tape or by screw drilling it in.
Five-star reviewers on Amazon have praised the “excellent quality” of the “sturdy product”.
4. Keep most used products easily accessible
Make sure all the laundry products you use regularly – think detergent, softener, stain remover etc – are easily accessible. Anita’s top tip? Use a lazy Susan.
“I’m reaching up the top, all my necessities, three or four items, are on the lazy Susan,” she says.
Do away with bulky boxes and containers cluttering the laundry room by decanting your products. This means they’ll have a clear place to live, will be easily identifiable in transparent storage, and perhaps most importantly, look nice and uniform.
Lazy Susan Organizer Turntable – 2 Pack 27cm Clear, $32.99, Amazon
What You Need To Know
A lazy Susan is every organiser’s secret hack. This lazy Susan, which comes in 27cm and 23cm diameter sizes, helps maximise storage space and allows you to easily see and reach for your most-used products. The high side walls will keep even the heaviest things safe and stable within the tray.
With an average rating of 4.8 out five, shoppers on Amazon love the “value for money” turntable and have praised the “space-saving” turntable for being a “useful storage unit for small spaces”.
What You Need To Know
Keep all your laundry and washing essentials neat and tidy with these large storage containers. Measuring 32 x 23.8 x 17.5cm, these bins can fit a lot in them. They’re stackable, come with a built in handle, and we love that they’re clear so you can see what’s stored in them.
One five-star reviewer on Amazon wrote, “Great quality containers – perfect for organising the home.”
2-Tier Jabykare Pull Out Wide Drawer Under Sink Organiser, $33.99 (down from $43.99), Amazon
What You Need To Know
Make the most out of your under sink area with this two-tier organiser. The bottom tier slides out for easy accessibility and is wide enough to hold your bigger products like laundry detergent. It also comes with four hooks as well as a hanging cup for extra storage.
A five-star reviewer has dubbed it the “best ever storage organiser”, writing, “Great quality, spacious! Keeps my under sink tidy! Strongly recommend!”
Got lots of under sink space? Grab this two pack for $49.99 (down from $59.99)
Arjust Glass Liquid Laundry Detergent Dispenser, $74.95 (down from $89.99), Amazon
What You Need To Know
Made of durable, long-lasting glass, this stylish laundry detergent dispenser set will last you forever. It comes with measuring cups, a funnel, bottle caps, pumps, four waterproof matte labels (detergent, softener, baby detergent and bleach) as well as a recipe ebook to make your own natural detergents at home.
Happy customer say it’s “worth the money”, with a five-star reviewer writing, “Love this glass detergent pump set. It’s super solid and came with nicely designed stickers plus everything I needed to upgrade my laundry.
“It has really good height pumps that dispense a nice amount each time. The ebook is great with recipes and photos, can’t wait to make some of them. I would buy it again or also gift it.”
Laundry Detergent Dispenser, Wall-Mounted with Measuring Cup, $39.50, Amazon
What You Need To Know
Save benchspace by installing this wall-mounted dispenser, where you can pop your laundry powder, softeners and beads in. It’s easy to assemble and is made of a premium plastic that can hold up to 3.2kg. One satisfied shopper wrote on Amazon, “Easy to use and works great! And looks amazing in my laundry room.”
Living Space Laundry Tin With Scoop, $13.60 (down from $17), Spotlight
What You Need To Know
If you’re a washing powder type of person, this cute laundry tin is a great pick to organise and decorate your laundry space. Measuring 18x15x23cm and made of quality metal with a chic matte white finish, this tin will look super cute in any laundry space.
Youngever Clear Plastic Apothecary Jars Set of 3, $40.99, Amazon
What You Need To Know
Keep your laundry organised with this versatile set of three jars which come in 1800ml, 900ml and 450ml. Made of a durable crystal clear plastic that looks like glass but won’t shatter like glass if you accidentally knock it over.
Reviewers say the jars are perfect for organising a space, with one satisfied shopper writing on Amazon, “I used the jars in my laundry room to store my laundry beads, oxi clean, and baking soda. They just looked better than using the store bought packaging. I love the lids, all you do is lift up no suction. Perfect for frequent use.”
Minimalist Laundry Room Labels Set, $15.99, Amazon
What You Need To Know
Once you’ve decanted all your products, you’re going to need to label them. This preprinted set of 36 water-resistant labels is just what you need. Coming in a very cute vintage font, these stylishly designed labels will keep your laundry tidy and chic.
How do I sort laundry effectively?
There’s no getting around it: Laundry is a household task with many steps.
As Amy points out, “Clothes go from being worn, into a dirty clothes hamper, to being sorted, being washed, being dried, sorted and folded and then finally put away ready to be worn again.”
Her advice? “If you can reduce or remove the barriers to any of these steps, you will make the laundry process much easier,” she says.
Both Amy and Anita’s number one tip is to separate dirty laundry into separate categories.
Amy suggests: “For instance, can you have people sort the washing as they put it into dirty clothes hampers?
“Instead of everything being put into hampers in bedrooms or bathrooms, could people bring them straight to the laundry and sort them into the right hamper (ie: darks/ hand washing/ towels)?
“Or maybe you could wash each person’s clothes individually so you don’t have to sort them once they’re dry, you just take them off the line/ out of the dryer and put the basket straight into each person’s room (or they do their own washing making things even easier).”
How can I streamline folding and storing of clean laundry?
The answer is unfortunately very simple: You need to stick to a routine.
“Your laundry can’t be done on its own, if you set up a system – washing system, the drying system, the folding system – it will make it so much easier,” Anita says. “You’re never going to be motivated to do the laundry, you just have to do it.”
Similarly, Amy says the best way to save time doing laundry is to “finish the process/steps for each load as soon as you’re able”.
“If you put each load of washing away as soon as it is dry, then it might take five minutes to do and you don’t have to look at multiple baskets that have accumulated over days which feels overwhelming,” Amy says.
“It means you won’t also run out of room on the line because you’ve forgotten washing on there for days (and maybe need to rewash or dry again if it rains).”
Another tip? Don’t have dirty hampers in bedrooms.
“Most kids will take something off and throw it straight into the dirty hamper even if it’s only been worn for a few hours as it’s easier than putting it back away. Encourage kids to put things away if they’ve got wear left in them rather than putting everything out to wash as the easy option,” Amy says.
How do I dry clothes efficiently and reduce energy usage?
Anita’s must-know hack is to throw in a dry towel with your wet laundry in your dryer.
“It speeds up drying by a third and will save you money. Instead of a three hour drying cycle, with a dry towel, it’s only two. The dry towel helps absorb the moisture,” she says.
Amy advises using “wool dryer balls”.
“I use wool dryer balls when using our dryer which reduces the time needed to dry, and therefore energy usage. If you are drying clothes inside during the winter months, then place the clothes horses/ lines in places where they’ll dry quickly (under or over a vent) so you can make the most of the heating you’re already putting through the house,” she says.
How can I prevent wrinkling or creasing of clothes in the laundry process?
“The less time clothes spend waiting in a basket to be washed, or wet and waiting to be dried, or dried but crunched up in a washing basket ready to be put away the better,” Amy says.
“The quicker you can move clothes through the washing process the less crinkling and creasing you’ll encounter.
“Also, if you are able to hang clothes, instead of folding, you will reduce the crinkle that comes from being stuffed in a drawer too.”
What is the best hack for saving time and effort doing the laundry?
Both Anita and Amy are in complete agreement: embrace minimalism.
“The less clothes, sheets, towels you own, the more you’re likely to stay on top of the washing,” Amy says.
“I found that once we embraced minimalism in our clothing and linens we saved heaps of time in washing because there just wasn’t the quantities of things around the house.”
In Amy’s household, they strip their beds, wash and dry the sheets and put them back on the bed the same day. Same for bathroom towels. They’ll wash them in the morning and have them clean and back in the bathroom before bed.
“The less clothes kids have the easier it is to put things away in their wardrobes (and adults too!). Minimalism will definitely save you time, effort and money when it comes to managing the laundry in your home,” Amy says.
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