In its essence, utility means being useful or beneficial, and that’s precisely what utility rooms are. Having clever and inspiring storage in this space can help keep it tidy, accessible, and easy to complete tasks in. Whether you’re doing the laundry, storing large household appliances, or cooking in as a follow-on from the kitchen, ensuring it’s a tidy space where you can be practical in is essential. A good saying to live by when it comes to your laundry room is that you can never have too much storage. Often one of the smaller rooms in any home, ensuring you have got everything tucked away neatly is vital in you effectively getting jobs done. Using a combination of different storage methods can help you form an organised space that you can efficiently complete tasks in and tuck away your lesser used household items.
1. Shelves Shelves Shelves
One of the most important parts of any space that needs storage, shelving comes in a variety of forms and is something that must be thoroughly considered. Being one of the smaller rooms in your home, utilising your walls is crucial, with floating shelves and cabinets working excellently to give items a home whilst taking up no floor space. These items will be easy to see and grab, so it’s wise to place products that will be regularly used and look relatively attractive. Cupboards automatically come with shelving, but whether you opt for an open or closed style will depend on what you’re planning to store on it. Everyone will have different goods to store away and a distinct space to work with, so it’s important that you evaluate what works for your room.
2. A Rail is Requisite
A common place for the washing to be completed, having the appropriate equipment in your laundry room plays a big part in how effectively you can complete this chore. When items require drying and the weather is being notoriously British, having a rail to hang your clothes on is a wonderful way of completing the job without cluttering your space. This can also become useful for when you’re doing the ironing, as you have a convenient place to take creased items from and put them back once they’ve been ironed, maintaining the quality.
3. Choose your Laundry Basket
With a host of different styles out there, choosing the best laundry basket for you is one that may take some thinking. Firstly, decide whether you want multiple compartments or just a singular spot to place your washing in, then you can focus on the specific style. Available in a range of materials such as polyester, wood, and canvas, with some even coming with wheels. It’s important to choose an option that suits your physical abilities and home setup. Many people may see doing the washing as tedious task, but with a laundry basket that helps you complete it efficiently, you can find joy in getting it done, being organised along the way.
4. Hide away Cleaning Equipment
Used to make your house beautiful but lacking in attractiveness itself, cleaning products are in every home, but they aren’t something that should be on show. Whether you have base units, wall cupboards or other areas to store and shut off from viewing, your cleaning goods should belong away from the eye. It is important that you keep all your cleaning supplies together to create an organised and structured environment that is easy to work in. When shutting these items away, the obvious way to do this is via a cupboard door, however, opting for a curtain cover adds a great deal of character and style to a space that can often be lacking in imagination and personality.
5. Fill your Cupboards
Whatever cupboard space you have in your utility room, make the most of it by filling it with a range of items. It’s wise to evaluate what you need to store away and if your current layout fits those requirements before attempting to cram things in places that they don’t fit. Consider having a larger compartment for your mop, vacuum cleaner, and other taller items that would require extra room. If your kitchen cupboards are looking a bit full, switching long-lasting and less essential foods to your utility room is an excellent idea.
6. Look Above your Bulky Fixtures
Whilst your washing machine and tumble dryer are essential parts of your utility room, the space directly above them shouldn’t be forgotten about. Getting a storage rack that has an open gap underneath and shelving space at the top is a neat way of homing some of your more decorative belonging whilst making the most of your space. This can also help you complete your laundry more efficiently as you can place detergent, fabric softener, and other appropriate items conveniently above your washing machine. Save yourself scrambling around your utility room for the products you need and have them all in one suitable place that will quicken up your day.
7. A Home for Kitchen Appliances
There are plenty of kitchen appliances in our homes that we need but don’t use very often and could find a more appropriate place to keep. We can all be guilty of not using the juicer in months or neglecting the George Foreman grill during the summer months. Moving these items into the utility room is a great idea if you have the space for it. Being able to get them out of the busy kitchen space gives you room for more used items, however, this shouldn’t mean your utility room is looking cluttered because of it. Find commodious cupboards for these items is a wonderful way of keeping them out the way, shut off from viewing, and ready to be grabbed at any moment.
8. Beautiful Baskets
There is an abundance of basket options available for storing your utility room goods inside. Mesh and wire baskets are perfect for storing cleaning equipment in as they are easy to clean if any spillages occur, find what you need, and work out what you need more of. The see-through nature of these baskets is great for many reasons, however if you are looking for more of a decorative storage option, then rattan or seagrass baskets are perfect for any Pinterest-worthy utility room. With a large selection of sizes and styles on the market, work out what you might want to place inside and where they would go to figure out the perfect options for you.
9. Store on your Door
A lot of people fail to take doors into consideration when it comes to storage possibilities but utilising it effectively will make a heap of difference. Whether you implement hoods, add shelves with a barrier to stop items falling, or something different is completely up to you. Ideal for smaller items, towels, or other hanging accessories, the storage potential is incredibly helpful and being tucked away from any appliances your room would have a less cluttered feel compared to if you entirely filled up your walls.
Conclusion
There are plenty of ways to enhance your utility room storage and the best thing is most of it is inexpensive. An important aspect of your utility room that you should give a lot of thought to is the style. Just because you want to save space and store away a range of goods, doesn’t mean you need to take away from the aesthetic appeal of the room. Yes, you want to select the most effective storage options for your space, but if you don’t like the look of it or don’t think it would work in your room then try a different avenue. Also focus on what’s going on in your home. If you have kids or pets, keeping certain items out of their reach should be one of the first things to consider. Be cautious when purchasing cupboards and other expensive fixtures and make sure you need them as a cheap and easy hack could do just the job and leave the space open for a range of other things.