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Summer’s grassy and muddy shoes are on their way out.  Snowy, slushy boots are ready to make their appearance, along with the onset of laundry piled high for kids headed back to school.

Is your laundry room organized enough to handle the chaos?

Here are a few suggestions to take your mudroom from messy to immaculate:

• Arrange cleaning and laundry supplies.  Stain remover underneath the washer, laundry detergent scattered across the counter, and the mop is nowhere to be found? Sounds easy enough, but containing all of your laundry and cleaning supplies in a designated space helps make chores get done efficiently and quickly.  Invest in a plastic container to put all bottles or small boxes in and corral mops and brooms in a closet or corner.  Don’t forget to keep cleaning supplies out of the reach of little hands!
• Small installations will do wonders! Is there extra space above your washer and dryer, but clutter all over both machines and your counter space?  Try installing shelves: whether it’s wooden, wire, or plastic, it will free up space to give miscellaneous products a home.  Utilize hooks (try 3M Command Hooks if you don’t want to put a hole in the wall) and set up a retractable clothes line that will stretch across the room only when needed.
• Pre-sort laundry. Is half the time you dedicate to doing laundry spent in sorting your lights, darks, and colors (or if you’re me: lights, darks, and pinks)?  If so, it might be wise to stick to a sorting routine – immediately throw your dirty clothes in baskets specifically used for each laundry cycle, instead of tossing them in one giant basket you’ll have to trudge through later. Bed, Bath, & Beyond and other home goods retailers offer hampers with pre-separated openings for different loads.
• Create an area for pets. If Sparky’s dishes, toys, and bed are starting to take over the laundry room and become a nuisance that you trip over, it’s time to regain control.  Assign your pet’s belongings to a specific corner or area.  For easy clean up, invest in a non-skid plastic square from a home store (or use a kids placemat that’s not in use) to set dishes on.  Set up a basket for toys and gather leashes and collars onto hooks.  If you keep your pet’s food in the big bag it comes in, try leaving that in your garage (keep it in a storage bin unless you want hungry little critters digging in!) or other location.  Use a smaller plastic container with a dispenser lid to store food in the laundry room and refill it as needed.
• Craft a laundry room lost and found. Quick and simple idea: designate a jar and a small basket for lost items.  Search through pockets for loose change and empty it into the jar (and watch it build up!) and round up lonely socks into the small basket.  When the weather turns brisk, prevent items going astray and stay organized by adding an extra basket or two for scarves, hats, and gloves.

As a recent college graduate who has learned her fair share about laundry in the past five years, the best laundry weapon in my arsenal has been Shout’s ColorCatchers.  These clever little sheets trap all unwanted colors floating around in the water, so feel free to mix a rainbow of colors in your washer.  Get organized, then watch laundry and cleaning transform from a chore into – yes, it’s a stretch to say – something enjoyable!

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