Laundry Room Organization: 4 Simple Fixes That Worked For Me! -

Let’s talk about laundry rooms. I’m embarrassed to say that mine was in rough shape. I had good intentions but somehow it was always a bit of a disaster. I was in need of some serious laundry room organization!

For years, my laundry room was more of a messy catchall than a functional space. And honestly? It drove me nuts. It’s an area of my home that does a lot—it’s the entry from the garage, the home of pet supplies (dog food, horse supplements, and all the essentials for our four-legged friends), the place where we (occasionally) iron, store pool supplies, and, oh yeah, do laundry.

clean and organized laundry room — Although my laundry room isn’t decorated in a Pinterest-worthy fashion, I love how it turned out: decluttered, organized and functional!

But instead of making life easier, it felt like a daily battle.

So, I finally decided it was time for a serious refresh and some basic laundry room organization. Here’s what wasn’t working (spoiler: a lot), how I fixed it, and what I learned along the way.

Problem #1: The Basket That Became a Black Hole

Messy shelves and basket that needs to be organized — Oh how I hated this setup!

Once upon a time, I tossed a large basket, on some wire shelves, in my laundry room to hold a few odds and ends—you know, like things to be returned, my husband’s new golf balls and a few horse supplements. But somewhere along the way, it turned into a monster catchall for literally everything: receipts, dog treats, random tools, golf accessories, gum, keys, jackets and at least a dozen ball caps.

My husband? He loved the system. He was perfectly happy tossing everything in and fishing around when he needed something. But me? Not so much. It was messy, frustrating, and impossible to find anything without digging through a mountain of randomness.

I knew I needed a better solution—one that completely hid the clutter and was too tall to have a usable flat surface (because I know my husband, and he’d just start piling stuff on top). After what felt like an eternity of searching, I finally found the perfect solution:

A locker-style cabinet from IKEA.

Locker that can be used for organized storage in the laundry room. — Love it!!!

Can I just say that I LOVE IT?! Not only does it check all my functional boxes, but it also comes in green—my favorite color! It’s sleek, hides all my husband’s daily drop-zone chaos, and has completely transformed this space. No more digging. No more clutter. Just a simple, stylish, sanity-saving storage win.

I organized my husband’s hats by installing a couple of these hat holders. They installed easily with adhesive strips that came with the holders themselves. My husband loves them as he can easily get the hat he wants for working around the house, golf or work.

locker style cabinet that keeps the things we need to store out of sight and well organized — There is room for all of my husband’s things and it’s all stored behind closed doors, just the way I like it!

Problem #2: The Cabinets of Broken Cleaning Dreams

Once the landing zone was under control, it was time to deal with the overflowing cabinets and laundry room sink.

laundry room cabinets overflowing with clutter that needs to be decluttered and better organized — This is a hot mess and something that has been bothering me for years.

utility sink overflowing with cleaning and laundry supplies that need to be better organized — My overflow of cleaning products and laundry supplies always ended up in this utility sink….making it impossible to use this sink

Step one in laundry room organization? Take every single thing out.

I mean everything. The only things left standing were my washer and dryer. I pulled out every bottle, every forgotten item hiding in the back of the cabinets, and even emptied the sink (which, for some reason, always had stuff in it—cleaning supplies, laundry soap, random towels, you name it).

And then? I made a promise to myself: Only the best of the best would earn a spot back in the laundry room.

With so many functions—laundry, pet supply storage, cleaning products, pool supplies, and a garage entryway—I needed a system that actually worked. So, I picked up a few storage containers from IKEA to group similar items together. Now, instead of shifting everything around just to grab one thing, I can simply pull down a basket and grab what I need.

decluttered cabinets that are well organized using baskets. — Organized and functional space AND nothing in the utility sink anymore

And the best part? More than half of the stuff never made it back in.

Once I got rid of all the excess, everything I did keep fit neatly into my cabinets. My laundry room sink is finally empty (!!), and I even found the perfect slim-fit cart to keep my detergent within easy reach. Not only does it function so much better, but I also love the way it looks.

I walk into my laundry room now, and instead of sighing in frustration, I actually smile. It’s amazing what a little decluttering and organizing can do!

Problem #3: My Laundry Detergent Was Playing Hard to Get

For years, grabbing the laundry detergent was way more difficult than it should have been. It was stored in a less-than-ideal spot that required an awkward reach, some strategic maneuvering, and a little bit of luck to avoid knocking something over.

Every time I needed it, I found myself thinking, Why am I making this harder than it needs to be?

So, during my laundry room overhaul, I knew it was time to fix this ridiculous setup once and for all.

Enter: the slim-fit laundry cart.

Slim fit cart that works perfectly to organize my laundry supplies and a few cleaning supplies as well — I love this slim laundry cart, keeping my detergent super handy

This little cart is a total game-changer in my laundry room organization!. It fits perfectly in the small space next to my washer, keeps my detergent right within reach, and even has room for a few extra laundry essentials. No more stretching, shifting things around, or playing a game of Laundry Room Tetris just to start a load.

It looks great. It functions even better. And honestly? I don’t know why I didn’t do this sooner.

Problem #4: The Dog Food Storage Dilemma

Of all the laundry room problems I tackled, dog food storage was the one I just couldn’t fully solve.

chaotic mess with no organization for dog supplies and food — This is what my dog food and horse supplement area looked like before. Excuse the dirty dog bed, It was the day before I washed it!

It’s not that my current containers don’t work—they do. They keep the food fresh, are easy to access, and function just fine. They’re just not the prettiest option. And after making everything else in the laundry room look so good, the clunky dog food bins feel like the one thing holding me back from laundry room perfection.

I considered a few alternatives, but since garage storage is a no-go in my hot climate, I’m a little limited on options. So for now, I’m sticking with what I have… but I’d love to hear ideas!

dog food bins storing dog food in laundry room — This is my after, but I still need to store the additional bags of dog food in here occasionally. It’s too hot in my climate to leave human or dog food in the garage so that’s not an option.

How do you store pet food in a way that’s both practical and aesthetically pleasing? Drop your best solutions in the comments—I’m all ears! (And so are my dogs.) 🐶🐶

Final Thoughts

What started as a frustrating, cluttered space is now a functional, organized, and (dare I say?) enjoyable part of my home. By tackling each problem area and making intentional changes, I turned my once chaotic laundry room into a space that actually works for my family.

It’s proof that even the most frustrating areas of our homes can be transformed with a little decluttering, the right storage solutions, and a commitment to only keeping what truly serves us.

Now, if only laundry could fold itself…