For the amount of time we all spend in our laundry room, you’d think that we would take a little more time keeping them organized, especially since the whole goal of the room is to help us get things clean. But, if you’re like us, the laundry room is one of the first spots in our homes that need some tidying up.
That’s why we’re pleased to be working with our sponsor Tide, who knows parents love a tidy home, but have more to think about: making sure their home is safe for their children. They’ve teamed up with organizational expert and author Nikki Boyd of At Home With Nikki to help share some helpful tips for tidying up your laundry room, all while ensuring your kids are safe too.
Here are 5 of Nikki’s tips that might just turn your laundry room into your own mom cave.
Top Photo by Andy Fitzsimon on Unsplash
Don’t miss a chance to win a free one-on-one consultation with Nikki Boyd, below
1. Create a drop station
If you’re like us, you’ve got coins and buttons and rocks (just to name a few) that you’ve found in pockets or worse, clanging around your dryer, that just sort of end up on top of shelves or countertops. Nikki suggests creating a drop station that provides a place for all those random laundry finds, plus the small items you need, like clamps or stain sticks. Her suggestion is to bring things up: add a shelf to the walls with simple tins or baskets to house the items. This approach helps save space and keep items away from children.
2. Add double-duty decor
Just because laundry rooms are usually small spaces doesn’t mean that they don’t have to be beautiful. Nikki suggests combining decor and function, like hanging a laundry room symbol chart, like the laundry print set above from Wild Fig Paperie. Or even just a funny saying that will add a little humor to what can feel like a mundane task. It’s a source of inspiration (and motivation) for the family, and adds a beautiful decor piece.
3. Go bowling
Nikki says that simply placing a beautiful bowl on your washer or dryer can really be a great way to have a place to toss and soak your dirty dish cloths. It’s high enough that the kids can’t reach it, and from the initial look into the space the bowl adds a bit of fun, without anyone knowing you’re actually soaking dish cloths. Then you can just grab, wring, and toss in the dryer.
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About our sponsor
Tide knows parents love a tidy home, but have more to think about: making sure their home is safe for their children. They know that there’s a lot to love about the tidying trend, but living with kids can make that tricky. Along with organizational expert and author Nikki Boyd, they’ve created a Tidy Home | Safe Home Bingo Board to help parents tidy up, while keeping their kids safe. Head over to Cool Mom Picks’ Instagram to check out their Bingo Board, and if you share it in your Instagram Story and tag Nikki, you’ll get a chance to get an in-home consultation with her.
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4. Baskets and bins are your friends
Maximizing your wall space with shelves can help with the clutter and open up a ton of storage, all of which is out of reach for children. Baskets for things like lost socks, your delicate mesh bags, and dryer sheets will keep all those items out of sight, but very well organized. They’re also a great option for keeping your closed container of Tide Pods safely out of reach.
These days, there are no shortage of baskets or bins, like these beautiful wool felt containers, that fit any decor. Just because it’s your laundry room doesn’t mean it can’t have a bit of sophistication.
5. Labels, labels, labels
Between the odds and ends you find in your dryer, to your laundry products, labeling everything can make your life a whole lot easier. We’re big fans of chalkboard tags, like these from LeeArt Designs, which allow you to mark everything in your bin, but reuse them if you change the contents. You can even use chalkboard paint pens (and someone with beautiful handwriting) to add a little style.
Thanks to our sponsor Tide for helping parents keep their homes tidier and their kids safer.
