A well-designed laundry room with ample storage and built-in cabinets adds value to your home and is extremely useful.

There is plenty of shelf space and custom cabinets in a vibrant and modern laundry room. Family pets can enjoy a cozy nook in the laundry room with their water bowl and beds clear of walkways with good planning. Have you started air-drying more of your clothes but don’t have a convenient place for racks? Even the retractable drying cord you sometimes find in older hotels could provide a temporary place for workout wear and delicates. This room can become one of the most versatile and functional multi-purpose spaces in your home with a little vision.

It’s no secret that doing laundry isn’t the happiest chore. A typical family of four spends several hours a week sorting, washing, drying, folding and ironing between seven and ten loads of laundry per week. Similar to how a thoughtful, well-designed kitchen makes everyday tasks more enjoyable, so too does a well-designed laundry room. This is a space that should work for your family’s needs.

In collaboration with Kristen Panitch Interiors

Laundry machines are cleaning machines, but they need cleaning too.  If you leave lint to clog up the exhaust, your dryer isn’t going to be able to do its jobs very well… and this creates a fire hazard.

• Clean the inside of the washer. You can run an empty load on a hot, full, long setting with a bit of vinegar added to the water (once it fills).
• Clean and disinfect knobs, dials, and buttons.
• Vacuum the area behind and underneath the laundry machines.

Taking care of your laundry machines isn’t a one-day-only kind of task. Whenever laundry is done throughout the year, you can train yourself and those around you to practice smart habits with every load. With a mindful minute today, create and post a quick sign somewhere in the laundry room to remind everyone to clean the dryer lint trap and leave washer doors open after every load.

Researchers recently found a correlation between clutter and mental health, proving that a disorganized home really does make people—especially women—feel stressed.

It is important to maintain a neat and tidy closet space on a daily basis. The first step to getting the closet of your dreams is cleaning out the one you currently have.

In collaboration with Cameron Design Group

There is something special about an efficient and thoughtfully designed closet space. Whether you have a walk-in closet or a reach-in closet, your closet can be highly functional.

• Take Inventory of what you’ve got. Sell, donate and whittle down. Never throw clothes away as a sustainable solution is to donate clothes and shoes, especially socks to the homeless! (See our previous blog post on Philanthropy: “In Support of a Bright 2022”

• Make space for the shoes. Your best bet is open shelves with dividers and alternate toes-facing-out and toes-facing-in organization.
• Now is the time to move those seasonal clothes into a box and into storage. Be sure to label the boxes so you know which ones to open at the appropriate time.

Getting rid of things that don’t spark joy for you is the first and most important step, you will be amazed by how much less you have to store.

It’s time to put everything back together. Sort your clothes, shoes, and accessories by color and type, keeping the items you wear frequently in the most convenient location.

If you feel overwhelmed, tackle one shelf or drawer at a time. Whatever style works for you, one thing is certain: At the end of the process, getting dressed every day will be fun.

Happy Spring Cleaning, be sustainable and donate, be patient and take one step at a time.