Top load washer and dryer pairs come with a unique challenge. Since they can’t be stacked to make more room in the laundry like front load washer and dryer sets, they take up more floor space. But for some buyers, the difference in savings between top load laundry pairs and front load bundles is worth more than saving a little extra room in the laundry room. On the other hand, households with higher laundry demands might prefer the heavy-duty cleaning top load washers deliver.
In any case, making the most out of a confined laundry setup requires a little creativity, and our experts have taken on the challenge to come up with handy solutions to your problem. If you’re feeling claustrophobic come laundry day, follow these small laundry room ideas with top loading washer sets in mind.
Related: Front Load vs Top Load Washers
At a Glance:
Hack 1: Shelving Above the Washer
Add Shelving Above the Washer
The wall behind your washer (and dryer) is often neglected, but it can serve as a convenient place to store common laundry room essentials. There are several options to consider, but the easiest is using a floating shelf. These have a flush look, are low-profile, and are easy to install. Best of all, because they’re slim, many spaces allow for multiple levels of shelves, instantly maximizing the amount of storage in your small laundry space.
One variation of this tip is to use a closet wire rack. Available in hardware and home improvement stores, these bracket-style shelves are lightweight yet heavy-duty and typically are able to support more weight than a floating shelf. We also like that you can hook items — like a spray bottle or air-drying a delicate garment on a hanger. Even better, many ventilated shelving units are compatible with add-ons, like a bar rod or hooks, which can be incorporated into a small laundry room design taking up virtually no space at all.
Attach Storage to the Back of a Door
You also shouldn’t neglect the valuable real estate that’s waiting to be used on your laundry room doors. Here are two hacks we love.
The Hanging Shoe Rack
Over-the-door shoe racks are a great way to hack tighter laundry spaces because they occupy the space that’s not usable when a door is shut. The cubbies are great for holding bottles, paper goods, and they can even be used as a “lost and found” zone to keep one sock safe until its pair is found.
Spice it Up!
… with a spice rack, to be specific. Admittedly, this is one of those small laundry room storage ideas that won’t work in all layouts, and you should be careful that the type of rack you choose doesn’t knock into the wall when the door is shut. But there are slimmer options available, and these are also nifty for storing smaller detergent bottles, miscellaneous laundry items, and fabric sheet boxes discreetly.
Include a Place to Hang Clothes
Having a place to hang your wardrobe is a must for any laundry setup. Otherwise, your freshly dried shirts, blouses, and dresses run the risk of becoming wrinkled. The solution? Door hooks! It doesn’t get much simpler than over-the-door hangers, which fit right over the top of a door, require no tools to install, and come in various hook counts.
Laundry rooms with sinks with their own complications, too. Having a place to treat clothes stains or wash up after messes is convenient, but there’s a lot of equity that’s lost by having a sink. One of our favorite small laundry room ideas with sink stations is to take advantage of the wall-to-wall space that’s available above the wash zone with a shower rod.
Telescoping shower rods are available in a variety of sizes with options to fit pretty much any wall space. Once installed above your laundry room’s sink, you now have an overhead place to hang clothes or to drape large bedding.
Install a Fold-Down Rack
If you have a power drill, some basic DIY know-how, and a spare afternoon, installing a fold-down rack is one of the easiest small laundry room storage ideas that you can try. To make it easy on you, shop around for shelving kits that come with all the hardware and pieces in one package. All that’s left to do is find the right spot, follow the instructions, and take advantage of a convertible laundry workspace where you can fold, iron, and sort clothes with ease.
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Invest in Collapsible Hampers
Collapsible hampers are a revelation for small laundry room organization ideas. These flexible fabric totes contain piles of laundry when you need them, and when the laundry is done, they smash down to nearly flat dimensions that even fit in drawers. That means you can stock up on collapsible hampers, store them in the tightest spaces, and have laundry organization at the ready.
Collapsible laundry baskets use the same concept as their hamper counterparts but with the traditional shape of a laundry bin. The sides have flexible ribbing that converts into a flat profile when pushed down. Like mesh hampers, these are great to have around to quickly sort laundry when you need to and to stow away when you need more space in the laundry. Fit these behind a washer or dryer, on top of built-in cabinetry, or even beneath the sink in a cupboard.
Add a Table with Storage Bins Beneath
For small washer and dryer areas, a laundry room table can be a practical two-in-one solution. First, they provide an additional workspace with a flat surface that can also be used as extra storage when not in use. But the best part is all the stow-away space that can be used below a laundry table.
Many designs feature open shelves, which we recommend since you can customize what to fit the empty space with. Wire baskets, wicker bins, and plastic totes are all good options. To get the most bang for your buck, consider adding drawer dividers to keep all your items well organized and easy to find.
✓ Pro tip: Rolling laundry tables give you even more flexibility. Wheel the table wherever it fits best to make the most out of your laundry room workflow.
Use a Lazy Susan for Your Detergents
Turntables are most commonly used in kitchens, but the laundry room is another great place to use its space-saving design. When you stock bottles, bins, and other bulky containers in a line, it’s easy to misjudge what you do and don’t have on hand. Obviously, you can find what you’re looking for by moving items around, but all it takes is one time for a full bottle of detergent to be left open and spill to consider other ways to store items in the laundry room.
The revolving base on a Lazy Susan eliminates having to dig through your cabinet altogether. Just turn the bottom until you find what you’re looking for. Best of all, these platforms don’t take up a lot of space and they are inexpensive, so you can stock every cupboard with one.
Here are a few other small laundry room organization ideas to help you navigate your tight quarters.
- Hooks: Don’t underestimate the usefulness of a hook! Stick-on varieties are great for applying to the side of your top load washer to keep stain sprays and cleaning tools in a designated spot.
- Bars: Don’t limit wardrobe rods. In many cases, they can be installed in cupboards to hack unused overhead space (i.e., install a bar and hand nozzle sprays neatly above to free up shelf space below).
- Shelf bracket system: Adjustable closet shelf systems are easy to install just about anywhere on a wall. Best of all, they offer a ton of flexible storage possibilities, including shelves, rods, and hooks, all with a relatively small footprint.
- Pegboards with shelves: Like adjustable brackets shelves, pegboards can be customized with shelf storage to fit the needs of your laundry space.
FAQs
What else? Here are a couple of other small laundry room ideas to help you conquer your quaint washer and dryer space.
Q. How can I hide my top-loading washing machine?
A. A simple solution for hiding your top loader uses a tension rod and a curtain. If your washer and dryer are installed between two cabinets, place the rod in this space and fit it with a curtain (this is your chance to add some flair to the area!).
If possible, you can also add hinged doors to the surrounding cabinetry. Follow the instructions, making sure to carefully measure the space beforehand.
Q. What goes in a laundry room?
A. Every laundry room should have the basics and some extras.
The Basics
- Laundry detergent
- Bleach
- Cleaning brushes
- Baskets/hampers
- Hangers
- Fabric sheets
The Extras
- Steamer
- Ironing board + iron
- Sewing supplies
- Repair tools + user manuals
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Not only do we offer top-rated appliances, name-brand electronics, and the best mattresses on the market but we also provide water treatment solutions and perform kitchen design services. Stop by your nearest Spencer’s and see what you’re missing!
Shop Top-Load Washers at Spencer’s TV & Appliance
At Spencer’s TV & Appliance, we provide high-quality, name-brand products at great prices — check out our catalog to shop top load washers online today. Your friends in the business are always happy to help you discover small laundry room ideas with top load washer models in mind. Call us, or better yet, stop by at one of our locations in the Phoenix, Scottsdale, and Glendale regions. Visit us today!
Learn More: 6 Best Top Load Washers with Agitators