 Deep Cleaning the Laundry Room
If you hate laundry, there is a good chance you also hate your laundry room. I have done laundry in all types of laundry rooms – the Laundromat during my summer jobs, the apartment building laundry room when I was a student, the stacked washer and dryer in a teeny bathroom in our first apartment, the “pit” in our first house, the second “pit” in our second home, and finally in our “laundry room” in our current home.
Who else here has a “pit” to do their laundry in? It doesn’t have to be. Did you know that you can actually take some window cleaner to a washer and dryer and it will brighten up the entire room? I didn’t. Let’s look at some of the things we can do to help turn our laundry “pits” into laundry “rooms.”
Quick note before we start: I know many of you do not have a “laundry room,” you have a laundry area that is part of the basement, garage, or back porch. Try to visual what part of this space is the “laundry area” and only concentrate on that space. Now is not the time to tackle the whole garage or basement!
Step 1: Setting the Stage
- SHOP at home FIRST: Gather up the laundry baskets and hampers you already own, some window cleaner, some all-purpose cleaner, a couple trash bags, a broom, and a wash bucket filled with hot soap water.
- Put on some great music to get you moving. Right now, I have a Josh Grobin CD in my player. Mmmmm. I got to see him live this summer. Wow! What a beautiful concert. Even my husband came with me.
Step 2: The NOT ME Five
- LAUNDRY: Gather up all the laundry that is laying around in the laundry room. Put the dirty clothes into a hamper. Fold the clean clothes and bring them to their owner’s room. I usually just leave the clothes on their beds so they can put them away later.
- DIRTY DISHES: Gather up any dirty dishes that may have accumulated in the laundry room. Coffee cups come to mind LOL. Bring them right up to the kitchen and either set them by the sink, or put them into the dishwasher.
- TRASH: use one of the empty plastic bags and gather up all the trash. The empty detergent boxes, the rinse bottles, the dryer sheets, the lint balls, the wash sticks, the broken hangers, the torn shirts (that can no longer be repaired with a glue gun), and the holey socks. Take the trash out to the trashcan. Get it out of the house right away!
- PAPERS: Gather up any papers, newspapers, books, and magazines that have accumulated in the laundry room. Add the old stuff to the recycle.
- STUFF THAT DOESN'T BELONG: Get rid of the things that don't belong in the laundry room. Ours is on the way to the garage, so the top of the dryer tends to accumulate a lot of stuff during the week (pop bottles, recycle, toques, mitts, dog leashes, etc.)
Step 3: Roll Up the Sleeves, We Are Going In!
- Whew - good start! I bet the laundry “pit” is starting to look better already! Since today is a deep clean we are going to go IN, ON TOP, and UNDER! Normally you would skip directly to Step 4 and continue cleaning just the surfaces.
- GOING IN: Do you have any cabinets or shelves in your laundry room? We have two cupboards above the washer and dryer and two closets (one for cleaning supplies and one for jackets, suitcases, and the vacuum cleaning – this is a “hard hat only” closet. You never know what will fall down when you open the door!) Pick ONE cabinet or shelf (I chose one above the washer and dryer). Pull everything out. Toss the trash, put the things you don’t want anymore into a carbboard box, and set aside the things you want to keep. Quickly use your all purpose cleaner and wipe down the shelf. Then put the stuff back you want to keep.
- GOING IN: Repeat for the rest of the shelves. If you are running out of time, just tackle the spots that bother you the most. You are going to be amazed by how much room you have in your laundry “pit” when you get rid of stuff you don’t want anymore.
- GOING ON TOP: Get rid of all the stuff that has accumulated on the tops of your washer and dryer. Try to keep these machines clear of clutter and clothing.
- GOING ON TOP: Do you have a counter or other flat surface in your laundry room? If yes, I envy you! I would love to have a spot to fold clothes in our laundry room. As it is, I just use the top of the dryer. Oops – sorry, on a tangent here…clear off the counter. Toss the trash, get rid of the stuff you don’t want anymore, wipe off the counter with your all-purpose cleaner, and then put back the things you want to keep. The less you put out, the larger the room will look, and the more space you will have to work!
- GOING on TOP: Take a look at your laundry “pit.” Are there any other spots where junk has accumulated such as sinks, window sills, free standing shelves, ledges, etc? Remove the stuff, toss the trash, get rid of the stuff you don’t want anymore, and set the rest aside. Use your all purpose cleaner to wipe it down. Then put the things back that you want to keep.
- GOING UNDER: I always hate going under. You never know what you are going to find! If you are working in the basement or garage, keep your eyes open for things that may be moving (just kidding!). Gather up all the things that have accumulated on the floor around the washer and dryer, under the shelving units, and in the middle of the room. Toss the trash, get rid of the stuff you don’t want anymore, set aside the things you want to keep. Don’t put them back yet!!
Step 4: We're rocking and rolling now! Wipe and Clean
- Wow! You are doing great. You got rid of the dirty laundry, the dirty dishes, the trash, you cleaned up around the washer and dryer, you made some space in the shelves, and now everything else is sitting out in the hallway, and the laundry room is looking empty.
- Start with the washer and dryer. Use your window cleaner to wipe away all the dust and dryer lint fluff that accumulates in this room. You are going to be shocked when you see how different these machines look when they shine. Even my 16-year old dryer looks like brand new! Remember to open up the lid on the washer and wipe down the inside ledge as well. This tends to collect dried detergent and other goopy substances.
- Use your all-purpose cleaner to wipe down any other surfaces in the laundry room (now it is looking more like a room and less like a pit!). I usually wipe down the doors and doorknobs as well. Remember to wipe out the sink and to look up. Perhaps there are windows or a vent fan that should be washed as well. It only takes minutes. You can do it!
Step 5: Let it Shine
- Wash the light fixtures in the room (remember to ensure the light bulb is cooled down – we don’t want exploding light bulbs!). Take a look at the wattage in the light bulb. Perhaps your fixture can handle a higher wattage. This will brighten up the area!
- Use your window cleaner to sparkle up any remaining spots in the laundry room.
Step 6: The Floor
- Use your bucket of hot soapy water and quickly wash the floor in the laundry room. If you have baseboards, give them a wipe as well. Dryer lint fluff builds up on everything!
Step 7: Don’t Quit Now, You Are Almost Done!
- Put away the things that belong in the laundry room. Remember to put a fresh plastic bag into the trash can.
- Try to keep all your washing supplies together on one shelf or in one cabinet. I like my stuff behind closed doors so I cannot see it.
Step 8: Congratulations, You Are Done!
Here’s a hint: put something “pretty” in your laundry room. Perhaps a small vase with flowers, a special picture, the radio no one is using, or a wicker basket to hold a few supplies. I keep my mother-in-law’s old washboard on the top of the cabinet above the washer and dryer. It is a reminder that no matter how I dislike doing washing, it is quite simple compared to how people use to do it!
Perhaps even a fresh coat of paint will brighten this room up?
A Couple Safety Notes:
Please check your dryer lint trap, under the lint trap, and the dryer exhaust to ensure you do not have a dangerous build up of lint.
Do not run your washer and dryer when you are not home (no matter how tempting!). Many home fires have started in the dryer area. A couple years ago, we had to replace the heater element on our dryer. While the machine was apart, I was amazed to see the amount of lint that had built up around the dryer drum. I was shocked to see that some of the lint was scorched!
Consider installing a smoke detector in your laundry room/area.
Additional resources: Underwriters Laboratories Inc.: Dryer Safety.
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