Banish Laundry Room Blues

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A spring makeover for your laundry room? Why not?

Whether your washing machine and dryer reside in a closet or a hall or a spare bathroom, the laundry area is often a forgotten space.

Remember, the spring ritual walk-through and makeover is all about converting life’s chores into pleasures. By greening and brightening the area where you do your laundry, even the weekly wash will take on a new, lighter feeling.

Simple Switch

As in any room, you can easily start with a fresh coat of low-VOC paint to gain a new perspective. This guest bath and laundry area pictured must have looked awfully forlorn before getting a vibrant splash of paint.

Clear & Cleanse

More often than not, this space becomes a repository for old brooms, broken vacuum cleaners and dwindling cleaning supplies. The first step is to look for items you can eliminate and simplify. Keep the tools and products you really use and donate or safely dispose of the rest. You’ll open up shelf, wall, or cabinet space and eliminate unnecessary chemicals and toxins from your home.

Why buy organic cotton or bamboo towels and sheets only to wash them in conventional laundry detergent? Some of my favorite eco-friendly brands are Seventh Generation detergent and Mrs. Meyer’s, which is available in a variety of aromatherapy scents. (Meyer’s also makes fabric softener sheets if you use them in the dryer. Or, follow Kim’s advice and make your own!)

Corral the Clutter

No matter what products you use, they can look like an unsightly hodge-podge if they aren’t stored thoughtfully. For open shelving, I like to find inexpensive baskets with handles and line them with colorful fabric remnants appropriate to the season and corral all the clutter in this area. But your storage options are really limitless.

Savings & Space

If it’s time to replace an old washer and dryer, look for a set with the Energy Star logo, and trust it. Last year when my 20-year-old set gave out, I comparison shopped and learned that I’d be saving money by switching. (Our regional gas and electric company offered generous rebates as well.)

New appliances will not only spruce up this area, they actually produce cleaner clothes, using less water. Since they’re usually front loading, you’ll also gain a folding "table" on top – another unexpected benefit when space is an issue.

Image: Chad Jones