A Look Inside the Laundry Room ~ Free Printable

Nothing lovelier can be found

In woman, than to study house good.—Milton.

We spend so much time in the laundry room which makes it a worthy place to add some female touches. Gather up some linens, labels and love and place them here to fight the laundry room "blues". Sorting clothes in a happy and floral space can be very peaceful. It is also nice to have a CD player in this area to further the idea of tranquility with some soothing music.

Organization of space helps to create a pleasant working atmosphere. We like to have everything nice and tidy in our homes but the poor laundry room is often neglected making our daily duties seem dreary.

Simply place all like items together in some sort of storage container. Bless your space with lovely labels to give it that "finished" feel.

I have included some versatile "Laundry Label Printables" (below) in case you want to reorganize your washing area. 

If you are lacking "inspiration", you can always print out our "Wash Day Prayer". It puts everything into perspective as you begin to tackle the piles and mounds. I taped ours onto a cardboard, hole punched the top and slid some ribbon through for a frugal frame.

Look for jars in thrift shops and garage sales to store your detergents, extra clothespins, laundry bars and soaps (we also have a shower inside the laundry room which is why there are some bath products).

"Here, wherever it is, is your spot. This place should be expressing something of yourself. It should be communicating something of you to your visitors, but is should also satisfy something within you. You should feel 'at home' here, because you have made it home with something of yourself."

~ Edith Schaeffer

Even the basic ingredients necessary for a "natural" wash day are prettier to use when you apply a simple home made label (I place hydrogen peroxide in my rinse cycle as a whitener). For a frugal recipe on making your own fabric softener, visit here.

Most of the time, we are a clothesline community but in those winter months, the dryer is a blessing!

To save money on dryer sheets, we cut them in half. It works out just as well :) and leaves you with an extra supply of inventory.

Some other items we store in our laundry/utility room are rags for household cleaning, garden tools, and measuring cups (to use exclusively for preparing detergents, cleaners and other household concoctions). 

I love the convenience of sorting my clothing straight from the main hamper in the bathroom and directly into the appropriate sections in this laundry rack. Once a bag is full (which happens fast!) then it is time to do a load. We use the white, lights and dark system for our laundry. Hot water for white, warm water for lights and cold water for darks.

This old shelf/table hides a lot of items underneath the makeshift "skirt" it wears. I am able to store my cleaning buckets, outdoor towels and bulkier supplies underneath its covering. One of my favorite household inventions is the spring rod! Pairing them with curtains, flat sheets, or tablecloths, it is easy to cover any unsightly' s. This floral panel was one dollar at the Salvation Army.

We use store bought detergent for our "nicer" clothing. What I did learn is that two coffee scoops (when did I start measuring in the coffee system?) is suffient for your front loading washer. I was causing my machine many problems and clogging everything because of all the soap I was putting in at the beginning!

We use the homemade detergent for our towels, work and play clothes. It isn't as good at stain fighting but it does clean the clothes and save money for the items I am not so particular about. I found this easy recipe at diy natural. Note: When I wrote "scoops", it means tablespoons. 

We are going on our second year with the front loading washing machine. We like it although it does require a little extra care than the old water guzzler.

It helps to keep a towel (we like the microfiber) near your washer so that when you are finished laundering for the day, you can wipe up the glass on the front door.

It is also important to wipe out the inside of the rubber nook in the machine at the end of the wash day. Mold grows here very quickly! Lastly, keep the door ajar when not in use for the same reasons (and to prohibit musty smells).

The tour is now over and I hope you are ready to start on those clothes! Below is our free laundry labels should you like to revive your work space. You can either print them out on plain paper and affix them with glue or you can print on plain sheet sticker paper (and cut to size). Happy washing and organizing! ~JES

"The best things in life are nearest: Breath in your nostrils, light in your eyes, flowers at your feet, duties at your hand, the path of right just before you. Then do not grasp at the stars, but do life's plain, common work as it comes, certain that daily duties and daily bread are the sweetest things in life."

~Robert Louis Stevenson

Simply download and print. Please let me know if you have any problems printing.