The Hardworking Laundry: Make Room for Hanging the Wash
Pullout and folding drying racks, and clothing rods of all lengths, come to the rescue when space is tight
A spacious laundry room complete with garment racks and a folding table that goes on for miles may sound dreamy, but it’s not often the reality. So what do you do when your laundry routine of wash, dry, fold, repeat has to be accomplished in tighter quarters? Put every inch to work.
2. Cupboard hanging rod. Already have a cupboard in your laundry room, but wish you had more space to hang up freshly laundered clothes? Remove any shelving and doors from the cabinet, and install a short hanging rod to transform it into a useful little hanging nook.
This is a good solution for hanging freshly laundered and dried clothes; damp clothes hanging to dry need more airflow than a narrow cabinet can provide.
This is a good solution for hanging freshly laundered and dried clothes; damp clothes hanging to dry need more airflow than a narrow cabinet can provide.
3. Pullout drying rack. This laundry room has a trick up its sleeve — dual pullout drying racks built into the countertop. The slim design is barely noticeable when not in use.
Take a closer look: When you’re ready to hang up clothes to dry, simply slide out one or both racks.
4. Nook-size hanging rod. Even the tiniest sliver of room can be outfitted with a hanging rod. This under-the-stairs laundry area turns an awkwardly angled space into a place for several hangers.
5. Overhead drying rack. This closet laundry room makes clever use of the tight quarters with wall-mounted shelves, a counter over the washer and dryer for folding, and a ceiling-mounted drying rack. With the doors open, it’s a fully functional laundry; close the doors, and it all disappears.
6. Expandable drying rack. Pull out this expandable metal drying rack, and it provides as much — or as little — drying space as you need. When not in use, the rack retracts and hides away behind cabinet doors.
7. Extra-long hanging rod. Slim, wall-mounted designs, like the Shaker peg rail and hanging rod shown here, make the most of a narrow room. Use the rod to drape damp clothes to dry and the peg rail above to hang hangers.
8. Fold-down drying rack. This wall-mounted design folds down to provide flexible space for hanging out clothes to dry. When not in use, it takes up hardly any space.
Tell us: How do you handle hanging up clothes in a compact laundry room? Share a photo in the Comments!
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Tell us: How do you handle hanging up clothes in a compact laundry room? Share a photo in the Comments!
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See an Amazing $400 Laundry Room Remodel for a Family of 8
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1. Undershelf hanging rod. Attaching a hanging rod to the underside of an upper shelf means not a bit of space is wasted. Use the top shelf to stow supplies in bins, and hang freshly laundered shirts below. Plumbing pipe gives this rustic laundry room an industrial edge, and it offers a budget-friendly material if you’re looking to DIY.