This post talks about Laundry solutions to help manage laundry.

We will look at laundry solutions for small laundry rooms, a washing machine in the kitchen, a laundry bathroom combination, a laundry cupboard, and no laundry space at all.

Dealing with laundry in an apartment or small home can be overwhelming especially when the laundry room is a small space or non-existent

Moving to France was my first introduction outside of movies to the idea of not having a laundry room.

Our first place in France had the “Laundry Room” in the bathroom, the second in the kitchen, back into the bathroom again, and now finally somewhat of a “Room” for laundry.

One of down downsides to not having a laundry room or utility room is, having no designated space for the laundry.

Make laundry less of a hassle with these laundry solutions.

Click here for: The Laundry Hamper: The Pillar To A Good Laundry System 
Click here for: Tips On How To Air Dry Laundry In An Apartment

Non-Existent Laundry Situation

Also known as <no on-site laundry>.

Lugging dirty clothes to the Laundromat involves an aspect of apartment living that is glamorized in the movies

A couple of solutions:

Portable Washing Machine

Portable washing machines are possibly the best thing for small apartment living.

Depending on the size of the machine bedding can be washed in them.

A smaller and budget-friendly option is spinning pumps, placed in a bucket or sink to wash smaller items.

Laundry Sacks / Backpacks

We found out firsthand when staying with family in Liege in a small terrence style house.

Every couple of days we ( our family of 4) packed dirty clothes into backpacks and grocery bags.

Then we ended up using a grocery trolley to cart washing there and back, which looking back now was a great solution for the laundry.

Washing Machine In The Kitchen

A very common occurrence in Europe is having your washing machine in the kitchen.

The most common setup is to have the washing machine in the kitchen cabinet or in a space like a dishwasher.

Try this post to read about storage solutions in small kitchens.

Having the washing machine in the kitchen is minimally invasive to the space.

However, managing laundry is the issue.

Where do you put the next load? What do you do with the clean clothes?

All questions, I stressed over when our apartment had the washing machine in the kitchen.

Baskets! Not just any laundry basket but nice baskets that fit with the home.

Laundry baskets also could double as a decor piece in the home.

One basket stayed in the kitchen for the clean clothes and the other basket was for dry clothes ready to be put away.

Dirty clothes are collected from the laundry bins in the bathroom and bedrooms.

The clean clothes should be hung out to dry as quickly as possible (dryers are rare in Europe) or transferred to the dryer.

Doing this prevents kitchen smells from going into the freshly washed items.

Laundry Bathroom Combination

A similar situation to having the washing machine in the kitchen. but there is usually more room for storage.

The laundry system stayed the same in the apartments with the laundry bathroom combination.

In our first apartment, there were already shelves above the washing machine.

Adding baskets and jars to the shelves helps to improve organization and keep the clutter down.

A renter-friendly option for shelves is an over-washing machine shelving unit, giving vertical usable space.

A Laundry In The Hallway. A Closet Laundry Room.

A hallway laundry space gives a good amount of storage, in addition to being able to close the door to minimize the sounds of the washing machine.

Build out the closet to create the perfect space for your laundry.

Adding rails to hang clothes, storing hampers, and laundry bins next to your machines is great.

By adding a dehumidifier and a small fan for air circulation you could use the space to dry clothing.

Small Space Laundry Solutions

In our current home the “laundry room” shares the same space as our entrance.

This type of space is very common all over the world, a mud room-like space that has a laundry space in it.

However, this space is also the main entrance to our home.

Using slim wardrobes to surround the washing machine hides the laundry area a bit and has the added bonus of being able to shove any laundry into the cupboards.

Creating built-in wall storage with space for the washing machine, dryer, laundry supplies, and all-around storage is an excellent solution.

But not always a budget-friendly one.

Adding kitchen cabinets is the most budget-friendly alternative to built-ins.

Wardrobes are wonderful and easy to find second-hand or free.

Finding a laundry solution for a small shared space is difficult.

Laundry can become overwhelming with piles of clothes mixed in with any other items that occupy the space.

Solutions To Drying Laundry

Ventilation and low humidity are the keys to drying clothes.

Clothes drying is very dependent on location and weather.

Here are some drying laundry solutions

Outside Drying

Having a balcony or outside space makes a huge difference in drying clothes.

In the warmer months, clothes can dry in a matter of hours or less, depending on humidity.

Inside Drying

Inside drying is great for clothes but not for floor space and time.

In the cooler months drying clothes without a dryer can take a day or more.

Humidifiers and Fans can help cut drying times down.

Wall-mounted racks are great for bulkier items and drying items on hangers.

They also free up floor space.

Drying racks or clothes horses are the most common and are available in different shapes and styles.

Choose one that works in terms of space, type, and how many items will be drying.