Hi! I’m Sayaka Minami, a Japanese minimalist, and a professional organizer.

Although it feels like a washing machine does the work, doing laundry is quite a hard job when we look at the process in detail.
As someone who has moved from one house to another, both in Japan and overseas, and I believe that the workflow of doing laundry is key, so I try to figure out the best layout and place to store items.
In this article, I am sharing three tips to make doing laundry easier.

1. Be aware of the path from the bathroom to the washing machine

Your laundry starts when you undress before taking a shower, ideally, the laundry basket should be close to the bathroom.
However, a bathroom and laundry room are not always next to each other. We live in a rented apartment, and the bathroom and laundry room are not located next to each other.

 
Therefore, we placed a collapsible laundry basket between the bathroom to the washing machine.
It is an excellent tool that can be unfolded only when necessary to store laundry, and folded and stored when finished.
By making this small change, the preparation before doing laundry goes smoothly.

2. Create a space to store clean towels and underwear

Once the washing machine cycle is finished, you still need to fold the laundry and store it.
Try to create a system that allows a majority of that work to be completed near the laundry machine.

For example, it is a good idea to store pajamas, underwear, and towels between the bathroom and the washing machine.
Since they are always used after taking a shower and washed frequently, it makes sense to have them near the bathroom and laundry machine.

3. Use “little hanging hooks” around the washing machine

Typical items needed around the washing machine are detergent, laundry nets, laundry baskets, and hangers. If you are having trouble finding a place to store these items, try hanging them.

Washing machines are made of metal such as stainless steel, get some magnet hooks that can be stuck onto it and utilize a small space.

 
If the magnet hook idea does not work for you, try to use an over-door rack.
Even in rental housing, it is possible to easily create storage space without damaging the interior doors and walls.
Once you have a fixed storage space, it will be easier to ask your family to put items in the right place.

 
Laundry is a daily task, and if you have a large family it can be especially hard work.
Why don’t you try doing laundry as efficiently as possible to create some spare time and do something you love?

Author
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Minimalist & Professional Organizer
SAYAKA MINAMI
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