Cleaning and Organizing Your Laundry Room

Get ready to tackle your workhorse room! Your laundry room might not be your home's most-visited spot, but here's how to make sure it's squeaky clean whenever you're using it.

1. Cut clutter.

Consider adding a beadboard drying rack. This one by tips out to offer rungs for wet clothes without monopolizing floor space.

3. Organize your shelving.

Line cabinet interiors with wallpaper and edge shelves in trim for a cheerful greeting every time you open the door. Floral-patterned trays corral laundry and sewing supplies.

4. Clean dryer vents.

This ironing board folds up and slides neatly out of the way in a customized drawer when not in use. For a similar solution at less-than-custom prices, try an ironing cupboard, a shallow cabinet that holds a foldaway ironing board and supplies. Or use the

Check and clean your dryer vent and ducts to remove lint build-up. If the ducts get clogged with lint, it can be a fire hazard. Drying clothes with fabric softener sheets can leave a residue on the lint trap. Wash the trap with soap and water in a sink. Bonus: You'll be amazed at how much faster your clothes will dry when the dryer duct is free from lint.

5. Maintain washer and dryer.

This room is only a cozy 6-by-10-foot space, but with careful planning, storage was built in for laundry, crafts, sewing, and other projects using simple components found at Lowe\'s. Savvy space-savers include a (full-size) stacking washer-dryer, hidden ir

Pull out the washer and dryer. Vacuum the backside of each appliance with a brush attachment to remove dirt and dust, says Steve Ash of . Wipe down the top and sides of the appliances with an all-purpose cleaner.

Tell us: What's your trick for organizing your laundry room?

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