While it might seem like a convenient catch-all space, your laundry room serves one primary function: to efficiently care for your clothing and household linens. It's a practical British utility area designed for sorting, washing, and folding. Cluttering it with non-essential items doesn't just compromise its tidiness; it can actively hinder your routine and even pose risks to your belongings.
This guide outlines eight common items that are better off stored elsewhere. By curating what you keep in this space, you can transform your laundry room into a streamlined, highly functional area that makes fabric care simpler and more effective.
1. Books, Magazines, and Entertainment Items
It might be tempting to stash a novel or board game for while you wait, but the humidity and potential for water or detergent spills in a laundry room can quickly damage paper and cardboard. Keep your entertainment items in the living room or a dedicated bookshelf where they'll stay dry and clean.
2. Food and Pantry Goods
Temporary storage of non-perishable food, pet food, or snacks is a poor choice. The environment can be humid, and chemical fumes from detergents may affect food quality. More importantly, it can attract pests. Always store food items in a cool, dry pantry or kitchen cupboard.
3. Valuables and Important Documents
The laundry room is no place for passports, financial documents, or jewellery. Humidity can cause paper to warp and damage sensitive items. For security and preservation, these belong in a secure, dry location like a home office or a locked drawer.
4. Delicate Fabrics and Seasonal Clothing
Your best wool jumpers, silk garments, or formalwear should not be stored here long-term. Fluctuations in humidity and temperature can promote mildew or cause fibres to degrade. These items are better kept in a cool, dark wardrobe or stored carefully under the bed.
5. Spare Batteries and Electronics
The moisture present in a laundry room can corrode battery terminals and damage electronics like old phones or chargers. Store these in a dry drawer elsewhere in the home to ensure they remain functional when you need them.
6. Flammable Liquids and Aerosols
Products like paint thinner, certain cleaning sprays, or gasoline are a significant fire hazard near a heat source like a tumble dryer. The fumes can also be dangerous. These must be stored in a well-ventilated garage or shed, away from any ignition sources.
7. Pet Supplies and Bedding
While convenient, storing pet food, litter boxes, or beds in the laundry room can lead to odours transferring to clean laundry and pet hair clogging appliance filters. A dedicated, well-ventilated area like a utility cupboard or porch is a much better solution.
8. An Overflow of Coat Hangers
A small number of hangers for freshly ironed clothes is useful, but a large, tangled pile simply creates clutter. It makes the space feel chaotic and blocks access to shelves or detergents. Keep a manageable number to hand and store the rest in a bedroom wardrobe.
