My Laundry - Part #1

A few months back, I did a bit of research on my favourite blogs around Laundry Organisation.  I wanted to 'spruce up' my laundry, since it somewhere that I have to spend time in each day.  As always, the prettier the area, the more likely I am to use it, and also keep it looking pretty!  Inspired by this quote, I set out on my mission...

I am lucky to have a big laundry.  It could easily be a small bedroom, it is that large.  A few years ago we removed a bar from our living area as it was just a dumping ground for any and everything, and we had never once used it to serve drinks from!  So, my clever hubby decided that rather than dump the bar, it would fit perfectly in the laundry, as a bench and storage.  Thinking back, I can't even remember what used to be there!  Luckily, it fit perfectly, right down to the washing machine fitting right in the 'bar fridge' hole :)

I will show you inside the cupboards underneath another day.  Today is all about the top!

Firstly, I wanted to make my laundry the central location for my cleaning products.  I wanted it to house my rags, dusters, brushes, detergents, cleaners, etc.  So, I got together everything I needed to find a home for.  And, I wanted to make my laundry 'pretty' - hmmm... I needed flowers, bows and pink stuff!  So, I searched my house (no expenses here) for things to decorate with.

I will show you this side of my laundry from left to right.

The cupboard above the sink is another 'recycled' item, which we put in there after removing it from the kitchen to install a rangehood.  It is perfect for storing all of the cleaners and chemicals up high, and away from little fingers.

On the inside of the door, I keep a laminated copy of Martha Stewart's stain removal guide, which you can download here.  It is great to have it as an easy reference, in the case of a spill :)

Under the sink I keep a bucket for soaking, extra cleaning rags and old toothbrushes and dishbrushes.

 Beside the sink I keep a nice pump of liquid soap and a pink tea towel.  As I am usually returning cleaning products to the laundry, it is great to be able to wash my hands when I am done.  Also, outside my laundry are my herbs and veggies, so it is easy to wash my hands when they have gotten a little dirty from gardening.

Next I have my trusty Sard Wonder Soap on a pretty porcelain soap dish, that I was given as a gift from my lovely friend Eva!  It is so nice to use things like this, as it makes the room more 'girly' - and I don't have to worry about Mick thinking things are too frilly, because it's not like he ever comes in here!!

I keep my washing powder in this gorgeous pink box.  Again - it looks pretty so it makes me want to use it!  I keep dryer sheets in an old lolly jar.  Dryer sheets are great to pop in the load if it has been sitting in the washing machine for a little while before being transferred to the dryer.  It makes the load smell nice and fresh!  I usually use them for our towels, as I try to line-dry all of our other washing.

Then I have my lovely Laundry quote!  It makes me smile every time I look at it!  I won't give you guys the printable I made sorry, as the quote isn't mine, and I have seen wall stickers with this on that you can buy.  I would hate to breach copyright laws - I am sure you can easily whip up your own :)  I just used Microsoft Publisher and made a template that fit inside a spare frame that I had.

I decided to leave my brushes and dusters out on display - if I can see them and easily grab them, I am much more likely to use them!  I have my clothes brush - which is great for getting fluff, hair, etc off clothes while I am ironing.  And here I also have my Flylady 'Rubber Scrubber' which I use for lots of things like cleaning the lint filter of the dryer and brushing the laundry door mat.

Then I have my Flylady Feather Dusters.  These are amazing cleaning tools - and so pretty with a purple feather!  I will post about my Flylady tools one day soon.  You can check out the Flyshop here.  I put the brushes in a glass and the dusters in a vase, then tied a pink bow around them to make them pretty!

I also have a photo of my sisters and I in here.  It makes the laundry more 'homely' if you have photos in there to keep you company :)

  
And finally, I have my jug for ironing water - I leave it on the bench so it is always handy.  This gorgeous pink mitt is my Flylady Detail Duster, which is AMAZING for dusting!  I love it.  And in the basket I keep my Flylady Cleaning Rags (microfibre cloths), laundry bags, ironing sheet and spare tea towels.  By simply rolling them, rather than folding them, they look more interesting and appealing.

And there you have Part 1 of my laundry!  I have to tell you that since having done this to my laundry back in April, I have made sure to keep everything nice and neat.  It doesn't look like a display home, but it is homely and I love it!  I find that if an area looks nice to start with, we are so much more likely to keep it that way, and not let it turn into a dumping ground for miscellaneous items.  It makes doing the laundry a little more interesting, and if you can manage to smile while washing the clothes, I think you are doing well :)