It might be the nesting talking...but this is something that has been bugging me for ages. It is our one room I hate, it always looks filthy (not just dirty but disgusting), hard to keep crisp and white, mainly cause of the damn tiles are at their largest the size of a 50c piece...with dark grout... Anyway, these I cannot change.
I'm after ideas, spam me with what works in your laundry, where do you keep your dirty clothes? In baskets? In drawers? Are they in the laundry or in the bedrooms, what is your system? I want to know every detail of your laundry routine!
Our laundry hasn't any bench space, and no cupboards. If you were to pull everything out, all that is left is a basin, in the corner. One all is unusable due to outside door (currently can't access) and sink, and the other wall is un usable because there is a toilet and shower. We have so much stuff in there, but have no where else to put them. I have a deep freeze, a small flat pack cupboard I out up. A washer, a dryer, and I do have the change table in there, mainly cause I don't like the idea of poo in the bedroom, and also using mcn, it is right next to the loo with the little squirt.
I'm tempted to take a photo and show you my dramas (not that they are real dramas..) but I'm keen to make it a warm welcoming room I don't dispose going in...
First thing I'd do is paint the tiles, you can get paint specifically for tiles. Then I'd get some storage - can you get some flat pack cupboards to put up? And maybe a bench?
Our laundry is the 'long' kind - door off the hall opens inward to the right, the wall is right there so no space on that side. We have hooks up high to hang brooms, mops and clothes horses. On the left there's cupboards up high about 2/3 of the way along, they stop above the sink because of the window. There's a pretty big space on the floor there where the dog sleeps, then the washer/dryer, then the sink with cupboard underneath, then the back door.
The only thing it's missing is a bench, so we're making one to go from the hall door to the sink, we'll make a bit of a 'box' thing for the dog so his bed is raised, and then on top I'll be able to put buckets and baskets for wet clothes etc.
As for clothes hampers, we have one for DH and I in our WIR. The kids share one because I wash their clothes together, so they have a basket in the laundry. It's in the way though so when we get that bench they'll have one on there.
Don't have a laundry so can't help on that bit - but we used to have pink and grey tiny tiles with dark grout before we got the bathroom redone. I asked a few people about painting and they all said not for th floor - the paint isn't made for the wear and tear of feet.
Laundry baskets in each bedroom, the washing machine is in bathroom, when had younger ones had an IKEA change mat on top of the washing machine, and the nappy bin sat in the bath. Laundry liquid is in the bathroom cupboard.
(Laundry Rooms are a very Australian thing, not common in UK at all, although perhaps getting more common)
DH does most of the laundry - but is pretty straightforward, stuff collected from baskets in bedrooms (1 in each bedroom) (sheets go into machine straight off the beds, towels straight off the racks), goes into machine, goes onto line outside, comes in, a small portion (mainly his workshirts) are ironed and the rest is putaway. If it is wet, we either wait till it is dry (DH always keeps an eye on the weather) or do put stuff on balcony very occasionally - but almost 7 years in Melbourne now - have never really needed a drier (used cloth nappies for DD, and till DS was 18 months).
Why colour are the tiles? You can get grout paint to change the colour if the dark look is the problem. My friend never cleans her floor tile grout she just paints it white when it gets too dirty I have a clothes hamper in our bedroom as DH and I are too lazy to walk to the laundry so the clothes would just end up on the floor. I also have two hampers in the laundry. One for DS clothes and one for towels, sheets etc. I'm lucky though that we have a bench with no cupboards underneath so they sit under there. Can you post that photo? It would be easier to give suggestions if we can see the layout but I understand if you would rather not share
I took photos, but wont be able to upload them until tomorrow.
They are stupid tiles, tiny offwhite and grey and with grooves. Only way they are going to be clean is if i get down and scrub each individually...which aint going to happen
Older kids have a dirty clothes basket in the laundry where their clothes go. Baby has a washing hamper in her room. DH and I have a hamper in our room. Towels and sheets go straight into the machine to be washed.
Clean clothes are put into 3 washing baskets (older kids, baby, adults) then packed away.
Towels and sheets are put through the dryer. All other clothes hung on the line. DH work clothes are hung up straight away once dried
=( ive tried to upload the photos from my ipad, from my phone and im now on the computer and it keeps saying failed. im not sure why. i will keep trying though...
Thanks for the ideas girls. I've now got a game plan. I'm going to put more shelves up, and get rid of the cupboard, means there will be more floor space and the washing baskets will be out of the way, might even mean we can use the external door. I know I'll be annoyed not having a cupboard, but think the floor space will make up for it.
I have a tiny little European laundry in the main bathroom and I love it!
Washing machine fits perfect, and it's a big one.
Dryer is on the undercover back porch (a back door from bathroom leads to this porch), covered in the plastic it came in when not in use. Porch also has two clothes horses set up. The porch is a side one and isn't our main back one so visitors never see it.
Each bedroom (4 in total) has a dirty clothes basket.
Lots of times anyway when the kids have a shower/bath they chuck any dirty clothes straight in the machine. I keep 2 laundry baskets stacked on top of machine or sink.
Don't have a cupboard but the space leftover next to the sink and machine fits the vacuum cleaner and enjo mop and buckets.
One small shelf above the sink fits everything I need to clean with.
This is all behind two doors, euro laundry style.
It's surprisingly perfect for us, and we are a family of 6 nearly 7!
Organising the laundry
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I have a clothes hamper in our bedroom as DH and I are too lazy to walk to the laundry so the clothes would just end up on the floor. I also have two hampers in the laundry. One for DS clothes and one for towels, sheets etc. I'm lucky though that we have a bench with no cupboards underneath so they sit under there. Can you post that photo? It would be easier to give suggestions if we can see the layout but I understand if you would rather not share 
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