The laundry room is the workhorse of most homes. This is where your clothes, floor rugs, shoes, window treatments, even the cleaning tools are cleaned. Though it’s not among the areas your visitors frequent, it is beneficial to keep it clean and well-organized. In fact, a clean laundry room encourages efficiency.
Today, we share some quick laundry room cleaning tips and tricks you can apply to get this workspace in order.
Cleaning The Room
Many dust and clothes lint collect on the shelves, bins, floor, and other surfaces. In addition, there could be ugly soap marks and scum appearing on the walls and other unwanted areas. This makes it necessary to clean the surfaces regularly.
Begin by dusting the shelves and upper surfaces. Then, you can wipe them with a damp soapy cloth. Once the surfaces are clean, you can proceed to the floor. Vacuum or sweep it first before mopping. When mopping, begin from one corner to another.
Following this order reduces the chances of a repeat job. Think of a situation where you mop the floor, then start dusting the shelves or removing cobwebs on the ceiling. You will likely have more dirt on the floor. This will cost you another round of sweeping and mopping.
If you have floor rugs, make sure to vacuum and launder them often. The space underneath the dryer and washing machine can collect a lot of dirt and lint too.
Try to reach them with the duster when mopping. Otherwise, it could be necessary to shift the equipment now and then to clean such spaces.
How to Clean Laundry Machines
The Washer
Always, soap scum builds up in the drum of your machine after several days of washing. If left for long, bacteria and fungi will grow and cause a stench to come from the machine. The problem is prevalent with front loaders because the rubber gasket around the door that helps prevent leakage forms a perfect groove for scum buildup. Also, soap marks and dust on the outer surfaces can dull the appearance of your machine.
To restore your washer’s gleam and efficiency, you should consider cleaning it regularly. Pour two cups of white vinegar into the machine and fill with water just like you are washing clothes. Run a hot cycle for a couple of minutes and stop halfway. Let the vinegar work on dirt for about 20 minutes before running the rest of the cycle.
Next, make sure to wipe the outer surfaces with a damp soapy cloth. This will erase those ugly marks from detergent drips or dust and lint appearing on the machine. Watch out not to wet the areas around the knobs. Also, do not use an abrasive material or harsh detergent and bleach when wiping as these can ruin the surface of your washer.
If your washer has rubber gaskets, soak a towel in a mixture of warm water and white vinegar in the ratio of 1:1. Use the towel to wipe the rubber gasket, pulling the ring back so that you can reach the areas inside it. You may scrub these areas gently with a soft brush to get rid of tough grime. Rinse the towel with clean water and wipe the rubber gasket again. Wipe dry with another clean towel.
The Dryer
It is common for lint and other dirt to collect around the vent, lint trap, and bottom surfaces of the dryer. This interferes with proper functioning of the machine. In fact, you risk causing a fire if the vent and hose are severely clogged.
To clean the dryer, begin by pulling it away from the wall such that you have a clear view of the backside. You may notice some dust and lint within this space and inside the vent. Use the brush attachment of your vacuum cleaner to purge the dust and other materials caught up here.
While at it, make sure to look at the vent and ducts of your dryer. Get rid of any lint and other materials that could be trapped inside the ducts. Also, remove the lint trap and wash it to remove any residue. Remember to vacuum the space underneath the machine.
Finally, make sure to wipe the outer surfaces with a damp soapy cloth. Cleaning and regular servicing will keep your dryer working efficiently for long. Your clothes will dry faster using less energy, and you will keep off accidental dryer fires.
Organizing
The laundry room is a tiny space that has to hold a lot of stuff. If not careful, the room will get cluttered and make it overwhelming to work from there. This makes it necessary to consider arranging your items correctly. A quick way of creating an organized room is by cutting clutter.
Once you have only the items you require, you may consider identifying suitable spaces for different items in the room. If you already have cabinets, you are a step ahead. Make sure each item has a specified storage area. It’ll feel natural to return items where they belong once you have used them.
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Quick Tip for a Homemade DIY Fabric Softener
If you are a diehard for homemade detergents, then chances are you’ll love the idea of a DIY fabric softener. Who wants those synthetic smells on their clothes, anyway? The good news is that you can make your clothes cuddly at home using simple ingredients such as baking soda, vinegar, and essential oils. Baking soda is a fabric softener on its own. Another simple choice is this one;
The Essential Oil and Vinegar Dryer Spray
For this softener, all you require is an essential oil of your choice and several drops of vinegar mixed in a spray bottle. Then, you’ll spray your clothes to make them cuddly, less clingy, and fresh.
Many people tend to dump almost everything in the laundry room-dirt shoes, backpacks, cleaning tools, and others. You will think it’s simply an industrial space. Fortunately, it doesn’t have to stay like this. You can use the above tips to make this importance space clean, organized, and more efficient, not to mention, safe!
Bio of the author: Beverly Jenkins is proud of her staff at The Tidy Maids house cleaning service in Raleigh, NC. She has 24 years of experience in house cleaning, customer service, and business operations. She knows all the tips and tricks and do-it-yourself hacks when it comes to cleaning and her clients' homes are the best proof for that.
Lucy Kelly
Cleaning the very thing that cleans - sobering advice, Sabrina for those of us who haven't been taking care of the laundry room! Now we can 🙂
Jill Katz
I am just thinking about how cluttered my laundry room is right now. The mud room area spills into the laundry area which works when muddy clothes go right into the machine. Not so much when dirty items spill into my nice clean area. This is a great reminder to declutter and divide the 2 areas. Plus great motivation for me to clean my washing machine which definitely has crud build-up. Thanks for the inspiration!
Janet Schiesl
These are great tips. I don't think I clean and organize my laundry room enough. It's tiny and it also severals as a pass-through from the garage into the house. I think I'll put that on my to-do list.
Julie Bestry
This is such smart advice, especially as people think less about cleaning their laundry room than they do cleaning their laundry. I have a stackable washer/dryer in a small closet with only inches of space on the sides and behind the machines. On the plus side, there's no opportunity for clutter. However, other than a vacuum wand, there's no way to attend to any of it, and the dryer's lint trap is in the inside BACK of the machine, requiring me to get on a step stool to reach up and in, all the way to the back, just to remove the lint trap, but it's impossible to get to the vents without a flexible vac hose.
Linda Samuels
As always, you share such great practical advice for keeping a well used area of our homes in great shape. I clean the lint trap after every drying load, but my husband is the one that keeps the vent clear. He has an auto notice on his phone to remind him to clear it periodically.
Diane N Quintana
I like the way you point out that it's important to dust and clean the shelves and the rest of the room before cleaning the floor. Also, your tips for cleaning the inside of the washer and dryer are simple and easy to follow. It's nice to have an easy remedy for the smell which can come from the washer - plus, cleaning it removes the bacteria!