Welcome to Day 9 of 30 Spaces in 30 Days. We’re two days into Week 2 now, and I hope yesterday’s desk reset is already making a difference in how you show up for your work each morning. Today we’re moving into a room that I genuinely have a lot of affection for — the laundry room.

The Most Hardworking Room in Your Home

The laundry room is the room that takes care of everything. Your family’s clothes, the towels, and the things that keep your home running — it all moves through this one small space. And yet it’s almost always the room that gets the least care and attention in return.

In our home, the laundry room holds a genuinely special place. It’s small and cozy and well-loved, and Ollie has claimed it as her personal dance party venue — our washer and dryer play a long jingle when they finish their cycles, and she runs in every single time to dance along. I can’t tell you how many times that small, joyful moment has turned a mundane laundry day into something that makes me smile. In a lot of ways, it really is the heart of our home.

A well-functioning laundry room makes laundry feel easy and systematic rather than like an endless chore. When everything has a place, when the most-reached-for items are right where you need them, and when the room itself feels organized and calm, the whole task of doing laundry changes. It becomes something you can move through efficiently and without friction — which, when it’s a task that genuinely never ends, makes a real difference in your daily life.

Today’s goal isn’t a dramatic overhaul. It’s making sure the room that works so hard for your family is set up to keep doing that beautifully.

What a Well-Organized Laundry Room Actually Needs

The most functional laundry rooms tend to be really simple in their organization. Everything the room needs to do its job well is within reach, every item has a specific home, and the surfaces stay as clear as possible so the room can breathe.

Here’s what genuinely earns its place in a laundry room: your detergent and fabric softener, stain removers and dryer sheets, a good hamper or sorting system, and whatever tools you reach for regularly in the course of doing laundry. Everything else — the returns that pile up, the items in transition, the things that found their way in here because there wasn’t anywhere else for them to go — those deserve a proper home somewhere else in the house.

The laundry room doesn’t need to be a storage space for everything without a home. It needs to be a space that makes laundry easy, efficient, and even a little enjoyable.

How to Declutter Your Laundry Room Today

Give yourself 30 minutes for this one. Put on something good to listen to and move through it with intention.

Step 1: Clear every surface. The countertop, the top of the washer and dryer, any shelves within reach. Everything comes off so you can see what you’re actually working with and start fresh.

Step 2: Clean everything. Wipe down the countertop, the sink, the tops of the machines, the cabinet fronts. Sweep or vacuum the floor. A clean laundry room is a genuinely pleasant laundry room, and this step takes just a few minutes and makes such a meaningful difference.

Step 3: Go through the cabinets and closet. Open everything up and look honestly at what’s in there. Are there products you never use? Items that have been in there so long you’ve forgotten what they’re for? Old cleaning supplies that are nearly empty or completely outdated? Today is the day to clear all of that out and make room for only what’s genuinely useful.

Step 4: Deal with anything in transition. If your laundry room has become a temporary home for returns, items waiting to be put away, or things without a designated spot elsewhere in the house — today is the day to deal with all of it. Get the returns in the car. Find a proper home for the items in transition. The laundry room works best when it’s only doing one job.

Step 5: Organize what stays with intention. Using the principle that your most-reached-for items should be most accessible, put everything back thoughtfully. Detergent within easy reach. Stain remover where you’ll actually use it. Dryer sheets right where you need them. When everything has a specific, consistent home, the laundry room stays organized naturally without requiring constant maintenance.

Step 6: Add one small thing that makes the room feel loved. A small plant on the counter, a candle, a pretty bottle for your detergent, a cheerful hand towel near the sink. The laundry room works hard for your family every single day. It deserves one small thing that makes it feel intentional and cared for. 🌼

A Room That Works Hard for Your Family

There’s something I find genuinely moving about a well-organized laundry room. It’s not a glamorous space. It doesn’t get photographed and shared the way a kitchen or a living room does. But it’s the room that quietly keeps everything running… the room that makes sure your family has clean clothes, fresh towels, and everything they need to move through their days comfortably.

Taking care of it is a way of taking care of your home and everyone in it. And if you’re lucky, it might also be the room where your toddler runs in to dance every time the machine finishes its cycle — which, honestly, makes the whole thing worth it. See you tomorrow for Day 10! 🌼