The Home Edit Founders Share Their Laundry Room Organization Tips

Organization gurus Joanna Teplin and Clea Shearer started their Nashville-based company The Home Edit in an effort to help homeowners streamline their belongings and get back to organizational basics. Their inspirational Instagram account has drawn more than 1.5 million followers (and counting!), as well as celebrity fans like Mandy Moore, the Kardashian sisters and Reese Witherspoon (who is such a massive fan of the dynamic duo that she now produces their TV series). In recognition of National Laundry Day on April 15, we recently chatted with the experts about their top laundry room organization tips.

Published April 15, 2019, Updated April 15, 2020

Neatly organized wicker baskets side-by-side in pantry closet

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Start Editing Things Out

Laundry rooms are often in danger of becoming dumping grounds for the little odds and ends we want to hide from view when company comes over. Respecting the room for the key function it serves, however, is important. “You need to get rid of anything that doesn’t need to be in there,” Clea says. “We don’t like items that are free floating on shelves. It’s just an invitation for more clutter. The more you contain your items, the more beautiful it will be.”

Laundry room shelving neatly organized and properly labelled

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Be Accountable

Joanna and Clea are firm believers in honouring every space in the house. “You have to have accountability,” Joanna says. “You have to have X amount of space for each product … [the laundry room] is still real estate that you’re paying for, so make it look good to the maximum benefit.”

Clear plastic baskets on a laundry room shelf

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Baskets, Baskets and More Baskets

The Home Edit gurus suggest containing every single item you have into designated spaces, using bins, baskets, jars and canisters – the possibilities are endless. “A lot of these things are inexpensive,” Joanna notes. Clea points out, “Every square foot of that room is usable. You can do floating shelves or even a bookcase next to your laundry machine.”

Neatly organized laundry room with patterned flooring and basket for clean clothing

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A Hamper for Every Room

This is one tip Clea is adamant about. “Definitely have a hamper in every room,” she says. “I also like having a hamper in your laundry space for all those items you have to fold or to help distribute clean clothes throughout the house. Having a place to put clean clothes that come right out of the dryer is a game-changer.”

Laundry room shelving with detergents, folded towels and organizational baskets

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Spring Clean More Than Once a Year

When asked how often people should “spring clean” their homes, Clea and Joanna, in unison, said year-round. Jokes aside, Clea says it all comes down to how militant you want to be about it. “I would say you must do it two times a year, ideally four times. It helps prevent things from accumulating and makes the project less daunting when you do decide to do it.” You can also check out our ultimate spring cleaning checklist.

Clearly labelled white baskets in an organized laundry room

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Label, Label, Label

It’s not just about aesthetics, according to Joanna and Clea. While labels look great, especially when plastered on clean white baskets, it’s more about functionality. “Our approach and our motto to organizing is that it has be functional first,” Clea says. “Labelling really speaks to that because it’s instructing you what to do.”

Various organized baskets in a sparkling clean laundry room

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The 80 Per Cent Rule

When it comes to figuring out what to toss and what to keep, The Home Edit gurus opt for their 80 per cent rule. “It’s kind of like when you’re eating, you don’t want to be overly stuffed at 100 per cent capacity,” Clea says. “That goes for whether it’s your stomach or your house. If you keep it at 80 per cent, it gives you room to grow but you’ll have to do it responsibly.”