I designed a tiny laundry room for my family of 4 – these clever storage ideas keep it clutter-free

In our busy household and as a family of four, we get through a fair bit of washing, so when we renovated the back of our house, I wanted to make sure our small laundry room worked as hard as possible because there wasn't much space to work with.

So despite its size, I've managed to squeeze in everything from laundry baskets to my vacuum cleaner, ironing board and cleaning essentials. The secret has been investing in a few clever clutter busters that make the most of every inch and keep everything neat and tidy and out of sight.

Here are the five things that have made the biggest difference to my utility room storage.

1. Individual pull out baskets

This is by far one of my favourite additions to our laundry room space. Rather than having our copious amounts of laundry baskets inevitably cluttering up our floor, we installed a dedicated cupboard that houses four baskets, one for each family member.

It's made sorting the laundry and putting it away so much easier, particularly with two young children and their endless array of tiny garments. I bought these Urbnliving oval laundry baskets from Amazon that fit perfectly into the slots.

2. A pull out shelf for catching laundry

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I spotted this clever pull-out shelf idea on Pinterest, and I made sure it fit our design. It gives me somewhere to pull all the freshly dried clothes from our tumble dryer into a basket and also sort and fold clothes. Once I'm finished, it simply slides back into the cupboard, taking no space at all.

It also houses this HoldAll collapsible laundry basket from Joseph Joseph, which folds completely flat when not in use, so it can be tucked in on the shelf when it's hidden away and pops open in seconds when you need it. It's sturdy, easy to carry, has a large capacity and wipes clean.

3. A slim detergent cupboard

Our laundry room needed to work for cleaning storage as well as housing laundry essentials, so things like bathroom sprays, multi-surface cleaners and floor cleaner needed a home, as well as washing liquid, stain removers and fabric conditioners.

I've added a slim pull-out cupboard to store all my laundry kit so it's easily reachable from the washing machine, etc., so the rest of the cupboards keep everything else hidden.

4. A cupboard for bulky cleaning equipment

Finding somewhere to store a vacuum cleaner, an ironing board, an iron and a mop can be tricky, especially if you have a small space to work with.

We made sure we had a decent-sized cupboard, and that's been a game changer for keeping everything in its right place, so I no longer have to look at any of it!

5. A retractable washing line

I'm a big fan of anything that doesn't take up permanent space, which is why I love this viral brass retractable washing line that I picked up last year.

It's a great little buy that's ideal for hanging shirts and smaller items to dry, especially in winter. It just disappears into a pretty little brass unit when not in use.

6. A big laundry basket with built-in sorting

Another laundry essential and one of my many Joseph Joseph buys is the Joseph Joseph Tota Trio laundry basket. Its three genius compartments mean I can sort clothes into different loads as I go, rather than tackling one enormous pile.

The removable bags make transferring everything to the washing machine easier as well. Plus, it's not something you need to hide away, as it's super easy on the eye and doesn't take up too much space.

If you're planning a small laundry room, my advice would be to think about how you actually do your washing before deciding on storage.

These pull-out solutions, hidden cupboards and multifunctional additions have made ours super practical, without sacrificing valuable real estate!