Rooms Laundry Room Laundry Room Storage 8 Laundry Room Drying Rack Ideas to Make Life Easier Streamline your laundry routine with these clever solutions. By Mary Cornetta Mary Cornetta Instagram Website Mary Cornetta has been in the professional organizing industry for over 5 years. She knew she had a passion for decluttering and organization upon graduating Marist College in 2007, however, pursued it as a hobby instead of a career. All of that changed when Mary founded Sort and Sweet Inc on Long Island in 2017. Since then, she has worked hands-on and virtually with hundreds of clients to clear their clutter and create functional systems in their homes and offices. Mary runs the Sort and Sweet social media accounts, creating content and writing captions with organizing tips and inspiration for more than 12,000 followers. Recently relocated to Savannah, she continues to own and operate the business with the help of a talented team. Mary has been a weekly contributing writer for House Digest and has been interviewed as an expert by Martha Stewart Living, Real Simple, and Health magazines. She is the owner of the blog, Organized Overall, in which she details how she creates organization in her home. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Published on February 8, 2023 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Jay Wilde In a perfect world, all articles of clothing could be tossed in the dryer and would be ready to put away in no time. But the reality is that many items need to air dry. Whether it’s to avoid shrinkage or to protect delicate fabric, air or line drying your clothes is a common occurrence. A common complaint when trying to find a drying rack is that traditional standing racks don’t fit well in smaller laundry rooms. Even if they fold down and can be stored away easily, they take up too much space when in use. Luckily, there are plenty of other clothes drying rack options for whatever size space you’re working with and the types of clothes you need to hang dry. Check out the following laundry room drying rack ideas to make the chore a little less daunting. 24 Laundry Room Storage Solutions to Freshen Up Your Space 01 of 08 Maximize Hanging Space Marty Baldwin If the majority of the clothes you need to air dry are hangable, consider a rod that suspends from a high shelf above the washer and dryer. Keep it stocked with a dozen quality hangers ready to be put to work. If you have high shelves, this makes perfect sense as it’s not using any extra square footage. You can then use the above shelf for backstock storage of paper goods. Just be sure to keep a folding step stool within reach to grab items when you need them. 02 of 08 Install Double Hanging Rods Ryan Garvin If you have a bit more space to work with, a double hang rod on the wall can also work well, especially if the area is recessed. Take a narrow corner of the laundry room and install two short clothing rods, one on top of the other, with enough space to hang items in between. No floor space is eaten up, and the items will be out of your way until they're dry and ready to be put away. The 9 Best Laundry Stain Removers of 2023, According to Testing 03 of 08 Use Empty Wall Space Jay Wilde For a laundry room with only a little bit of blank space, set up a wall-mounted accordion drying rack that can be collapsed to lie flat when not in use. When it’s expanded, you'll have a few rows to hang your items as soon as they come out of the washing machine. Keep a few clothespins on hand to secure smaller items such as socks, tees, and sports bras. 04 of 08 Hang a Rack Over the Door Marty Baldwin Have a door that shuts to the laundry room? Use it to your advantage by adding an over-the-door drying rack. Many are adjustable, so you can set them parallel to the floor or at an angle, depending on what you need to hang. Make sure that the width of the rack fits the width of your door, and that it will hook over the top with ease before purchasing. When you have no clothes to air dry, you can fold the rack flush against the door. 05 of 08 Repurpose a Ladder Cameron Sadeghpour Don’t overlook that vintage ladder in the antique store. It can quickly turn into a drying rack in the laundry room. Give it a quick makeover by smoothing it out and adding a fun pop of paint before attaching it to the wall with chain links. Include a few hangers to loop shirts and jeans over the ladder rungs. In addition to an eco-friendly way to get organized, this method also saves floor space. 06 of 08 Swivel the Small Stuff Marty Baldwin Consider a slimline multi-arm swivel drying rack for a minimalist look. It can be mounted to a narrow strip of wall, and they’re often available in a variety of arm quantities, so you can get as many or as little as you need. These racks are ideal for hanging smaller items, and you can adjust the arms however you like. If you find one with a hook on the bottom, attach a lint brush or a mesh lingerie bag. A wall-mounted organizer nearby can store other essential laundry supplies such as stain-remover pens. 07 of 08 Build a Drying Drawer Jay Wilde If you’re in the midst of designing your dream laundry room and you still don’t want a drying rack to be a major eyesore, consider incorporating one or two into the cabinetry. Custom drawers can be a front for pull-out racks. When clothes need to dry, pull the drawer out and lay items along the bars. When they’re done drying, shut the drawers to save space. Hidden Hacks Help This Functional Family Laundry Room Do It All 08 of 08 Make Room for Flat Lays Jay Wilde Many times, wool or cashmere sweaters need to lie flat to dry properly and keep their shape. And most times, traditional drying racks don’t allow for that to happen. But a mesh flat drying rack will work well, so think about hanging one from a rod or attaching it to the ceiling or under a cabinet. They generally come in three tiers, allowing you to dry three of your favorite knits at the same time. Plus, the mesh material helps them air dry quickly. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit