Organize Your Laundry Room

Updated with video link.

Look what I found on Terry's Focused Distractions blog. I guess there are others out there who know the secret!

How To Use an Ironing Board

I feel like it’s my duty to educate the public on how to use an ironing board. Apparently, I’m the only person who ever lived, besides the person who designed the ironing board that knows how to use one. Who knows? Maybe the designer didn’t even know. If there are others out there who do know the secret, we should start a support group. Maybe we could lobby congress for money to raise public awareness on the improper use of ironing boards.

First I iron a shirt using the tapered end of the ironing board. See how the shirt doesn’t even begin to fit on this end? Clearly this end was not made for ironing shirts. Now let’s look at our next case.

In this example I am ironing a skirt using the tapered end of the ironing board. Do you see how the skirt naturally follows the shape of this end of the board? Good.


In this photo I am ironing a shirt using the square end of the ironing board. See how the shape of the shirt almost exactly matches the shape of the ironing board? This is the correct procedure and it makes a lot more sense doesn’t it? Old way, bad. New way, good.

Now I expect you all to run to your pile of wrinkled clothes and iron them all correctly. Use the right end of the board for the right job. No, it will not be any more pleasurable than ironing the wrong way but you will get your ironing done more quickly and that could possibly bring you a small amount of happiness. Not as much as teaching your husband and children to iron their own clothes but we take what we can get in this business.


While we’re speaking of ironing, let’s do a whole Organizing thing in the laundry room. This is my laundry stool. I didn’t want to raise my machines up any higher because I wanted to be able to fold clothes on top of them. Bending over the get the laundry out is difficult for a cripple like me so I sit on my little laundry stool when I’m transferring clothes to machines and baskets. This saves my back. The stool also comes in handy here at the laundry tub when you are a short person.



The sink organizer is a shower caddy that I hung off the side. It holds my stain fighting scrub brush and liquid laundry detergent, lotion and toothbrushes until my bathroom sink is hooked up never. It has drainage holes in the bottom so wet things can drain into the sink.

This brings us to the next item in the photo, the RuckZuck drying rack. I’ve had mine for at least five years and let me tell you, it is made to last! I took it out of my old house and re-installed it here. Notice the strategic placement over the laundry tub. I can scrub the clothes and hang them to drip dry without any mess. I bought the longest version and if I had room in my laundry room I would buy five more. I would never have to use the dryer again! At the moment, I hang up all my delicates and anything that has lycra in it as it deteriorates in the hot dryer. That includes all my workout clothes and various other items. Yes, I could use a cool dryer but I don’t. I prefer to hang them since they dry quickly and they don’t wrinkle.

How To Get Out Stains – Use liquid laundry detergent you store in a small squirt bottle and a vegetable scrubbing brush. Not the same one you use on your vegetables. Splurge on a new one please! Wet the stain, squirt on the detergent and get to work with the scrub brush. I love my new laundry tub since it has a scrub board that I use most of the time instead of the brush. The stain may come completely out and it may not. Let it sit until laundry day and wash. Check it before you dry it because you may need to stain treat it again. Most of the time though. The stain will be gone. This includes, blood, mustard, chocolate, you name it. Persistence has to scrub her clothes almost every single day because she is somewhat of a slob. Or maybe she’s just six. At least now her clothes aren’t ruined every time she has a mishap. Happy scrubbing!

If liquid laundry detergent doesn't work, such as on paint or ink, then Biz Boil (all the popular people are doing it) may be your last resort. Happy boiling!