Keeping it tidy is essential so you can find everything and stop it from getting full of clutter. The usual things people keep in their utility room include laundry, outdoor clothing and footwear, pet food and bedding, small gardening tools, potting compost and similar gardening items, washing powder and cleaning products.
While the utility room is practical, it doesn't have to be boring! It can still look good if you choose the right storage solutions.
© Collins Photography / Adobe Stock
Laundry room
If your utility room doubles as a laundry room, invest in some open shelves, as they give you more floor space by adding vertical storage. They also give easy access to essential items. However, having everything on show can soon look untidy.
Store washing powder in an airtight container to stop it from getting damp. Smaller odds and ends, such as washing tablets, tumble dryer sheets and clothes pegs can be placed into open-fronted containers, so it's easy to spot and grab exactly what you need.
The utility room is often used to store the ironing board, so keep ironing essentials together on one shelf, such as the iron and fabric sprays.
Cleaning essentials
Keep your cleaning kit in a caddy with wheels so it’s easy to tote around the house.
Professional cleaners keep cleaning products, cloths and a mop bucket together on a trolley. Why…? Well, it's efficient! Have a domestic version for your home to help you whizz around faster and then simply wheel it back into the corner of your utility room after use.
Pet essentials
A utility room can be made comfortable for pets, especially as somewhere to sleep at night if you don't want them having the run of the house while you're in bed.
Find a cosy corner for dog and cat baskets away from the door, where there might be a draught. If you have a cat, keep the litter tray in its own zone, away from other items, for hygiene purposes. A good place for a litter tray is near the door, so you can take it outside and put the contents in the bin straight away in the morning.
Food and water bowls should be kept in a discreet corner, preferably with a wipe-clean mat underneath, rather than on the carpet, as spillage can soon make the carpet smell.
Keep pet foods in a container with a lid. Not only will this keep it fresher, but it will also reduce the risk of unwanted visitors, such as mice or rats, popping in when they smell the food.
Towels
You may think cupboards are essential for items such as clean towels fresh from the tumble dryer, but shelves will suffice. Place standalone shelves near a radiator and neatly fold towels ready to use.
Alternatively, invest in a couple of large chests to store towels, linen and other clean laundry.
Shopping bags
In an era when we're encouraged to use a "bag for life" when we go shopping, how many of us stash them away in a cupboard, only to forget about them?
Why not put a few hooks on the utility room wall? This will remind you to take them to the supermarket to reuse.
Gardening tools
If your utility room is big enough and you don't have a garden shed, it can be a good place to store small gardening tools, cuttings, seeds, plant feed and other items.
You can collect and store all kinds of seeds and use the autumn and winter months to prepare for spring. You’ll get a head start for next year in the garden.
Benefits of a tidy utility room
Tidying your utility room and storing things properly makes it easier for all the family to find things they need. It also makes it easier to remember to restock, as you can see when product containers are getting empty.
Remove the original packaging and place the contents within a storage box to make access easier. You can also add labels to the boxes, so that it shows a clear indication of what's inside.
Create your own unique style by customising the room to your personal preference, choosing a colour scheme and adding the accessories of your choice. Just because the utility room is compact, that doesn't mean you can't make it more appealing, as well as functional.
Take advantage of Solent Plastics' huge range of robust storage containers for all your utility room needs.