My Laundry Storage Was Chaotic — Until I Repurposed This Classic Organizing Tool

updated Apr 26, 2021
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A couple years ago, we replaced our wire laundry room shelves for some wall-mounted IKEA cabinets and I’ve been loving the concealed storage space ever since. But the closed, deep, high-mounted cabinets posed their own set of challenges.

There are some items I want to store up high, like chemicals. Others I want to be well within easy reach for when I need to grab the Folex to clean up a pet mess or the stain spray to treat a coffee spill. In addition to the high-low options, the cabinets are also quite deep and I can only access them by reaching over and above my washer and dryer. Making use of the space deep into the cabinet is tricky; I can’t necessarily access those items easily, but I definitely want to use the space.

Credit: Shifrah Combiths

My first solution was to buy multi-purpose bins from The Container Store. These are great for corralling similar items together and making all of them accessible at once. I used them for items I didn’t need as often that were a somewhat uniform size — for instance, I have my plant sprays and various fertilizers in one. But I was still left with bottles and sprays that I had to shuffle through in order to grab the right one and also some smaller items that I kept in a smaller bin but that still tended to get buried. It wasn’t quite a mess — but it was far from functional.

Then I remembered a classic organizing superstar: Turntables, or “lazy susans” as many people call them. They provide easy access to pantry corners and kitchen cabinets (I store my spices on them), so why not pick one up to solve my laundry cabinet issues?

Credit: Shifrah Combiths

I started by pulling most of the sprays out of the cabinet and realizing I absolutely did not need the number of stain sprays I had. I decided to transfer some of them to our closet and the bathroom, where we have hampers, so we can use them right when and where stained clothes are first taken off.

Next, I placed the remaining sprays and some other items that I use for cleaning and laundry on the turntable. I grabbed an old, cleaned out candle holder to hold some pet grooming items, and was also able to add on our pet shampoo to the turntable. I also decanted some powdered Tide, which I use for cleaning. I put the bigger container on a higher shelf and kept the jar, with an extra measuring spoon inside it, on the turntable.

Credit: Shifrah Combiths

Now, rather than shuffling through that cabinet for what I need and then having a pile of things to put back in, I can flick the turntable and grab what I need with ease. I enjoy it every time I need to get something. Next time I have an organizing conundrum, I hope I think of turntables first!