THE DETAILS: laundry supplies

Dedicate areas for the essentials, from detergents and stain-removal solutions to clothespins and sewing supplies, to keep the laundry room organized. This will also allow everyone (even big kids and houseguests) to navigate the space, so you can take a load off.

bulk supplies

Decant detergent, powdered cleaning products like baking soda, and bulk supplies, such as cotton balls, into coordinating, refillable containers. They’ll take up less space on your shelves and look neater than a jumble of bottles and boxes. Be sure to add labels so you can tell one white powder from another.

CLOTHESPINS

Stock plenty of clothespins—Martha prefers wooden—in a pouch or bin that you can carry with you. This one has a custom metal hanger that is designed to conveniently hook onto a clothesline, allowing you to slide it along with you as you go (no more bending over to grab a few pins while the wind blows the garment off the line). You can fashion one yourself by bending an old wire hanger with pliers. (The extra bag is for washing delicates.)