How Much Storage Does A Laundry Really Need?

How much storage does a laundry really need? There isn't one standard amount that works for every home. The right amount depends on what you need to store, the size of your household, whether the laundry doubles as household storage and how much storage exists elsewhere in the home.

Rather than simply adding as many cupboards as possible, start by listing everything that needs to live in the laundry. Cleaning products, detergents, baskets, brooms, a vacuum, linen, pet supplies and bulk household items can require very different types of storage.

A well-planned laundry should provide enough storage to keep everyday items organised without sacrificing the bench space, appliance access and circulation you need to actually use the room.

Here's how to work out how much laundry storage your household really needs before cabinetry is finalised.

Why Laundry Storage Matters More Than Ever

Today's laundries often perform multiple functions.

Many households use their laundry as a:

• Cleaning station

• Household storage room

• Linen overflow area

• Pet care space

• Utility room

As homes become busier and storage becomes more valuable, the laundry is increasingly expected to work harder than ever before.

Without adequate storage, clutter can quickly take over the room.

If you're still deciding what the room needs to accommodate, our guide to What Should You Include in a Modern Laundry? covers the key functional features worth considering.

Start By Looking At What You Already Store

Before deciding how much storage you need, take inventory of what currently lives in your laundry.

Common items include:

• Laundry detergents

• Cleaning products

• Vacuum cleaners

• Mops and brooms

• Ironing equipment

• Spare toilet paper

• Linen

• Pet supplies

Don't stop at what is currently inside the laundry. Look around the rest of the home for items you'd ideally like to store there too.

Then divide everything into four groups:

Everyday items — detergent, stain remover and cleaning cloths
Tall items — brooms, mops, vacuum cleaners and ironing boards
Bulk items — toilet paper, paper towel and cleaning supplies
Laundry-specific items — baskets, hampers, pegs and ironing equipment

This gives you a much better indication of the type of cabinetry you need rather than simply guessing how many cupboards will fit.

Many homeowners are surprised by how much storage their household actually requires once everything is listed out.

A Simple Way to Work Out How Much Storage You Need

Before designing cabinetry, make a complete list of everything you want stored in the laundry and assign each item a future home.

For example:

• Detergents and stain removers → overhead or base cabinet
• Brooms and mops → tall cupboard
• Vacuum cleaner → tall cupboard with suitable clearance
• Dirty washing → pull-out hampers or baskets
• Clean laundry baskets → dedicated shelf or open space
• Linen → shelving or drawers
• Bulk cleaning products → higher or less frequently accessed storage
• Pegs and small items → drawer or small cabinet

If you can't identify where an item will live on the proposed plan, the storage design probably isn't finished yet.

This is a more useful way to determine storage requirements than aiming for an arbitrary number of cupboards.

Bigger Isn't Always Better

It's easy to assume that more cabinetry automatically means a better laundry.

However, effective storage isn't just about quantity.

It's also about:

• Accessibility

• Organisation

• Functionality

• Ease of use

A well-planned laundry with smart storage can often outperform a larger room with poorly organised cabinetry.

Too much cabinetry can also reduce bench space, make a small laundry feel enclosed or take up space that could be better used elsewhere.

The Role Of Tall Cabinets

Tall cabinetry has become increasingly popular in modern laundry renovations.

These cabinets can provide storage for:

• Brooms

• Vacuum cleaners

• Mops

• Buckets

• Larger household items

• Ironing board

Before finalising a tall cupboard, measure the actual vacuum, ironing board and other large items you intend to store inside it. Don't assume standard shelf spacing will accommodate them.

Vertical storage often allows homeowners to maximise space without increasing the room footprint.

In many laundries, tall storage becomes one of the most valuable features.

Don't Forget Everyday Items

One of the most common planning mistakes is focusing only on large storage requirements.

Small everyday items also need dedicated homes.

Examples include:

• Pegs

• Cleaning cloths

• Laundry pods

• Stain removers

• Spare light bulbs

• Batteries

Without suitable storage solutions, these items often end up scattered across benchtops.

Frequently used products should generally be easier to access than items used only occasionally. Designing storage around frequency of use can make the laundry noticeably easier to live with.

Closed Storage Can Reduce Visual Clutter

Closed cabinetry can be particularly useful for items you don't necessarily want on display, such as cleaning products, bulk supplies and miscellaneous household items.

Open shelving can still work well for frequently used items or baskets, but filling every available wall with open shelves can make a busy laundry feel cluttered.

A combination of closed cabinetry and accessible everyday storage often provides a practical balance.

This may include spaces designed for:

• Appliances

• Cleaning products

• Household supplies

The goal is not necessarily to hide everything, but to create a more organised and practical environment.

A tidy laundry is generally easier and more enjoyable to use.

Storage Needs Change Over Time

A laundry renovation is usually a long-term investment.

While your storage requirements today are important, it's also worth considering future needs.

Factors may include:

• Growing families

• Additional household items

• Lifestyle changes

• New appliances

Planning with some flexibility can help ensure the laundry continues to function well for years to come.

Adjustable shelving can provide useful flexibility because the cabinet can adapt as the items stored inside it change.

How Bench Space And Storage Work Together

Storage and benchtop space often compete for the same area.

More cabinetry may reduce available workspace.

More bench space may reduce storage opportunities.

The most successful laundries typically balance both requirements rather than maximising one at the expense of the other.

This is why overall layout planning is often more important than simply adding more cupboards.

Your appliance configuration can have a major impact on this balance. Stacking appliances may free up room for tall cabinetry, while placing them side by side can create valuable continuous bench space.

See Stacked vs Side-by-Side Washer & Dryer: Which Laundry Layout Is Best? for a comparison of both options.

Open Shelving Vs Closed Storage

Open shelving provides quick access and can help a laundry feel less enclosed, while closed cabinetry hides visual clutter and household products.

Rather than choosing one exclusively, consider what will actually be stored in each area. Attractive baskets or frequently used items may suit open shelving, while cleaning products and bulk supplies are often better suited to closed cabinetry.

Every Household Is Different

There is no universal answer to how much storage a laundry needs.

The ideal amount depends on:

• Household size

• Lifestyle

• Storage habits

• Available space

• Existing storage elsewhere in the home

A household that stores linen, cleaning equipment, bulk supplies and pet products in the laundry will naturally require significantly more cabinetry than a household using the room almost exclusively for washing clothes.

A laundry designed for a single person may look very different from one designed for a busy family of five.

The key is understanding your specific needs before finalising the design.

What If You Have a Small Laundry?

A small laundry doesn't automatically mean inadequate storage. The goal is to use the available space more deliberately.

Consider:

• Cabinetry extending towards the ceiling
• Tall storage rather than multiple low cupboards
• Stacked appliances where appropriate
• Storage above appliances
• Pull-out hampers
• Narrow-purpose storage
• Wall-mounted drying solutions

However, don't fill every available wall simply because you can. Maintaining usable bench space and comfortable access to appliances is just as important.

For more compact-space ideas, see our Small Laundry Renovation Ideas That Actually Work.

Why Storage Planning Should Happen Early

One of the biggest mistakes homeowners make is treating storage as an afterthought.

Once appliance locations, cabinetry and benchtops have been finalised, opportunities for additional storage may become limited.

Planning storage early allows it to become an integrated part of the overall design rather than something squeezed into leftover space.

Good storage planning can have a bigger impact on day-to-day satisfaction than many of the visible finishes homeowners spend hours selecting.

Storage is also one of the areas homeowners commonly underestimate during planning. See 10 Laundry Renovation Mistakes Homeowners Make for other decisions worth checking before your design is finalised.

Laundry Storage Checklist

Before finalising your cabinetry, make sure you've allowed somewhere for:

☐ Laundry detergent
☐ Stain removers and washing products
☐ Cleaning products
☐ Brooms and mops
☐ Vacuum cleaner
☐ Buckets
☐ Iron and ironing board
☐ Dirty laundry baskets or hampers
☐ Clean laundry baskets
☐ Pegs and drying accessories
☐ Spare toilet paper and household supplies
☐ Linen, if stored in the laundry
☐ Pet supplies, if applicable
☐ Bulk products
☐ Items you currently store elsewhere but want moved into the laundry

Then look at the plan and identify exactly where each item will go. If several items still don't have a home, revisit the cabinetry before approving the design.

If you're still at the beginning of the renovation process, work through our Laundry Renovation Checklist: Where to Start before finalising your layout and selections.

Final Thoughts

There is no magic number of cupboards that every laundry needs. The right amount of storage is the amount required to give the items in your household a practical home without unnecessarily sacrificing bench space, accessibility or room to move.

Start by listing what you need to store, group those items by size and frequency of use, and then design cabinetry around them.

A well-designed laundry isn't the one with the most cupboards. It's the one where you know exactly where everything goes.

About the Author

Laura Faulkner is the founder of Own Your Reno and AJM Bathroom Renovations. Drawing on experience from more than 500 completed renovations, Laura created the Own Your Reno series to help Australian homeowners plan smarter, avoid costly mistakes and renovate with confidence.