It looks as though you have 3 hanging rods in the room? Or two plus a towel bar over the utility sink? Could you give up the one over the folding table, and install a couple of white laminate shelves to move folded items up to once folded? Alternately, you might get a top fitted to go over the utility sink so that it can double as a folding space? I’d hate you to lose that hamper.

if it's just space for folded clothes, consider a laundry cart. then you can place folded clothes in the cart. I wouldn't change what works for you otherwise.

May I ask why you need more folding space? That counter looks like it has plenty of space for what would come out of the dryer, and you like it and the hamper. My washer and dryer sit side by side and are next to a spacious counter. I have never run out of room just using the w/d tops. Your room looks efficient and appealing to my eyes.

I pretty much can’t take a load out of the dryer AND fold. The dryer pile takes up so much space there’s no room to start making piles. I have to pretty much take things out one by one and fold.

We are currently a family of 4. I seem to fill up every available piece of counter as I make the piles for everyone. I am expecting and feel like with another body I won’t have enough pile space. Also my kids are small. As they grow so will their clothes and the size of the piles!

This all may sound crazy but it’s reality of doing the wash and keeping things efficient. I don’t want to go in everyone’s rooms and fold clothes on the beds. I also don’t want numerous hampers everywhere!!

If you really want to change it up, I like @jwatters99 suggestion. But an easier fix is to keep a cheap laundry basket on top of the shelf or even the dryer. When the dryer is done, pull all the clothes into that, so you can throw the next load in the dryer. Then fold and make piles on the table. I would be ecstatic with your setup. I currently fold for my family of four on the dining room table. Lol.

I don’t know how old your kids are, but each kid having their own hamper in their closet may be something to embrace down the line. Then they can each do their own laundry. ;) Mine started doing theirs with supervision at 10 and 7. It’s a great life skill, and moms could use a break.

Agree -- I'd keep the counter you have, and get some (low plastic) baskets if need be -- then you can put the folded clothes into basket(s) as you go, keeping the surface just for folding. Then no more needed, and the baskets are ready for delivery to the various owners.

@Alison Winther, I'd try to do something like this and if necessary turn the corner with a shallower countertop if you can't fit a 25" deep top. You will get more usable space if you can put the W/D off to one side of the room. I used the IKEA planner when I was planning our laundry room. It is very easy to use.

Heath/ Before & After · More Info

Laundry Room Storage · More Info

Thank you so much! Funny enough we did have the units originally to the right of the room, but the washer can only open to the left (left hinge) and I thought that was a pain opening into where the hamper would be. However if I can turn the counter maybe that would be something worth dealing with? I'm not sure if anyone has experience with that in terms of it just not being practical.

I agree with the idea of more laundry baskets.

For all shirts that go on a hanger, we give them a little shake then hang them on a plastic hanger straight out of the washing machine, wet. They go wet into the closet, and dry there. Saves energy. Saves time because you only touch each piece of clothing once. Clothes last longer. I got this idea from our trips to Europe where people don't use their dryers much due to the high energy costs there.

I find if I fold the clothes as they come out of the dryer they do not get wrinkled as much. My shirts come out of the dryer and are immediately hung on hangers. The same way with the rest of the blouses and jeans/pants. I find if you put hot out-of-the-dryer clothes in a basket, they are very wrinkled and who wants to iron them. I have a basket in each bedroom for the dirty clothes and on wash day they are carried to the laundry room. Then when the clothes are clean and dried, back into the basket they go for putting away. The hung up clothes are carried separately, of course. The top of my washer and dryer, which are on pedestals, are where I fold the clothes as I put them in the baskets. At one time, when the children were small I had a rolling three part cloth hamper which worked very well....much like your hampers only mine was on wheels and able to fold up.

When I was a kid, before we started doing our own wash, we each had a dishpan in a laundry cupboard. Our clean folded clothes went into our dishpans ready for us to put away. You could either sort into dishpans or fold as things come out of the dryer.