I’ve had a few inquiries lately about storing items on the tops of one’s washer and dryer: Is it safe to store items there? Should one use them as a folding table? How do you keep detergent from spilling all over them if it’s where one stores laundry detergent?
(If this is what the top of your washer looks like, have no fear. I’ll show you how to fix it on Thursday.)
There are several options in utilizing the tops of a washing machine. Use those tops to your advantage!
Top-Loaders:
- Use the top of the washer as a quick ironing board
If you have just a quick item to iron (like the sleeves of a shirt or a little one’s pants), just put a towel over the top of your washing machine and iron away! This is definitely not the preferred method, but is a-okay for a quickie job. And top-loaders are just the right height as an ironing board for me! Before I got into an ironing routine, this is mostly how I ironed when we had a top-loader…in my younger days. 😉 - Or use the top of the washer as a table for stain removal
Again, drape a towel over the top of your washer so you don’t create even more of a mess. Grab your spray pre-treater or the Blue Dawn (depending on the type of stain), an old toothbrush and all of your items that need to be treated and use the top of your washer as a counter top. It’s so convenient to do your stain removal right there on top of the washer. As soon as your finished, it can just be thrown into the machine! I really do miss this aspect of a top-loader! - Use the top of the dryer to store your detergent and other laundry products
The top of any dryer is an easy place to store all kinds of non-laundry related items, ie: clutter. Make the top of your dryer a purposeful spot and dedicate its top to your detergent and other laundry products. The top of the dryer makes detergents and such so accessible. Also, if you’ve actually designated a use for it you’ll be much less likely to clutter it up with other items. I must re-teach this to myself all the time, it seems!
Front-Loaders:
- Install a counter top above your washer and dryer
If you don’t own the pedestals (and even if you do), front-loaders offer you the option to have a permanent counter space above your machines. If you are a person that wants to fold clothes standing right in front of the dryer, it offers a great spot to fold and sort prior to putting them away. It also provides a wonderful place to store your detergents and laundry boosters. Permanent counter tops wipe up easily and are super convenient. - Organize your laundry room supplies
I am fortunate to have a couple of shelves in my laundry room where I store my laundry supplies (scissors, black Sharpie, lint brush, old toothbrush, etc). However if you are even more tight on space than I am, you could always store your supplies in decorative baskets on top of your machines. They would be easily accessible while utilizing valuable space. And for those of us that are vertically challenged, it would all be within easy reach.
On Thursday, I will share pictures of the top of my washer and dryer. So stay tuned for a little tutorial! I’ll show you how to keep detergent and other liquids from spilling all over the tops of your machines.
What do you store on the tops of your washer and dryer? Or do you prefer to keep the free from any and all clutter?
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Mine is used to store lint. *ahem*
I have a really, really, really bad habit. It is a cycle.
I take the clothes out of the dryer and throw them on top of the washer and dryer (I have front loaders).
The idea is to fold them there, but I soon become distracted by a screaming or hungry child.
I do not find myself back at my washer and dryer until the next load is dry and… you guessed it… this next load of dry clothes are placed on top of the washer and dryer.
Before I know it I cannot find a thing and we are all digging through piles to find clean undies and a towel.
Sad, I know.
Finally I get so sick of it and I have to spend 7,000 hours bound to my laundry room to get it all folded and hung up.
There I said it. My name is Crystal and I am a horrible housewife. 🙂
Crystal, that just made me laugh out loud! 🙂
We all have our trouble spots. Mine? Well, I have several…which one should I possibly reveal? My ongoing battle with the kitchen floor, or the bad junk spot underneath the cookbook shelf, or the fill-in-the-blank.
You get the picture. *sigh* I can relate!
-Lauren
I don’t store anything on the top of my top-load washer because I leave the lid open whenever it’s not in use. My dryer top has a tin bucket that I use for lint and a bottle of stain treatment so I can grab it when I need it. The lint trap for my dryer comes out of the top so I have to keep the top uncluttered.
Do you know/think there is a certain weight limit to the top of a dryer? I have a couple tubs with my dog’s food in them and they are kinda heavy (compared to keeping detergent and stuff up there)
Is it ok to take clothes that have been washed out of the washer and leave them there until the load of stuff in the dryer is finished ? Does that mess the clothes up?
Hey Sharon, If I understand your question correctly, no, it shouldn’t mess up your freshly washed load of laundry. BUT you need to get them in the dryer asap or hang them up asap to avoid mold and mildew. The longer they sit, the more prone they are to mildewing. I’d try to get them in the dryer within the hour.
Lauren