Hallway Laundry Closet Ideas: Doors, Venting and a Place to Fold

Pick closet doors that let the dryer breathe

Fixes: heat trapped behind closed doorsCheck your dryer's manual

A running dryer gives off heat, and doors without vents hold it in. LG's DLEX4000 dryer manual asks for two vents in closet doors: an upper opening of at least 48 square inches, no lower than 6 feet above the floor, and a lower one of at least 24 square inches, no more than one foot above the floor. Grilles in the door, a door cut short at the top and bottom, or louvered doors (slanted slats) with the same open area all work, it says.

These numbers come from one LG dryer's manual, which covers its gas and electric versions. Other dryers set their own closet rules, so check your own manual.

Try this: find the closet section in your dryer's installation guide before you shop for doors.

Keep the dryer vent free behind the machines

Fixes: a squashed vent and hidden lintA pro installs the dryer

In a shallow closet it is tempting to push the machines back until the doors close, which is how a dryer vent gets squashed. The U.S. Fire Administration says to check the venting behind the dryer for damage, crushing or a blockage, to clean the lint filter before and after each cycle, and to have a professional install and service the dryer.

LG's DLEX4000 manual asks for at least 5 inches of space behind that dryer in a closet; your own manual gives your dryer's figure.

Try this: shine a flashlight behind the dryer and look for any stretch of vent that is flattened or folded.

Let the washer air out between loads

Fixes: a musty closetNo new parts needed

Closet doors keep the washer's moisture in. LG's help page for its front-load washers says that when the washer door stays closed, the moisture from washing cannot dry, and mold may form in the door gasket, the rubber seal around the opening. Leave the washer door and the detergent dispenser open between loads, as LG advises, and keep children from climbing into the open drum.

The dryer's air has to get out too: the U.S. Fire Administration says the vent cover on the outside wall should open whenever the dryer runs.

Try this: after the last load, wipe the door seal and the glass dry with a towel, then leave the door open until the drum is dry.

Put the shelf up high, and the ironing board on a side wall

Fixes: supplies piled on the machinesShelves and hooks: separate buys

A shelf above the machines holds towels, detergent and baskets. Its height is the part to check. LG's DLEX4000 manual asks for at least 18 inches between the top of that dryer and a shelf or cabinet above it in a closet, and it limits how deep that cabinet can be. Our counter needs only 3.5 inches under the shelf for its rail, the raised edge on its back and sides, plus room for your hands, so with that dryer the manual's number decides.

Hooks on a side wall keep an ironing board or a drying rack off the floor.

Try this: before you hang the shelf, mark where its underside will sit and check the drop to the dryer's top against the manual.

Light the inside of the closet, not just the hallway

Fixes: a dark closet off a dim hallwayWiring? Call an electrician

A hallway light shines on the closet doors, not inside. Once a shelf goes up, the back of the machine tops can sit in shadow, where stray socks hide. A light under the shelf fixes that: a battery light with a motion sensor needs no wiring, and a wired fixture is a job for an electrician.

Try this: drop a dark sock at the back of the machine tops; if you can't spot it, add a light.

Stacked pair or top-loader? Fold on the wall or on wheels

Good for: a stacked pair or a top-loaderNothing rests on the machines

Many hallway closets only fit a stacked pair, the dryer held above the washer by a stacking kit. That leaves no machine top at folding height, so the counter in idea 7 is out (see the fit list), and a top-load washer's lid rules it out too.

Fold beside the closet instead: on a table that folds down from the hallway wall, or on a slim cart with a flat top that parks beside the tower. Our folding station guide covers the drop-down wall table and the rolling cart.

Try this: measure how far the open doors reach into the hallway; a wall table or a parked cart has to sit clear of them.

Side-by-side front-loaders? Lay one counter across both tops