Laundry Folding Station Ideas: Use the Machine Tops or Add a Table?

The short answer: if your washer and dryer are front-loaders side by side, the laundry folding station you already have room for is the top of them. A countertop across both machines, like the one OfficeSimpli sells, turns them into one flat folding surface that takes no floor space. If your machines are stacked or your washer loads from the top, choose a drop-down table on the wall, a rolling cart or a separate table instead. The table below compares all four kinds on floor space, setup work and the machines each one works with.

What can you use as a laundry folding station? 5 ideas

A laundry folding station is any flat surface kept just for folding, so clean clothes do not end up in a pile on the bed. Here are five laundry room folding station ideas across those four kinds. The first two use the tops of your machines; the last three work with any washer and dryer, stacked pairs and top-loaders included.

1

Fold on a counter over the washer and dryer

Takes no floor spaceFixes: nowhere to foldFront-loaders side by side only

A countertop across a side-by-side washer and dryer turns the two machine tops into one flat surface, and the dryer opens right under your folding spot. Ours comes in three sizes, deep by wide: 27.5 by 54, 27.5 by 58 and 30 by 58 inches. Raised edges on the back and both sides stop folded socks from dropping behind the machines, and the front stays open, so you can fold and load without anything in the way.

It ships flat and goes together with seven screws. Nothing fastens it to the machines or the wall: a grippy rubber pad at each corner keeps it from sliding around during the spin cycle. It stays flat under full laundry baskets, and it lifts off when you need to reach the hoses.

At time of posting, 17 of the 78 written reviews on our product page mention folding.

Try this: measure across both machines, edge to edge, then find your size in our sizing guide.

2

Keep supplies at one end, or on a shelf above

Fixes: a cluttered topKeeps the folding space clear

A folding counter only works if it stays clear. In this laundry room, a pump bottle and a few supplies sit on one small tray at one end, so the rest of the top is free for folding.

Want a laundry folding station with storage? Put a shelf or a cabinet on the wall above the machines, so the whole top stays free for folding.

Try this: keep only what you use every load on the counter, and put the rest on a shelf or in a cabinet.

3

Fold down a table from the wall

Good for: stacked or top-load machinesRenting? Ask first

A drop-down table is a flat shelf on hinges that folds flat against the wall when you are done. Choose one when nothing can sit on top of your machines: a stacked pair, or a top-load washer whose lid has to open. Put it on a free stretch of wall near the machines.

It has to be fastened to the wall, so it means drilling, and renters should ask first.

Try this: screw it into the wall studs, not just the drywall, and check that it clears the door when it is folded down.

4

Roll out a cart with a flat top

Good for: tiny rooms and rentersNo drilling

A sorting cart on wheels, with bins or a hamper below and a flat top, works as a hamper and a folding spot in one. Roll it out to fold, then roll it back into a closet or beside the machines. It works with any washer and dryer.

If you rent and cannot drill, say in a closet with a stacked pair, a cart like this or a folding table that stores flat needs no drilling at all.

Try this: check the size of the top before you buy: a small top means folding one stack at a time.

5

Set up a separate folding table

Good for: bigger roomsWorks with any machines

If the room has the floor space, a table of its own works with any washer and dryer: stacked, top-load or side by side. You also get to choose a table at the height you like, and the basket has a place to sit while you fold. The trade-off is floor space you cannot use for anything else.

Try this: leave room to stand at the table and to open the washer and dryer doors.

A customer on the counter over the machines (idea 1)

“We have a really small and narrow laundry room and this has been an amazing purchase for us. We now have a spot to fold laundry and not worry about losing a sock behind the machines.”

What if your washer and dryer are stacked or top-loading?

A counter that rests on the machines needs two flat machine tops side by side. Check yours against this list:

If your machines are on the second list, use the wall or the floor instead: a drop-down table (idea 3) folds out from a free stretch of wall and folds away when you are done, and a rolling cart (idea 4) or a separate table (idea 5) works with any machines.

If the room is wide enough, setting a stackable pair side by side instead is another way to get a folding counter.

Worth knowing: a counter on the machines sets your folding height for you. It sits wherever your machine tops are, and you cannot raise or lower it. If you want to choose the height, or want one counter from wall to wall, a separate table or a built counter is the better route; here is what building one takes.

Laundry folding station questions, answered