We’ve all been there – that ubiquitous bedroom chair where clothes seem to gravitate, forming an ever-growing pile of laundry. It’s messy, it’s disorganised, it’s the “clothes chair.”
For some, the clothes chair is home to worn clothes that aren’t dirty enough to wash nor clean enough to put back in the wardrobe.
For others, the chair accumulates freshly laundered garments that never seem to find their way back to your drawers and closet. After all, putting away your clothes can sometimes feel like too much effort.
But while the clothes chair may provide a convenient temporary solution, it often transforms into a chaotic eyesore.
Your bedroom is supposed to be a peaceful sanctuary, but now it feels cluttered and disorganised.
The solution to breaking up with your clothes chair is simple – put your clothes away in their rightful place – but this doesn’t always happen.
5 Alternatives to the “Laundry Chair”
Bidding goodbye to the laundry chair might seem like an impossible task. But thankfully, we’ve found advice from expert organisers and declutterers to help tackle the problem.
According to the experts, the first step to overcoming the clothes chair conundrum is recognising that alternatives exist.
Some Reddit users joked about switching from the laundry chair to “the floordrobe,” while another commented, “It’s what home exercise bikes were invented for.”
However, professional organisers have suggestions for more effective alternatives.
1. Hanging hooks – A mental barrier breaker
In an article for Livingetc, home and lifestyle organiser Melissa Gugni suggested using hooks to keep your garments organised and eliminate the need for a clothes chair.
“You can get wall-mounted hooks or removable Command Hooks and put them on the back of a closet door, on a wall, or inside a closet and designate it just for things like this.”
If you’re short on space, over-the-door hooks are another alternative. According to pro organiser Di Ter Avest, they’re perfect “for those ‘not-so-dirty’ clothes.”
No matter which type of hooks you use, these additions provide an easy way to overcome the mental barrier of organising your clothes.
2. Baskets and hampers – A stylish solution
Baskets and hampers are other clothes chair alternatives recommended by Melissa Gugni and Di Ter Avest.
These are a great option if you don’t want your half-worn clothes to be visible in your bedroom at all, and would you’d rather keep them entirely out of sight.
You can purchase a decorative hamper that matches your bedroom aesthetics and easily chuck all your disorganised clothes inside.
For even better organisation, choose a set of baskets with varying sizes and sort your clothes by type or colour.
This makes it easier to find the items you’re looking for when you’re ready to wear them next, as each garment type has a designated area.
If you’re in the market for storage bins and baskets, Amber Pardilla published some suggestions in New York Magazine.
For clothes, the Ikea Skubb Storage Case or OrganiHaus XXL Rope Basket are brilliant options. You could even repurpose a laundry basket to keep your space clutter-free.
3. Hanging clothes rails – A crease-free solution
If neither of the above clothes chair alternatives suits you, Katrina Green, professional organiser and owner of Badass Home Life, suggests purchasing a clothes rail to hang your already-worn clothes.
“Try a clothes rack that is standalone and equip it with empty hangers so it’s much easier to hang clothes quick,” Green suggests.
This stops your clothes from being put away with your freshly laundered garments while showing them the care they deserve.
It also stops your clothes from getting crumpled between wears and keeps them accessible while keeping them off that tempting chair.
You can install a stylish wall-mounted rail or a freestanding version to keep your room clutter-free.
Of course, you will need some extra space to put the rail, but replacing your chair with one is an excellent solution for smaller bedrooms.
This will also help you stick to your new organisational habits – your laundry can’t accumulate on your bedroom chair if it no longer exists.
4. Furniture with a purpose – A multifunctional solution
Not all Reddit user suggestions for clothes chair alternatives are as terrible as the “floordrobe” suggestion.
“We have an ottoman that serves that purpose,” says one user. And in fact, furniture with hidden storage compartments is a versatile choice for those who appreciate multifunctional solutions.
You can explore bed frames with built-in drawers or ottomans that open up to reveal storage space. The SONGMICS Storage Ottoman is an affordable option that will look great at the end of a double bed.
However, our recommendation is to look for a new bedroom chair that has built-in storage space, such as the COSTWAY Accent Chair.
Replace your old bedroom chair with this new one to effortlessly break your laundry chair habit. Every time you go to throw clothes on the chair, open it and place your garments inside instead.
This keeps your space tidy and your chair free from clutter (and by clutter, we mean clothes).
5. The minimalist approach – Declutter your closet
Capsule wardrobes are becoming trendy, but they’re more than a craze – they can also help you bid farewell to your clothes chair.
By curating a capsule collection of essential clothing items, you reduce the temptation to let clothes accumulate on your chair.
According to Harpers Bazaar, capsule wardrobes consist of around 10 to 20 items. However, if your wardrobe is overflowing, decluttering your closet down to a few stable pieces can seem impossible.
Thankfully, Fanny Moizant, president of pre-loved designer clothing reseller Vestiaire Collective, has some tips on curating a capsule closet:
“You need to give yourself a couple of hours and commit. Start by splitting up your wardrobe by season,” she explains.
“Clear out the previous season so you can focus on what you’ll be wearing for the next few months, and then ask yourself these questions: ‘Is the item something you still wear? Is it a timeless classic? Does it still fit you?’”
6. Keep the chair, but create ground rules
According to Apartment Therapy, you may not need to find an alternative to the laundry chair, you can just lay down a few basic ground rules. In the article, Kenika Williams, a professional organiser and owner of Tidied by K, says this is a great idea if you find your clothes chair habit hard to break.
She continues to explain that “what ‘organisation’ looks like to every person will differ, and you get to establish your own rules that will align to your organisational goals.”
Potential rules could include dedicating 10 minutes every day to clearing the chair, while professional organiser Naeemah Ford Goldson recommends getting “into the habit of putting everything away before you go to bed at night.”
Laundry Storage Solutions Tailored to You
Melissa Gugni, Kenika Willians, and many other professional organisers and declutterers highlight the importance of finding a way to store clothes that suit your needs. The effectiveness of any organisational strategy lies in its alignment with your lifestyle.
For those who prefer the ease and accessibility of hooks, you can explore wall-mounted options, removable Command Hooks, or over-the-door hooks.
If you’d rather not see your garments, placing these hooks on the back of a closet door or inside a cupboard will keep your clothes out of sight while still being a practical solution.
Alternatively, clothes rails keep things looking tidy and aesthetically pleasing, but putting your garments on hangers requires more effort than dumping them into a basket.
On the other hand, baskets or furniture with storage make for more effortless organisation. They’re also more appealing if you’re concerned about décor, but it is easy for hidden clothes to be forgotten.
Long story short: Invest time in discovering the best storage equipment for you, ensuring that it enhances rather than complicates your daily routines. And if you’re still struggling to break your laundry habits, removing the chair from your bedroom is a fail-safe solution – just make sure you have an alternative in place so don’t accidentally resort to the “floordrobe.”
Hannah has a passion for cleaning. She worked her way around Australia by cleaning hostels in exchange for free accommodation and used her cleaning skills to bag a job as a chalet host for a luxury ski company in France.
