For some the laundry room and half bath of a home, may not be cause for much excitement, but for me, this room in our home is one of my favorites.  It's so functional!

Welcome back to A Minimalist Montessori Home Tour where you're able to see how we combine the principles of Minimalism and Montessori in our home of 1300 square feet to meet the needs of our family of six!

It's always a fun adventure to meet the needs of everyone, living in an old farm house with no storage, especially when promoting independence for those who are neurodiverse.

Just like our dining room (adjacent to the laundry room/half bath), this area of the house used to be a porch. It was turned into living space by previous owners.  I can't imagine this home without this space and am so thankful it's here.

So let's take a closer look!

A Minimalist Montessori Home Tour: Laundry Room and Half Bath

Location

When we first looked at this home, the location of this laundry room and half bath was something that I didn't want to pass up!

It's right by the back entrance to the house, super close to the dining room table, and right around the corner from the art supplies.  

Any time the kids need to go to the bathroom while outside, the bathroom is right there.  

If we're enjoying water or snow play the kids can head directly to the bathroom to dry off, change and/or put laundry in the wash.

When there's a spill during mealtime, it's easy for the kiddos to grab what they need to clean it up right away.

Any time the kids use art supplies, especially paint, they're able to transfer supplies to the sink and clean up by themselves.

The other thing I love about this laundry room/half bath is the antique sink and cupboard.  The sink is lower than the one in the kitchen and so deep.  All of kiddos can reach it without issue, with the small stool provided. 

I love the side counter that's easy to clean and not easy to damage.  If water spills or goes everywhere, it's okay, because it can easily be cleaned up.

The kids know this is their sink.

To accommodate their need for a mirror, we ordered a shatter proof mirror, attached magnetic strips to it and placed it on the side of the clothes dryer.  All of the kids can easily adjust it when necessary to meet their needs.

Next to the mirror we keep visual prompts for our neurodiverse kiddos and any others who need it.  Right now the focus is on hand washing.  

You can access your own free handwashing printable and others by clicking HERE.

Countertop and Cupboard Storage

The sink countertop is home to a bar of soap and the kiddos' mouthwashes.  Everyone has their own mouthwash to help with germ spread and because they each prefer different flavors. 

Sensory sensitivies make it incredibly difficult for some of them to enjoy mouthwash.  We're all about supporting what works for each of them to promote good hygiene.

Next to the counter, on the wall, are all of the kids' hand held cleaning tools, which include a hand duster, delicate duster, and window squeegee and scrubber.  These tools are perfect for small hands and easy to wash after every use.

The large drawer under the sink is home to our kid friendly cleaning supplies.  We use Better Life products.  I can't say enough great things about them.  They are so kind to my allergies and to the environment.  My kiddos love mild smells of each and every one!  

Best of all my kids can be completely independent with their cleaning and I don't have to worry about chemicals and toxins.

The main bathroom in our previous home was so spacioius and allowed for beautiful shelves to house all of the kiddos' personal hygiene items.  It took a while to get used to drawers again, but we figured out how to make them work.

The top left hand photo shows my husband's and my drawer.  Dinomite and Bulldozer share the drawer to the right of it.  Princess and Sunshine share the bottom drawer on the left side.  (Sunshine's toothpaste is missing in this photo.)  The right bottom drawer is used to store hand towels and other hygiene items.

Kid Friendly Laundry Station

Across from the clothes washer and dryer is our laundry station (and kid friendly, adjustable mop).  All four kiddos are responsible for doing their own laundry.  Sunshine is the only one left that needs supervision and assistance.

After learning about pollution last year the kids were very adamant about switching to an environmentally friendly laundry detergent and eliminating fabric softener all together.  

We tested several different laundry detergent options, including homemade, and ultimately fell in love with Tide Purclean.  The kids love the smell and it cleans clothes just as well as ALL laundry detergent.  You need very little of it compared to your regular laundry detergent, which helps balance out the cost.

There have been hiccups when using Tide Purclean while washing bedding and certain fabrics like fleece and plush.  You end up with a washer filled with suds that you can not get rid of.  We keep our regular laundry detergent and fabric softener around for these occasions.

Instead of fabric softener the kids decided to use wool balls.  At first I was a little nervous about the switch but was pleasantly surprised. Other than the balls getting lost in the dried laundry, they're wonderful.  

So long as we have extras on hand for the next load, until we get to sorting and folding the load we just removed from the dryer, we're good to go.

In order to accomodate the kids, I purchase the smallest sized container of laundry detergents and fabric softener that I can.  This makes pouring liquids into little cups much more doable with less spills.  A towel covers the counter top for quick and easy clean up if necessary.

The kids do a great job with remembering which buttons to push on the washer and dryer.  Bulldozer and Dinomite were quite clever to take a picture on their cell phones of the settings for a normal cycle to refer back to until they had them memorized. From there they developed a combination of sorts.  For a normal cycle of clothes the settings combination is 1-1-4-4.

Next to the laundry station, behind the door is the toilet for anyone who needs it.  The washcloths stored on top of the tank are for the kids to use when cleaning the toilet and the bathroom sink each day.  (It's one of the rotating chores we have.)

The back of the bathroom door is home to the kids' beach towels.  These are there to grab when necessary, before we go outside for water play, or to help when the kids come in from playing in the snow.

And there you have it!  I just love everything about this room as it screams independence for my kiddos in all of the best ways.  At the same time, there isn't anything in this room that's not necessary.  

We love providing a Montessori home for our kids while still embracing minimalism!

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