This Perfect Clothes Drying Rack Takes Up Zero Floor Space (It’s a Must-Have!)

After the heartbreak of accidentally shrinking one too many favorite sweaters or dresses, I now air dry the majority of my laundry, just to err on the side of clothing caution. And that means that hanging space on my current accordion-style drying rack is … competitive, to say the least, since there’s always so much to hang in the first place. Basically, on a typical laundry day, it looks like my closet exploded into my room, with my borderline-overflowing clothing rack in one corner and leftover wet pieces scattered all over every available door knob and door.

You may be thinking, “this sounds like a personal problem — why not just buy another drying rack?” Well, reader, I sadly don’t have the space to store, let alone unfold, a second full-sized rack, hence why I outsource to my bedroom and closet (and sometimes bathroom) doors. But, turns out, that’s actually the perfect spot for a drying rack in and of itself, thanks to a genius, ultra-compact design that I just recently discovered from editor-favorite brand Brabantia.

During a media event a few weeks ago, I got a demo of Brabantia’s over-the-door-drying rack — which, yes, nestles against the top of your door frame, effectively creating extra (and organized!) hanging opportunities from scratch. Perfect for super small rooms or apartments, since no floor space is needed whatsoever, the rack features two extendable arms, which fold flat when not in use, and six built-in rungs for draping or hanging wet clothes to dry.

Since seeing this clothes rack in action, I immediately had to get my hands on one. And I’ve only gotten a chance to use it once so far, but it’s already been a laundry day game-changer. For starters, it’s a way more organized approach to air-drying the remainder of my many, many wet clothes, and I love that I can put laundry on hangers and thread them through the rungs simultaneously. I also worried that it would be too wide to fit over my bedroom door, which measures just 25.5 inches across, but luckily it worked, even though the rack itself is wider at 26.8 inches.

What’s cool, too, is that the arms — which are coated in a soft, damage-free covering — move up and down along the sides, so you can adjust them to best align with your own door(s). Even better, each one comes with a built-in locking mechanism, meaning they’ll stay firmly in place when fully unfolded, use after use. The only drawback is that I’m 5’2″ and this setup can be a little hard to reach, but I was able to position mine so that it angles slightly downward from the top of the door, rather than at 90 degrees, for more convenient access. Otherwise, this is the perfect laundry companion, especially since it’s slim enough (1.4 inches!) to fit in my closet stacked against my original drying rack — but can also store just about anywhere, from under your bed to behind a dresser.

You’ll find Brabantia’s over-the-door drying rack from a handful of retailers — including West Elm, Home Depot, and Williams Sonoma — but it’s currently on sale through Wayfair. Comparatively, I know that may still sound steep for a clothing rack, but you’re getting Brabantia’s signature built-to-last quality here, with a smart, keep-for-years construction that you probably won’t find from cheaper, less durable alternatives elsewhere.

All in all, this design has been a super helpful addition to my laundry routine, but it’s honestly perfect as a primary clothes drying rack, especially if your space is too small to assemble a traditional accordion or gullwing version. In fact, if you have multiple available doors (or any tall fixture, really), you can buy one for each and still take up less room, drying and storing and all. Even on its own, this creates a whopping 14.7 feet of space for delicates. Not bad for such a narrow laundry accessory!

Buy: Brabantia Over The Door Hanging Clothes Drying Rack, $41.67 (normally $46.95)

This post originally appeared on Apartment Therapy. See it there: This Ingenious $46 Clothes Drying Rack Takes Up Zero Floor Space in My Bedroom