Short On Laundry Room Space? DIY This PVC Pipe Drying Rack That Folds Into The Wall

Most laundry rooms could benefit from a drying rack on which to hang clothes and towels, but space is often a concern. If you build a permanent rack, it might be handy when you're using it but just get in the way when you're not. A rack that folds into the wall could be just the ticket for a crowded laundry space, though, and YouTube user Thaitrick has a recipe for a simple, lightweight one made from PVC pipe.  

This project is the essence of simplicity. You cut several lengths of pipe and join them with fittings to make the rack. You then secure the rack to the wall with pipe clamps so that it can swivel. Finally, you add a clamp to hold the rack in the up position and hooks and twine to support it in the down position.

PVC pipe is as useful for building things as it is for carrying water, which is why you can buy furniture-grade pipe. It's almost the same as plumbing-grade pipe, with the same rigidity and fire resistance, but it comes in different colors and has a glossy finish, which make it a more aesthetically appealing option. Aesthetics don't matter much in a laundry room, however, so you can mix and match pipe, even using old plumbing pipes you already have lying around. You can use standard PVC fittings, which you can buy at any hardware store, with both types of pipe. 

To make the rack displayed in the video, Thaitrick used ½-inch pipe, cutting six lengths 70 cm (about 27 inches) long, 10 nipples for joining fittings about 2-inches long, eight ½-inch tees and four ½-inch elbows. The procedure doesn't change if you use more pipes — or longer ones — to make a bigger rack, but you'll need more fittings if you use more pipes. 

Thaitrick used a ratcheted PVC pipe cutter to cut the pipe, and that's the best way to do it, because it gives a clean, burr-free edge that slips easily into a fitting. The fittings hold the pipe tightly, so the rack can stay together without glue, but if you want to glue the pipes, you can. Any solvent-weld PVC cement will work, but unless you want the rack to look like a botched plumbing project, choose a clear one over blue or black.

Thaitrick used plastic pipe clamps to hold the rack to the wall, preinstalling drywall anchors to hold the screws. Plastic conical anchors are strong enough, but threaded drywall anchors are even stronger, and they are easier to install. The project also calls for four metal hooks and twine to support the rack when it's down. Secure the hooks to the wall with anchors and to the rack by pre-drilling holes. Tie the twine to the hooks, then finish up by screwing a plastic clamp to the wall to hold the rack when it's up.