What Are the Best Rooms for Your Laundry?

Best Rooms for Your Laundry

Here is a list of some of the rooms you can use for your laundry and washing machine, along with benefits and limitations you may face. Keep reading!

Off the Kitchen

Since the kitchen is the hub of the whole house and located near your living space, you tend to spend a lot of time here. So isn’t it much better to have your laundry room close to the kitchen?

In this way, you can cook, wash the dishes, and keep an eye on your washer at the same time. Convenient, isn't it?

You will not even have to walk up and down the stairs, or back and forth from the laundry room to the kitchen, which can be very tiresome. Apart from this, there is always the chance that you might burn your food or neglect one chore over the other.

Your designated washing space could be an attached pantry, or it could just be a small room or gallery off the kitchen. In an older home, pantries were a common feature for storing food. However, you do not find such rooms in newer houses anymore.

If, by chance, you do end up having one, you can always organize a tiny washing machine and dryer side-by-side against a wall.

• Limitations

Coming to the drawbacks, they vary from house to house. If you live in a house with a couple of floors, your off-the-kitchen laundry room and your bedrooms could be far away. This means that you will have to walk a little extra to collect and deposit all the laundry.

Apart from this, your noisy machines could disturb your peaceful environment or a gathering with friends or family.

In the Kitchen

For small homes, it is not feasible to dedicate a whole room just for laundry. Simply put, there is just not enough space. In such cases, it is ideal to fit your laundry machines in the kitchen itself. Not only is it the center of all the activity, but you can also multitask easily. This includes keeping an eye on your dish and folding your washed clothes simultaneously.

Moreover, kitchens already have a well-functioning drainage system and water supply. This similarity in kitchens and laundry rooms makes installation much easier.

If this was not enough, you could always use cabinet space to install your washer and dryers behind closed cabinet doors. Such that you can keep them out of sight when they are not in use. Try looking for a stackable mini washing machine and dryer for vertical compartmentalization. Besides this, you can always try fitting laundry machines under the counter too.

• Limitations

Since we have mentioned the benefits of installing your machines in the kitchen, let’s take a look at the disadvantages too. First of all, laundry is noisy as well as a messy chore (unless you own a tiny washing machine). People do not like to display it out at a location where they de-stress, have their food, or even welcome their guests.

Secondly, you will either have to spend some money on renovation or you will have to purchase smaller, more manageable units. Along with this, you will also have to sacrifice cabinet storage space.

Mud Room

If you have a mudroom and kids, who like to get themselves dirty playing outside, you can always think about doing your laundry in the entryway. This little space is meant for storing your shoes and coats, and also to keep dirty or wet clothing out from your main living space. So why not chuck your laundry in the units as soon as you come home?

In this way, you can prevent your kids from bringing muddy and grass-stained shoes and jackets inside your home. Apart from this, most mudrooms already have a water supply. You can easily use them for your washers.

Since the mudroom is also close to your living space, you can always go back and forth for the laundry and keep an ear out for the buzzer. The best part? They aren’t that close to disturb you with their noisy operation.

• Limitations

Coming to the drawbacks, entryways could become an eyesore for you as well as any guests. It takes some time for the clothes to be collected, folded, and deposited in their respective places. This could lead to an unsightly laundry pile-up. Along with this, you have to be careful about mixing your dirty muddy clothes with your damp washed ones.

Off the Bedroom 

You could also try making a laundry room right next to your master bedroom. If you have space, this location can prove to be very beneficial.

To start with, it is right next to your bedroom, which means it’s much easier to collect dirty clothes and place clean ones in your wardrobe. This will reduce the number of trips you have to make between each load.

Apart from this, the laundry room will not be out in an open area, so you can keep washing clothes without making a mess. This is especially convenient for single people. Moreover, you can get a water supply or connect the drainage system with your en suite bathroom.

• Limitations

Although the location is quite useful, there are some cons to it too. In the case where your bedroom is far away from the hub, you will have to make multiple trips to the laundry room anyway. Along with this, you will not be able to multitask efficiently. Its noisy operation could prove to be another disadvantage.

Hallway Closet

Hallway closets can be another place for you to install your laundry machines. Not only are they behind closed doors, but they are also located close to your bedrooms. They are mostly used for storing extra blankets, coats, bedding, and sports equipment. If it is possible, you can store these at another place and renovate your closet for laundry instead.

With wider closets, you can fit your washing unit and drier side-by-side against the wall and re-purpose the upper area for storing laundry items or for hanging damp clothes. If the closet is very narrow, try investing in stackable or tiny washing machines.

Being close to the bedrooms, their location can serve another benefit. You will have to walk much less to collect dirty laundry and place clean ones back into the wardrobe. Moreover, you can always hide the small laundry room from view by closing the closet doors.

• Limitations

On the negative side, the hallways can become congested since laundry takes up a lot of room. Placing the hamper, sorting the clothes, and exchanging loads, all take up space. You will end up blocking the hallway, especially if it is narrow.

Furthermore, stacked up units can pose trouble in storing laundry equipment. Coming to the cost, you will have to pay quite a lot to get water connections, drainage, and electrical supply.

In the Bathroom

Where is a better place to do your laundry than the bathroom? If you have a slightly spacious bathroom, you can install tiny washing machines side-by-side or invest in stackable ones for vertical arrangement. This location will allow you to chuck your dirty clothes in the washer post-shower or even do your laundry while taking one.

Apart from this, bathrooms have hot and cold water connections along with a well-functioning drainage system and electricity. You can utilize all these for your machines without adding up to your final renovation costs.

Bathrooms tend to be either close to living space or near to washrooms. Overall, they can make your work much easier by being close to your hub and allowing you to multitask.

• Limitations

On a negative note, there might be a risk of getting your laundry wet in the bathroom. Also, in case you install it in a guest bathroom, it will not be easy to do your chores when you have people staying over. Along with this, it can be quite frustrating to change loads while someone else is using your bathroom.

Basement

Mostly, basements tend to be unfurnished, dark, and dingy. But they can be a great place to install your washer and dryer, and set-up the room to do your laundry. Simply, try to brighten up the basement by adding light fixtures, shelves, hanging curtains, painting it white, and throwing in a sofa. With a few alterations, you can make it a place where you can easily do your laundry.

On the other hand, if your basement is already well-furnished and bright, you will not even have to change anything around. This laundry location will not only keep the unsightly mess away from you and your guests, but it will also keep the noise to a minimum in your living space. In this way, you can have a whole place dedicated to washing your clothes without taking up space. 

• Limitations

On the downside, dingy basements put off people from doing their chores. And even if you renovate it to be welcoming, you will have to pay additional costs for it. Apart from this, basements tend to be far away from the bedrooms and the living space. This means that you will have to climb the stairs multiple times, and you cannot even multitask.

Garage

If you cannot find sufficient space inside your house or you are short on money for renovations, you can always look towards your garage. Although they are quite spacious, you might have to clean it thoroughly before installing the washer and dryer. In this way, you can keep your clothes clean during each load.

Just like basements, garages can also be renovated to be multifunctional. They are far away from the living space, keeping the noise to a minimum, and hiding all the mess from any guests. 

• Limitations

As with all rooms, you will find some drawbacks in a garage too. Firstly, they are normally quite dirty. You will have to clean them regularly to do your laundry efficiently. Along with this, the garage is quite far from the main house. This means that you have to make more trips back and forth, and you won’t have proper temperature regulation.

How to Decide the Best Place for Your Laundry?

There are many factors that you need to consider before setting up your washer and dryer for laundry. Read the following section to learn about some of these factors.

• Utilities

When it comes to setting up a laundry space, you need to make sure that all the important utilities are available in that area. If they are not accessible, you might have to pay a professional additionally to set up everything.

First, both washers and dryers require 120V grounded electrical supply with three-pronged outlets for safety. These plug-ins should not be more than six feet away from the appliances. Secondly, similar to bathrooms and kitchens, you need both hot and cold water supply for washing your clothes.

Moreover, you need an accessible floor drain, standpipe, or a tub for draining all the water from the appliances. To save up, you need to find a location close to a water connection, drainage, vents, and electricity. 

• Space

Your laundry space depends on both the dimensions of your machines and the probable location. If you do not have enough space, you will not be able to fit your washers and dryers. Besides this, you need space for folding clothes and storing your laundry chemicals.

In case you have to purchase a new appliance, it is better to invest in a mini washing machine. Compared to larger units, they take up less space and are not unsightly. Also, they are much better suited to small lofts and apartments. Do check out Sonic Soak, which provides the most portable and versatile cleaners in the market. 

• Convenient

If your laundry space is close to the hub of the house, you can easily multitask and complete multiple home chores simultaneously. Such that, you could cook, iron the clothes, or wash the dishes while keeping an ear out for the buzzer.

In the case where your laundry room is far away, like the basement or second story of your house, it gets quite frustrating to make multiple trips back and forth. This greatly affects your productivity as well.

Are Mini Washing Machines a Better Alternative?

	Sonic Soak (Mini Washing Machine)	Laundry Machine
Versatility	Cleans multiple objects	Restricted to laundry
Noise	None	High
Portability	High	Low
Eco-Friendly	Yes	No
Ease-of-Use	Very Easy	Less easy

Sonic Soak was found in 2016 in Los Angeles, United States, and offers the world's smallest and smartest cleaner. It uses ultrasonic technology to keep things healthy and hygienic. 

Compared to a laundry machine, Sonic Soak is extremely portable. Since they measure only a few inches in length, they can be taken on a trip to clean up your supplies. Moreover, this ultrasonic cleaner is not limited to just cleaning clothes. It can be utilized for cleaning fruits, vegetables, jewelry, toys, glass, baby products, and much more. Its multitasking feature is one of its strongest points.

Apart from this, Sonic Soak is extremely user-friendly, that is, it is easy to operate and use. Unlike laundry machines, it uses ultrasound to even remove germs from your clothes or food items. This feature is quite useful when it comes to cleaning baby products, like their feeders, utensils, and toys.

This tiny washing machine requires much 40 times less water and 15 times less energy than laundry machines. If this was not enough, it is completely noiseless too. This makes it a more eco-friendly option than laundry machines. Additionally, it removed stains from your delicate clothes gently without causing tears.

On the negative side, Sonic Soak is too small to deal with a large load of laundry. Big laundry machines can handle a lot of weight and wash a large number of clothes in one go. For a large family, sonic soak is not sufficient or time-efficient.

Overall, Sonic Soak is suitable for people going on a trip, for parents who want to keep their baby’s equipment hygienic, and for eco-friendly people. With its light-weight, small size, easy-to-use features, versatility, and energy-efficient operation, it triumphs big laundry machines on many factors.

Conclusion

People tend to run away from doing laundry, especially if the laundry room is located far away from the living space or far away from your bedrooms.

Before designating just any room for laundry, give our article a thorough read to find out the best places to install your machines. Keep in mind to dedicate your laundry space close to the hub to help you multitask efficiently too.