Utility Rooms

[MikeS]

When I was growing up in Southern California, our home had the washer in an alcove away from the kitchen and next to a bathroom. It also housed the water heater (tucked away in a closet), but made no provision or space for a dryer. My father eventually ran a gas line and vent from the garage to house a clothes dryer.
At one time, my sister and I shared a Las Vegas home built in the 1960's (made of cinder block, which was the style back then) that had the washer in the kitchen (the dryer was in a room next to the carport. Another home we shared had the washer/dryer hookup in a storage room next to the patio.
Now I live in a condo with an alcove that houses a full-sized washer & dryer; it's located in the kitchen but away from the cooking area. I suspect it was done because it was easier and cheaper to house all the plumbing (including the kitchen and the nearby bathroom) in one area than spreading the works out.
With that said, I'd rather have a washer/dryer in the kitchen than no laundry appliances at all.

 

[foraloysius]

What Theo is describing is the situation in the bigger cities in the Netherlands. I come from a small town where almost everybody had a utility room. Even a lot of social housing had small utility rooms behind the kitchen. When newer houses were being built without a utility room my mother said that she never would want to live in a house without a utility room. The idea of a washer in the kitchen or in the bathroom almost send shivers down her spine. Laundry is laundry and doesn't belong in a kitchen. And besides that, who wants to fall over a laundry basket while cooking. That was her opinion. My mother has a spacious utility room where she has drying racks. There are two doors leading outside that she opens when she wants the laundry to dry quickly. To me a utility room makes sense. Ofcourse I would like a very big one so I could fill it with lots of washers!

 

[mielabor]

Ok, it's clear that I seldom leave Amsterdam I remember my first geography lesson at school where the teacher said: "The Netherlands consist of Amsterdam and surroundings". Louis, I think that you are referring to the "bijkeuken"? How did your mother boil the laundry when she didn't want to use the kitchen?

 

[yogitunes]

different homes had different setups

many of the homes in our area never had accomodations for a washer, wash was usually done in a wringer in the kitchen with a rinse tub and the ironing board, BLUE MONDAY, as time went on automatics were installed wherever they had space mostly water from under the sink and drain into the kitchen sink, Mom always wanted the washer in the basement, which was a dungeon, so the mess was out of site, and all the supplies could stayout and not to be put away all the time, in the home I have for her now, their in the basement, which she loves, but I have a stacked unit in the pantry so she doesn't have to do the stairs now that she's up in years and slowing down, but I did like the washer/dryer in the kitchen only to show them off because I had the entire kenmore limited edition series of appliances....now in the last rancher I lived in we had the washer/dryer under the counter in the kitchen, and the fronts were covered with matching cabinet fronts that slid out of the way during use....

whenever we would go visit friends homes, I would always observe the different setups and placements of the machines, some odd, some interesting, and some rigged like I have never seen, many variations, just interesting....

 

[lavamat_jon]

When we renovated our house in 2005, the utility and shower room we had put in downstairs was perhaps the best thing we ever did. Before we just had the washer and dryer in the kitchen as normal, and got along just fine no real problems etc.

However, since we had a utility room we've often wondered how we did without before. Although ours is a very small and narrow room - it is such a useful space. First off, it's used as the dog's bedroom - handy to lock dogs away etc. Secondly, it means the noise of the washer and dryer (albeit very little having Mieles) can be shut off from the rest of the house. Thirdly, it means we can bulk buy detergents etc as the big boxes will fit in the utility room with no hassle and can be left out where it's convenient rather than away in a cupboard. Fourthly, it also means we can leave the ironing board and the clothes horse up all the time - convenient, but also out the way. Of course, also being next to the back door (the old kitchen didn't have a back door, so you had to go all across to the back door at the other side of the house to hang out washing), it means you can hang laundry on the line which starts baically right next to where the washer stands without having to use baskets.

Not just that - but laundry itself can be organised without having to use the landing as we did before. We can sort out and leave baskets of loads out in the utility room, rather than having them all along the landing as we used to before. It also means the ironing pile, and clean washing can be stored in there in people piles. Very useful when you have a family like ours, that benefit probably isn't there if it's the typical couple household.

They're probably not a necessity, no - but neither is it a luxury. In my opinion they're intelligent uses of space, and it also means the kitchen looks a lot nicer and sleeker. Now we have fully integrated appliances in the kitchen, it is so much easier to keep clean - without having to pull out the washer, dryer, dishwasher and fridge to clean behind.

The house I'm moving into for uni in September has the washer in the kitchen, but the dryer is in a cupboard under the stairs which potentially can be used as a utility room as it has a worktop. Great to be able to store piles of laundry and the ironing pile!

Jon

 

[foraloysius]

Theo,

I was indeed referring to the "bijkeuken".

When my parents married they bought a twintub, I think it was a DRU. The boiling was done in that machine. My mother used it for ten years and then got her first automatic, a Candy, in 1965.

 

[iheartmaytag]

Basement

My Washer & Dryer are in the basement bathroom of the house I have now. I like the room to have a folding table, ironing board, and staging area out of sight when people come. In my previous home (a moblie home) I had to stage in the bathtub, then take the piles through the kitchen to the hallway area to do laundry.

The basement keep the noise, heat, and moisture away from the living area, and I look at the steps as exercise. I do agree it is a pain to lug wet laundry to the line outside, but I will call that weight training. Now I am sure that as I age and am not able to do the staris as much I will be cursing this arrangement, but for now I love it. Besides, my current kitchen would never have the room for another appliance. They had to add on to a cabinet to install the dishwasher and trash compactor.

 

[chestermikeuk]

"I honestly don't know of anyone who soaks anything

Really, I could name quite a few who do, myself included, usually dogs stuff or a load of tea towels & dishclothes soaked overnight gives excellent results!!

Have grown up with washers in the kitchen I could do both, but heck, small as it is give me my utilty room everyday!!!keeps all the mess out of the kitchen and enables you to have a bigger sink to dump all the cooket parts, mop buckets, fridge & cooler boxes as well as dryer condensers - you know, all that stuff that you can never get under a normal tap!!!

Also with Uk building regs you cant have a downstairs loo opening into the kitchen, so the "In-between" utility usually takes care of that, unless its a total newbuild where they are usually nr the front door hallway!!

Rolls, you said you are going to Uni, as a school leaver, lecturer or mature student!! I cant work you out from your profile??

 

[toggleswitch2]

I also prefer not to have the W&D in the kitchen. That little concept called cross-contamination. Be personal preferences as they may be, my current W&D is in the kitchen out of necessity. Can't be cooking smelly stuff and drying at the smae time. The vented dryer will pull odors through it and the load being dried.

I have only rarely seen a W&D in the bathroom here; and it is not the first choice in locations. Interestingly I have seen a huge combined laundry room and gardner's bathroom in a snooty neighborhood/location. Have also seen W&D in a huge bathroom with tons of counter space. During parties food is stored in there. Not very appealing. I'd say.

More than anytihing else I don't understand why laundry areas don't have floor-drains in this coutnry. And I'd certianly move the air vent of a warm-air heating system up off the floor and onto the lower portion of the wall.

 

[aquacycle]

Toggleswitch2...

It's a very different situation over here. The kitchen is deffo the most popular place for the washer and dryer. Older houses with cellars/basements sometimes have them down there and I've seen a good few with them in the garage but the kitchen is usually where they can be found. Ours have always been in the kitchen, as have everyone's on my street (give or take a few that have the dryers in the coal shed or garage). It has a lot to do with the size difference of houses - American houses are a lot larger than UK homes and therefore, most have the space for a designated laundry area whereas ours don't. Oddly enough, my washing machine is neither in the kitchen or utility room, but it's in the airing cupboard.

 

[launderess]

There are more homes in the UK, Europe and most other parts of the world outside the United States, and not one has reported any abnormal rates of disease caused by close quarters to soiled laundry.

Persons break wind, sneeze, cough and god only knows what else in their kitchens, and don't see any moves other than perhaps Mrs. Richard Bouquet to ban such things.

Yes, soiled laundry has "germs", but most housewives aren't doing laundry whilst cooking, nor are thay waving their soiled linen about the kitchen. Furthermore of the likely bacteria living on laundry, the bulk would be E Coli and other sorts from the human waste and urinary tract. Such things aren't that much of a danger air borne.

Everything one uses to prepare, cook and store food is behind closed cupboards, so there is little worry there.

 

[mielabor]

Hmmm, do I detect a bit too strong fear for "germs" in Americans?

Most micro-organisms are not much to worry about. They are with us since the first humans walked on earth and we are adapted to live with them and we all have them in our bodies. Our immune system tends to go a bit mad if we try to be overly clean.

I have never heard of persons catching nasty diseases from handling dirty laundry in domestic situations and see no argument not have a washer in the kitchen for this reason. Improper food preparation is far more dangerous than doing laundry in the kitchen.

 

[iheartmaytag]

Hmmm, do I detect a bit too strong fear for "germs&quot

Why, YES--but not to worry. I bleach the hell out of everything.

 

[electron800]

if your laundry is so dirty you fear it would contaminate fo

I'm very worried about how often you change them...

Clothes go from the basket in the bathroom, downstairs into the machine, then out into the back garden or upstairs to dry.

It's not as if we smear our dirty underwear on the chopping board, lol!

Matt

 

[aquacycle]

Matt...

I'm waiting for the enevitable day someone designs an air tight, vacuumed sealed washing basket that can be transported and opened in an underground bunker with seperate ventilation to the rest of the house that requires a full on hygiene suit to enter, housing a washing machine and touble dryer that's drums are sprayed with bleach and washed in 98 degree water for 3 days after every wash. I am a very clean individual. I shower daily, vacuum 3 times a week, dust twice a week and make sure all my food preparation areas are clean before use but it is possible to completely over do it on the hygiene front.

 

[toggleswitch2]

Listen I take my coffee into the bathroom with me during my morning constitional, and think nothing of it. After all if a *art is airborne sh** particles and they are landing on my toothbrush one yard/meter away from the throne, all else is commentary.

As I said, I don't think laundry in the kithchen is either dangerous or unhealthy, just a bit unappetizing, if one overly processes the concept.

Also when (indoor) bathrooms were fist added to railroa- style aparmtments in my city and there was no sink in the bathroom, (which was within the kitchen) one was forced to use the kitchen sink. No one will die, but EWWWW already. Then again I have a friend who doesn't even HAVE soap anywhere near the bathroom sink, and probably can't understand where there is a need to at least have one there "for show". (And you want to COOK for me? HA!)

 

[paulinroyton]

Washers In Bathroom

My relations in Hungary have their washing machine in the bathroom.

Paul

 

[andrewinorlando]

I certainly don't want my washer and dryer in the kitchen. Having dirty clothes in the kitchen or on the counters is unsanitary, and the lint dust that the dryer creates, even from just cleaning the lint filter, does not belong in the kitchen at all, especially with dishes or food out on the counter for it to fall on! It's just much easier to have it all contained in the laundry room where one can simply close the door to keep it inside and not have to look at it. I couldn't imagine having to sort dirty clothes on the kitchen floor. The separate laundry room makes that job so much easier!!

 

[electron1100]

Having a Coffee and a Dump

TOGGLESWITCH

Hi your last comments made me laugh, because I too take my tea aswell as my fags into the bathroom, and I also have a stack of books/magazines that i read whilst i am having a download.........arghhh peace

UTILITY ROOMS

If I had the choice i would have a utility room, preferably the size of an aircraft hanger so i could fill it up with every machine i like.

 

[mistereric]

My Utility Room...

is nearly as large as my kitchen, which is saying a lot in a sub-1000-square-foot home. Even if I reclaimed half of it and added it to the kitchen, it would only serve to move the washer/dryer into a finished space and not really give me more useful kitchen. The Maytags are lovely, but I can't quite see going to such lengths.

To loose the room completely, I would have to move my HVAC and water heater into my attic; while its a wonderful ~idea~, the implementation of such would be breathtakingly complex.