New utility - tell me your hacks?

[autumnnightsahoy]

So we’re moving to a new house with a slightly larger than small utility room. It has a big walk in cupboard for Hoover / ironing board etc, sink, washing machine and tumble dryer and about 4-5 cupboards for ‘utility stuff’ and some work surface space.

After having minimal housekeeping items in 1 cupboard of a poky kitchen - the world is now my oyster!

What would you fill your utility with? Products, contraptions - anything!

[Zoll]

If you've got the money then a drying cabinet instead of a tumble dryer. __

And a garment steamer - a proper one with a garment frame.

I have neither of these ridiculous contraptions but I have considered them both with avarice. I DO have a ridiculous Vienna broom. I think it will last for approx nine million years, and it is brilliant for skirting boards.

[chloechloe]

Exciting! Possibly the best bit about our current house is that I have a utility room for the first time!

I now have a steam generator iron on a big ironing board that I can leave out all the time. It's great as it wizzes through the ironing in no time.

I also use the space to stock up on boring stuff like loo and kitchen roll, washing powder, cleaning products etc so we never run out.

[loobylou10]

Ours is lovely and big and I wouldn’t be without it. We have washer, dryer, large freezer, extra fridge. I have shelves in there for Stocks of tinned food, big bags of pasta/rice etc, BOGOF cleaning products and laundry tabs. Shelving for shoes, boys sports bags and trainers, winter coats - it’s wonderful!

[user1497787065]

Definitely a 'fast press' in place of an iron.

[Frouby]

I don't have a utility room but am lurking because I would really really love one.

I do have a large cupboard under to stairs where the tumble dryer, hoover and various brushes and fluffers live so I sometimes call it the utility cupboard

I also call it the pantry, tumble dryer room or big cupboard which confuses the fuck out of everyone else.

[Rainatnight]

I have no advice, only came on to say I'm extremely jealous and will live vicariously through this thread.

[Rainatnight]

Oh my God, a drying cabinet. faints

[kesstrel]

Large rubbish bin, recycling container[s], containers for things destined for charity shop and school appeals, packaging materials [e.g. parcel tape, mailing bags etc so you can open parcels and wrap them there], space for items like batteries, space for winter gloves mittens etc, space for recharging larger items, bag for library books to return, shelf space for anything that needs to be mended or taken to be mended, for things that need to be returned to friends or returned to the shop, plus household tool box for inserting batteries or mending things, eg mini screwdrivers, shoe cleaning materials, old newspapers for putting under messy jobs.

Basically, use it as a space for sorting things, and for things going in and out of the house, as well as for doing small jobs. I also keep mine and the children's shoes and socks there, and we always did hair brushing and morning tooth brushing there as well. I love mine, but it took a lot of fiddling to make the space for [some of] these things. I just wish it was bigger! You can use bags hanging up for some of the things, to save space, though. I also like clear plastic bags so I can see what's in them, otherwise things can fester for months. Have fun!

[JohnLapsleyParlabane]

A pulley airer and a dehumidifier. No need for a tumbler.

[just5morepeas]

I'd have a chest freezer and stock up on tinned and dry foods as well as loo roll cleaning things etc.

I'd have a clothes airer - possibly one hung from ceiling - to save money on tumble dryer. Also maybe a dehumidifier if you do this.

I'd also use it for storing shoes and coats - assuming you don't also have a mud room.

[sharemyname]

I read on mn about getting a heated towel rail in place of a radiatior and I can’t wait to do this when I get my utility redone. No more airers in the spare room!

[autumnnightsahoy]

These are amazing - thank you!

Off to write a shopping list....am more excited about this utility than any other new room!

[Fresh01]

Shiela Maid or Lakeland do one - ceiling pulley clothes airer. You just need to work out where a ceiling joist is to fix into. I can fit a whole load of washing on mine.

I have 4 kids so lots of kit bags for activities. I got wide shelf fitted above the door as you walk in as it was in a blank wall. Need a small step stool to get up but keeps all bags out of the way.
At the nappy stage I had a change mat on the worktop to save always going upstairs.
We have 3 smaller plastic ironing baskets now on the bench top where the change mat was - one for adult, one for kids, one for uniforms and kit. Saves tipping everything out for one pair of school trousers.
We have two of those round things with 20 or so pegs on them. You get them in Bargain stores. They hand on the upper cupboard door handles for pants and socks.
Happy planning.

[bluebells1]

Dog food, dog things, a large shelving unit from costco to hold all the tins, cans and bulk buys of detergents, tabs, rice, pasta etc, a large cupboard for the mops, hoovers and other cleaning things, washer, tumble drier, loads of storage, and storage for coats and wellies as well. Fuck, I have a ton of things in my utility. It needs sorting.

[NeverSurrender]

I have a pole hung over the washer and dryer to hang up stuff that can’t go in the dryer, v useful!

[SlightlyTired]

If you are stacking dryer on washer, you can get a great pull out shelf to go between them. Makes it easier to fold the dry washing straight from the machine.