Should I put my washing machine and dryer in the cupboard under the stairs?

[WhereToPutTheLaundry]

I have a small kitchen, in a not tiny but not generously sized house. I want to redo the kitchen this year, and maximise storage. Currently the washing machine and dryer are in there, both under counter. I hate it because they take up valuable space, spills get on the front of them, and I just think it's a bit yuck moving clean and washing out of the machine in a kitchen.

Kitchen is 3.8m x 2.4m. I considered having them stacked one on top of another in the corner by the door, but I also have a tall fridge which I cannot do without, and a boiler on the wall in another corner. The room is north facing so I wouldn't want any of the tall stuff near the window at the other end as I want to maximise light. But having 2 tall things, one next to the other, will make the room feel smaller.

I have space to put them under the stairs in the entrance hallway and it's right next to the downstairs loo so plumbing would be fine.

They would fit next to one another, leaving space beside for coats to hang, and space on top for bags/shoe rack etc. I also have a coat rack on the wall in the hallway and in practice the shoes people wear daily are lined up under the radiator for ease of putting on and off, rather than put away in the cupboard.

The hallway is narrow - I think approx 1.1m wide along its whole length and the under stair cupboard opens onto it halfway along.

Would this be a mad idea? Should I suck it up and leave them in the kitchen?

Can post some pics later when I'm home.

The coats we wear sailing are hung on hooks in hallway opposite bottom of stairs and they can remain there so that's ok. ☺️☺️☺️

You said you have an integrated garage.
I'd put both the washing machine and tumble dryer in there if that was possible.

Do the European thing, and after having tried it, what is consider to be the far more sensible thing, of having both in the bathroom!

This means:

-No carrying clothes up/down stairs
-The room is already humid
-More space in kitchen
-These generally heat up the room
-No cooking smells in clothes
-No 'emissions' in cooking

do you have a gas pipe under the stairs cupboard? I wa s too worried so moved ours.

I had a dryer under the stairs in my old house and washing machine in the kitchen. When we renovated our new house, I insisted for both of them to go upstairs, in our walk-in-wardrobe-room. DH was against it, as 'nobody does that' , but I stood my ground and never looked back- now I don't have to navigate stairs with dirty and clean laundry anymore. I love it!

Posted too soon.
OP, put your dryer, washer or anything else wherever you wish. Your home is the only place on Earth where you can do whatever you like- within a reason and people living with you.
If you have the space and plumbing, go for it!

We have our washer/dryer under the stairs. It’s absolutely fine and better for us than having it in our tiny kitchen. The only downside is that the noise carries up the stairs so we can’t have a noisy spin cycle at nap/bedtime.

Love the laundry in bedroom!

If I could have them upstairs I would - I had them in a cupboard on top landing in last place and it was great, but sadly here I haven't the space for it.

Don't want to put them integrated garage as there's no door to it from inside, and making one would be unreasonably expensive and make other difficulties with furniture placement.

I'm looking at these noise dampening pads to go under washing machine for noise reduction. etm Anti-Vibration Washing Machine Mat - Soundproof Mat for Appliances | Thick Rubber | Sound and Impact Absorbing | Thickness: 5mm - 60 x 60 cm amzn.eu/d/1fqR9vs

I would absolutely love this! Next house goals.

Get the dryer properly plumbed in so the water drains away (not a condenser) - much less steamy. Still will get steamy though, so be prepared to leave the cupboard door open (maybe get it made as a bifolding door with piano hinge down the middle?) and/or have lots of holes in the door.

You could plug the machines into smart plugs and program a timer to switch off at the plug every night as an extra fire precaution.

Timer plug is an excellent idea!

I don't notice any steam while I'm using dryer in the kitchen. It isn't one that needs venting but I will def get it plumbed in because I hate doing the water drawer anyway, but if I had to take it to another room to empty it that would drive me mad

I have my washing machine and tumble dryer in my en suite/dressing room. My dryer is a condensing heat pump and it's brilliant. I have a thermometer and hydrometer in there and neither the heat nor the humidity is affected. My sister has a condensing dryer without the heat pump in a smallish room and it gets incredibly hot in there when it is on.
Mine is much cheaper to run too

Just checked / mine is a heat pump condenser so that's good!

I have my washing machine, tubledryer and dishwasher in the utility room outside the kitchen which reduces the noise when cooking/eating or hanging out ( teenagers ) as it's a kitchen come family room. I get annoyed with the noise the appliances make when in the same room so if I could banish them to somewhere I couldn't hear them it's a plus from me! As well as kitchen smells and messes not getting on your laundry it seems like a win to me! Make it a cosy laundry room with an ironing board space too.

Water from the condenser unit is perfect for the iron btw if you live in a hard water area. Stops the insides from going brown and murky and spewing mud all over your clothes.

That was my first thought. Dryers do catch fire and having them under the stairs? I wouldn’t do it.

(my best friend’s dryer caught fire and luckily they were out. Half the house burned and the rest was smoke stained and water damaged).

Fire risk assessor here! I think you could struggle to line a cupboard under the stairs (inc door) with fire retardant products sufficiently to prevent spread of fire / smoke upstairs. I would be inclined to get a smoke detector in the cupboard itself and also to remove fire load - coats etc - that would aid the spread of fire & reduce ventilation. Lint in dryers is the biggest risk so you need vigilant housekeeping, also RCDs.

I’ve just moved house and my new home had an empty space between the kitchen and bathroom that was big enough for me to stack the washer and dryer there and I love it I had to get a water and waste line plumbed from the bathroom but that was only through a little bit of wall.

@Terfarina thanks - I empty the lint tray every time I use it because if I don't it stops and tells me to do it (helpfully officious machine). What's an RCD? Is that a fuse dedicated to the dryer?

What do people have against condenser dryers. I have had one for years. There is hardly any steam. On the others hand the vented one I had before produced loads of steam.

Yes I have done this ever since I had a condenser dryer. I live in a very hard water area and never had any problems with limescale in my iron.