To think husband is wrong about extension? Combined utility and downstairs toilet?

[chihsro]

So we are finally having our plans drawn up to extend downstairs (it’s taken years). We are extending the kitchen to have a seating area too that overlooks the garden and we also wanted a separate utility and pantry.

Now DH thinks we should sack off the pantry and have a bigger combined utility room with a toilet.

(We currently have a very small downstairs toilet but he wants to turn this into a storage cupboard)

I don’t like the idea of washing my clothes next to poo particles (even if I cleaned it twice a day!)

Oh this is wonderful news, another thing on mumsnet that literally bothers no one in the real world. Il add ‘poo-tility rooms’ to the list of people who freak out over toilet brushes, en-suites and answering the front door. When I was a youngster 80s/90s we had carpet in our toilets and bathrooms and fluffy toilet lid covers, it was soooo warm and luxurious, some of you would have passed out.

The combined toilet and utilities will be fine,
my aunts downstairs toilet used to have carpets and doubled as the coat cupboard, men of the family would smoke their roll ups in them as well while taking a dump! (Mumsnetters run screaming out the door wearing marigolds) 😂

I remember a fluffy loo seat. It was lovely!!

Ah ignorance truly is bliss

Yes! Always!

Just tell people to use the upstairs loo if they want to poop. That's what we do.

Also used to live in a country where it was totally normally to have washing machine in bathroom so that aspect wouldn't bother me. Currently considering if our extension will be similar and it might well be though I think I will still partition the areas somewhat

Surely most of this stuff lives in cupboards if you don’t have a pantry? I’ve never stored cake or tins in the fridge.

doing laundry in a bathroom is a completely normal thing in many many countries around the world. It’s efficient in terms of plumbing, sinks etc.

if it bothers you then do floor to ceiling cupboards along one wall and put all the laundry things (stacked washer drier / shelves for laundry baskets / hanging for dry laundry etc etc) in them so you can shut the doors.

but really…i don’t think it’s an issue 🤷‍♀️

Never give up the option of a pantry. Right now you have the option of a toilet, utility and a pantry versus toilet, utility and a junk cupboard??

What exactly would DH put in his junk cupboard that houses the downstairs toilet right now? He needs to be very clear on it's usage before you commit to losing a pantry 😱

We have a ground floor loo & laundry. There's an internal partition door so you can shut the laundry mess off from the loo. It works very well

We extended and made what was the garage into a utility with cupboards, the washer and separate drier in one section, a wall, door into the downstairs shower and toilet.

there’s a door on the side of the house into the utility. The dogs go in that door and straight into the wet room shower. They can stay in the utility to dry. Perfect

I don’t believe in poo particles BUT my utility / laundry would not be somewhere I’d want guests. I’d be drying underwear and it would be messy. Guests will use the downstairs loo. So… it’s a nope to combining them from me.

Keep the tiny toilet and put DH's cupboard in the utility room instead.

If you had no toilet downstairs then sure, it would be better than none but when there's another option keep them separate.

I've got my washer and dryer in my (largeish) ensuite. It's a combined ensuite, dressing room and laundry room. I love it. It make perfect sense to me to have the washer and dryer close to where you keep your clothes.

I undress at night and everything (that needs it) goes straigt in the wash basket. It's washed, dried, and, straight out of the dryer, rehung in my wardrobe. Saves so much time and means no washing hanging around downstairs (clean or dirty).
I live alone, and though there is a bathroom for comunal use, my own bathroom is the largest

As you've already got a loo I really don't see the point in this. Just have your pantry and utility. I love my pantry, it's a beautiful thing of joy!

My sister has a loo just off the utility. To me the only thing wrong with it is that when doing the renovations they forgot to put a heater in! 🥶

This makes sense to me. If I had room, I'd have the washing machine in the bathroom.

Why take laundry downstairs to wash, to bring back upstairs to put away. Get changed in the bathroom, bung straight in the machine.

In terms of the loo-tility, can you make a no poo in the downstairs toilet rule? Pretty sure the toad guy in league of gentleman had a no solids in the downstairs lavatory rule! 😄

But if the poo particles are being aerosoled into the air when you flush, unless you have a remote control flush, you're already at ground zero getting drenched in them - breathing them in, swallowing them, getting them in your eyes, ears, nose, hair etc. So why is there this huge drama?

Thank you, that's really helpful.

Please tell me that's not got a sensitive content on it because it's a picture of a loo. Literally everyone who lives in a house has got one.
Anyway Op go for the pantry, you've already got a downstairs loo.

Well yes, that was kind of my point. I’ve never moved my toothbrush away from the sink that’s right next to my toilet, and I’ve not keeled over yet.

In many countries it is normal to have the washing machine in the bathroom and they think it’s grim having washing machine in the kitchen (dirty clothes in food prep area). Wouldn’t bother me having toilet in the utility room, but would probably have them separate if I had the space to do so.

I have a shower/toilet off the utility room - separated by a pocket door - works great

I’m imagining a loo in my utility room, but I don’t think it would quite work as I don’t have a door on my utility, there’s just an entrance way straight from the kitchen. So I could be sitting having my Weetabix in the morning and have a clear view of DP taking a dump.

So you don’t want to wash your clothes near poo particles but you’re happy with a pantry near poo particles. Mmmmm nice.

Do the poo particles panickers not have bars of soaps, toothbrushes, shower puffs, razors, face clothes and towels in their bathrooms?

We have the seat down for any flushes and number twos need doing upstairs as the downstairs loo has a stupid tank that won’t flush them away easily.