Why is an upstairs washing machine not a thing?!

[Mehfruittea]

Folllowing on from the 2 dishwashers/washing machines thread..

Just the title really. I've always wanted my washing machine upstairs. An old style airing cupboard, with no need for water tanks these days, makes the perfect space for a separate washer and dryer.

Think about...where does all the dirty washing come from?! I don't mind taking the odd tea towel and dish cloth upstairs. You could train the children to put clothes straight in! It could replace the laundry basket!!! OMG the possibilities are endless.

Rich people could of course have an entire laundry room upstairs with ironing board and hanging rails...

Because you'd have to bring it downstairs to hang in the garden? Whilst you could have drying rails in a laundry room upstairs washing that has been dried outside is so much fresher!

And because just about everyone I know has had a big washing machine leak at some point. When the machine's on the ground floor that is generally less of a problem than when water is cascading through the ceiling...

most washing machines are downstairs, in or near the kitchen, because that's where the water supply and drainage is. Unless you have a room next to a bathroom you are going to have to run water and drains to the upstairs location, possibly drilling holes through the external wall etc. Finally, every tried carrying a washing machine upstairs?

Noise? Juddering floorboards for the entire spin cycle? Leak potential more disastrous? Having to haul baskets of wet laundry downstairs if you hang washing out on a line?

It is a thing in the US. Many laundry rooms are upstairs. I don't think hanging washing out is really the done thing in the US though.

I agree, it would be much better. But I think the vibrations might be a bit much in some houses

Ok some really good points that might stop this from catching on.

I don't hang washing out and have never had a leak. I've got the airing cupboard with water pipes in.

Totally get the noise issue though. Maybe put it in the south wing?!

I lived in an American-built house in the Middle East which had an upstairs laundry room. It was genius. Saved so much hassle. We dried the washing either in the spare room or our on the balcony.

Because they weigh a tonne.

There's anti vibration mats that you can place in a water proof try to stand your washing machine on do that takes care of the vibration and leaks.

I do have an ironing board and iron upstairs in my dressing room. That is easier (but only because I only iron as I need things rather than all at once)

We used to have our washing machine and tumble dryer one on top of the other in a massive cupboard in the upstairs bathroom. It worked perfectly because the washing basket could be right next to them. Sadly no room in our new house!

hauling upstairs doesn't apply and if noise is a factor I feel sorry for my neighbours in the flat below me because essentially my kitchen is above their bedroom. I live in a 2 floor maisonette and all my appliances had to be hauled up two flights of stairs so to take up one more would be no issue, then I would want a tumble dryer as well :).. actually if you remove my washing maching and tumble dryer I would have room in my kitchen to swing a cat (something I have always fancied doing(

I'm have a laundry room upstairs as well as another out in the back garden next to our store rooms. It's the way I had the house built. There are no creaking floors because the house is solid and I don't worry about leaks. I can go in there and wash, dry, and iron clothes. It's just one of those things that are done different country to country. In the UK the pantry in my kitchen has a washing machine with the dryer stacked on top but regardless of where I am I always try and line dry the laundry

We have a townhouse and our washing machine is on the middle floor (utility room) but weirdly enough so is our kitchen so guess it evens out a bit there.
I'd quite like having the utility room up on the top floor and out of the way tbh. I like how they have some stacking machines in the US for more space saving too, don't know how that would be for overheating etc though.

Generally I think due to space, it pretty much takes up an extra room and people use those rooms as bedrooms or offices,

I use the spare room as a laundry room, ironing board, airing horses etc, and tidy it away when folks staying in there,

However if you have the cupboard space available, then can't see why uou wouldn't you would not put the machine in there. It would be a bigger to get up and down the stairs, but not like you need to do it often.

Pregnant, that's why I mentioned noise. When we lived in London in a middle flat, our upstairs neighbours' washing machine was directly above our living room, and ours was above our downstairs neighbour's bedroom. Noisy, juddery on three sets of a Victorian floorboards, even with the vibration mat. The upshot was that we all had to wash during the daytime rather than during the cheaper night rates.

I agree it's a great idea if you don't hang washing outside, I just don't think in most houses it would work though unfortunately. Don't forget you need the water waste pipe as well as the clean water pipes going in.

So I'm really really thinking about doing this. I'm disabled and don't line dry because my arms would dislocate with the angle and repetitive movements. My hips can't take the distance either and any pain saving opportunities I can take, I will. So not hauling washing down stairs to make it clean, dry and crinkle free then haul it back up on finger ripping hangers is something I feel I should explore.

I suppose I could set the machine off on a wash in the morning as I'm getting DS out of bed. No noise issue at that time. Or I could put the timer setting on, and use the spin cycle as an alarm clock...

The noise from a vibrating washing machine in an old airing cupboard can be horrible. A lot of new builds and older terrace/semis wont allow it either so best check before you do it.

Where is the nearest waste pipe to your airing cupboard? You'll need to be able to let the water out as well as in.

My parents used to have one upstairs in the bathroom for 30 years. Last time they needed a new one they plumber or electrician or someone said it wasn't "allowed" and they had to move it into the garage.

I have a rich friend who had an upstairs laundry room and they didn't care that the washing had to be taken down to the garden to hang up because they didn't have to do it.
I wouldn't want my machine upstairs. Firstly if it leaked it could cause problems and secondly because we now have a laundry room that opens straight into the garden and life has never been easier.

I'd be annoyed by the noise of it, which would be worse if above your head than it is when stood down on the ground floor. Potentially even creaking the floor, depending on the house!

I couldn't fit mine in the kitchen without sacrificing the dishwasher so mine is upstairs. I have a weird little room that's not big enough for anything other than storage so it's in there. It's brilliant, not that noisy either. The John Lewis delivery guys were fab about carrying it up there too.