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Original poster

pros and cons of a sink in the utility room

33 replies

Jinsky · 05/04/2017 12:21

Never had a utility room so not sure about the pros and cons of having a sink in there.
Kitchen is next to the utility room (in house we are in the process of buying), as is the downstairs loo so two sinks very nearby.
We will be pretty much gutting the house and there is a sink in the utility room at the moment.
Any thoughts?

OP posts:
BadToTheBone · 05/04/2017 12:23

I have a utility and they asked if we wanted a dink, we said no. Really wish we'd gone for one now. There's loads of things we'd have used it for, things I wouldn't want in the kitchen sink. Buckets, football boys, even washing clothes. I'd advise sink every time.

Gaaaah · 05/04/2017 12:23

Sinks in the utility are great for the dirty jobs imo. Like when they kids have accidents or are sick and you need to rinse things before sticking in the washer, scrubbing muddy shoes and washing mucky animals.

BadToTheBone · 05/04/2017 12:24

sink
boots

Sewingbeatshousework · 05/04/2017 12:24

We have a big sink in ours and gets used for for dirty jobs like cleaning trainers, rinsing paint trays etc.

Porpoiselife · 05/04/2017 12:25

Extra sink definately good. I can't see any reason not to have one if there's an option of it.

wowfudge · 05/04/2017 12:25

Oh god yes - makes a utility room so much more useful. Plus, you have another sink if the kitchen is ever out of use for whatever reason. We use ours for cleaning up after decorating, filling mop buckets, hand washing anything which won't go in the machine, etc.

Itmustbemyage · 05/04/2017 12:28

I have a sink in mine, very useful for things you wouldn't want to use your kitchen sink for. Esp good if it is a large sink.

Washing small pets. Emptying fish tanks
Cleaning muddy boots/ shoes
Cleaning mops / brushes. Filling buckets
Pre- Soaking and hand washing large items that won't go in the washing machine.
Washing paint brushes / rollers
Dyeing fabrics

Basically I use it for all my mucky jobs.

Many other uses

ExplodedCloud · 05/04/2017 12:28

As above we use the utility room sink for anything messy. It's great for soaking things overnight, rinsing things that go straight in the washer etc. When we redid the kitchen I had one big sink put in there rather than a one and a half sink too.

Deux · 05/04/2017 12:31

Yes, yes. Do get a sink. Ours has a stainless steel draining board too.

We're in a similar situation and have 3 sinks in relatively close proximity.

We use the utility sink for everything PPs have said. It's also a good sort of holding area for all sorts - soaking paint brushes, gym kit, hand washing woollens.

It also means the kitchen sink is only used for food prep and dishes. Any mucky hand washing can be done in the utility.

Afishcalledchips · 05/04/2017 12:38

We're putting a sink in our utility too, for all the above listed reasons, and washing garden equipment.

Plunkette · 05/04/2017 12:43

We have a sink in our utility room at home and it's incredibly useful.

The house we're currently renting in the USA doesn't and I really miss it.

SnowGlobes · 05/04/2017 12:45

Definitely a sink. There is no downside.

Original poster
Jinsky · 05/04/2017 12:48

Thanks for the replies - you have convinced me that there are no disadvantages and the sink stays.
Now onto the million other decisions to make when taking on a major doer-upper

OP posts:
RatOnnaStick · 05/04/2017 12:49

Definitely do put one in. I've always seen a utility room as the place to do all the mucky stuff you wouldn't want in the rest of the house. Plus, since you're plumbing in a washing machine you have the services there anyway.

flownthecoopkiwi · 05/04/2017 13:10

DO IT, we have a huge butlers sink in ours and its great

Kiroro · 05/04/2017 13:13

+1 for sink and draining board in the utility, so good for doing all the messy washing (like after decorating, dirty shoes, soaking stained clothes etc)

dotdotdotmustdash · 05/04/2017 14:11

We just chopped our L-shaped kitchen into a kitchen an a utility room and now we have a large sink in the utility and a small round sink in the kitchen for food prep. It's the perfect arrangement.

irregularegular · 05/04/2017 16:30

Essential I would say! For laundry and basically any cleaning jobs that are not to do with food prep and serving. I'd much rather not be soaking stained clothes, or cleaning muddy boots in the kitchen or with the outside tap if I can help it. Why wouldn't you have a sink there if you possibly can?

7Days · 05/04/2017 16:45

I'm in a simlar position. But the utility room is tiny. Theres no room for a tumbler or even a drying horse. But if i took out the sink they could be squeezed in. Which would you say is mot useful?

EineKleine · 05/04/2017 17:49

First tumbly, 2nd sink. Can you put a ceiling airer in?

didireallysaythat · 05/04/2017 19:13

Yes to a sink

(Not sure it helps but we stacked our tumble dryer on top of the washing machine , assuming that's in the utility room.....)

Kiroro · 05/04/2017 19:28

Can you stack the WM and TD? I got a stacking kit for mine for like £15 on amazon, plus am anti vibration mat for under the WM and it is a great use of space.

llhj · 05/04/2017 19:31

Can't imagine the point of a utility without a sink tbh.

namechangedtoday15 · 05/04/2017 19:38

I don't have a sink in my utility and don't miss it. Have a big sink in the kitchen (about 4m away!) and one in the downstairs loo.

My utility room is only small and for me, storage, laundry facilities (space for dirty laundry basket, smaller basket for clean laundry for each member of family) and worktop space (e.g. for microwave etc) was more important than a sink.

Am sure its a "nice to have" if you have space, but it wasn't a "must have" for me. It really depends what you intend to use it for.

Crumbs1 · 05/04/2017 19:44

The whole purpose of the utility is the sinks. We have two Belfast's that over the years have served for soaking vomit/diarrhoea and blood stained bedding pre washing, cleaning Wellingtons and shoes that are muddy or worse, wine making and tie-dying, defrosting large items from freezer, hand washing larger items, cleaning hamster cage and stick insect jar, as an extra ice bucket at drinks parties. I can't imagine coping without them.