Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Property/DIY

Join our Property forum for renovation, DIY, and house selling advice.

Original poster

Washing machine in bathroom?

65 replies

Iwantmychairback · 11/02/2021 16:06

Has anyone done it?
It’s a large room, used to be a double bedroom, so it would be 3 metres away from shower and bath. What about toilet though? It would be fairly close to that. ( but not right next to it)
It’s currently in the garage, so I can’t use it in icy weather as ice can form in the drainage pipes. Nowhere to put it in the kitchen and no utility room. Do I just accept the fact that I can’t wash for weeks at a time in Winter?

OP posts:
chloechloe · 11/02/2021 17:38

It’s fairly common on the continent to have the WM in the bathroom. Although in the UK I don’t know if it would be possible given that they seem to have a major issue with plug sockets in the bathroom?

chloechloe · 11/02/2021 17:40

I’ve just checked (as have you I see!) and given the 3m rule it should be fine.

ItsIgginningtolooklikelockdown · 11/02/2021 17:42

I think it's a great idea if can be done safely - even my ds would manage to lift his clothes off the floor in the bathroom and put them in a machine in the same room!

Sprig1 · 11/02/2021 17:42

What about a garage heater? We used to have a tube heater in our tack room just to take the edge off and stop things freezing. That would probably be easier/cheaper and nicer than having a washing machine in your bathroom. I also assume that the bathroom is upstairs? You may find that you get lots of vibrations through the suspended floor.

ireallyamthewalrus · 11/02/2021 17:43

An upstairs laundry room is my dream

Palavah · 11/02/2021 17:46

What's the 3m rule?

QueenOfLabradors · 11/02/2021 17:51

Where do you dress and get undressed? Where do need towels and bedding? To me it's a no brainer to have a washing machine and tumble dryer as near as possible to where the things that need washing most often are!

You could even have two machines, one in the bathroom for winter use and keep the one in the garage for summer when you'll be wanting to line dry things again.

AuntieDolly · 11/02/2021 18:04

I'd love an upstairs washing machine & tumble dryer. Makes complete sense to me.

Pinotpleasure · 11/02/2021 18:05

When we lived in Switzerland there was a washing machine with a (stacked) condensing tumble dryer on top of it in our good sized en-suite bathroom. (The apartment was built in the early 2000s).

When you opened the door the appliances were on the immediate left, facing you and to the right of them there was a tiled wall about 3” thick. On the other side of this wall was a full length bath with an overhead shower.

Facing the door on the opposite wall were two side-by-side sinks with cupboards underneath and above the sinks there was a huge mirror. Opposite the appliances and bath was a long triple-glazed window which you could open just a short way if desired for ventilation (although windows in most of Europe also open inwards for easy cleaning, as these also did). To the right of the door was the toilet.

The apartment had underfloor heating which was fabulous, including the bathroom which had a tiled floor. It was easy to just throw laundry straight into the washing machine. The plumbing is already there in the bathroom but as someone already mentioned, I’m not sure what the procedure would be regarding the electric sockets.

However.....the insulation was also excellent and soundproofing was great. I think we must have had fire doors as we never heard the washing machine on the fast spin cycle when we were in bed.

Bluntness100 · 11/02/2021 18:08

Personally I don’t like it. I don’t want to be in the shower or bath and looking at the washing machine, but if you’re ok with it, then I’d go ahead.

cautiouscovidity · 11/02/2021 18:09

Yes. I've had it before. Just make sure your floor is solid. If the floorboards are too thin, the washing machine will make a hideous racket and go for a walk on the spin cycle.

Jenjenn · 11/02/2021 18:12

I would love a washing machine and drier in the upstairs bathroom. It is very common to have these in the bathroom in the country where I am from. I would not worry about sockets. Surely the electrician can install suitable ones.

RedMarauder · 11/02/2021 18:12

I've lived in small flats in Europe with the washing machine in the bathroom.

I've also been around to people's homes in the UK who are South African and where they have remodelled a small property the washing machine (and tumble dryer) is either in the bathroom or a cupboard outside it.

In the UK I know if you put them in the bathroom you have to get an electrician to connect them and you can't have a normal plug socket.

Original poster
Iwantmychairback · 11/02/2021 18:37

The bathroom is actually downstairs (bungalow).
We would get an electrician in to wire it up as sockets aren’t allowed in bathrooms. I did think about noise, but it’s no worse than it being in a kitchen. We only run it during the day, so no problems there.
We did also think about heating the garage, but it is a big garage and we are on a hill in the moors so often have a howling Gale through the garage despite having every wind proofing known to man!
@Pinotpleasure that set up sounds perfect,

OP posts:
Original poster
Iwantmychairback · 11/02/2021 18:39

@Palavah

What's the 3m rule?
To comply with building regulations anything electrical shouldn’t be within 3 metres of a water source - bath shower etc.
OP posts:
titchy · 11/02/2021 18:42

It would need to be within a sturdy cupboard otherwise it'll vibrate all over the room!

CompleteBarstool · 11/02/2021 18:52

I've seen washing machines in bathrooms in a few places both here and abroad.

Here in the UK it's tended to be in smaller rented properties, for example my friend has a cupboard in her bathroom that has a tumble dryer above the washing machine (although I'm pretty sure you'd have to be careful about ventilation, heat etc if it's within a cupboard).

Original poster
Iwantmychairback · 12/02/2021 06:10

@titchy

It would need to be within a sturdy cupboard otherwise it'll vibrate all over the room!
Why would it need to be in a cupboard? It’s not in a cupboard in the garage. In my last house it was in a gap between two cupboards, not in one itself. Maybe my washing machine is lazy and doesn’t like walking.
OP posts:
redcandlelight · 12/02/2021 06:25

it's very common in many countries.
to have electric sockets in bathrooms is also common in other countries other than uk it seems

redcandlelight · 12/02/2021 06:27

if the machine is well adjusted the vibrations shouldn't becan issue.
and if they are you can get rubber mats or feet

PurBal · 12/02/2021 06:27

The best thing about my apartment overseas was having the washing machine in the bathroom rather 5han the kitchen. Just makes so much more sense.

Monty27 · 12/02/2021 06:32

There's the issue of not having a bathroom to relax in. Bubbly bath and candles wouldn't work for me amidst laundry issues 🤷

Ostryga · 12/02/2021 06:37

I am about to do this - washing machine and tumble dryer in a built-in cupboard in my downstairs shower room. I’m just putting it in a cupboard so I don’t have to look at it.

I’ve got a standard Victorian terrace, so tiny kitchen (bathroom is at the end of the kitchen) so I’m doing it to free up space for my fridge which is currently in the dining room.

whatisthislifesofullofcare · 12/02/2021 06:39

Nope. Who wants to fold clean laundry in a room where you shit?

Turniptracker · 12/02/2021 06:44

Can you create access from your hallway and use a bit of space from the bathroom to make a separate cupboard?