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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:
SusannaSpider · 12/02/2021 06:51

My washer and dryer are in the downstairs bathroom (which I use as my main bathroom). It does have a partition down one side, it's fine never gave it a thought. I've always wanted one upstairs in a room with everyone's wardrobes, and racks for drying/airing. So clothes could go straight from dirty to washing/drying to wardrobe in the same room. Only problem is I like to line dry in summer so it would mean traipsing up and down stairs.

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

I shower and bathe in the room where I shit 🤷, what a strange argument.

IndigoGiraffe · 12/02/2021 06:51

.

Bmidreams · 12/02/2021 06:51

It used to be a double bedroom so I assume there's plenty of space. Its a great thing to do. Very practical. It would be nice to have it in a unit for aesthetics.

isthismylifenow · 12/02/2021 07:00

Growing up we always had the wm in the bathroom. Not in the UK but its the pretty much done thing here.

We didn't have a socket in the bathroom but my mum used to run and extension lead to the hall way socket. My (3) brothers would drive her mad as they just chucked their clothes straight into the machine when having a shower, instead of the basket. Smile. So that is the only downside that I can think of. The extension lead probably was not the safest option, but it was a top loader that didn't heat the water, so it was bucket of hot from the bath to help fill it when it was a grubby load. The tumble drier was next to it. It doubled up as a vanity for all the bath cleaner, shampoo, washing powder...

Practical over pleasant looking.... Smile

isthismylifenow · 12/02/2021 07:10

@whatisthislifesofullofcare

Nope. Who wants to fold clean laundry in a room where you shit?
The rest of the world don't seem to have an issue
Maslina3 · 12/02/2021 07:14

We have the washing machine in the bathroom, completely normal here. Surely dirty underwear where you cook is a lot worse than clean washing near a toilet.

redcandlelight · 12/02/2021 07:20

Surely dirty underwear where you cook is a lot worse than clean washing near a toilet.

or the other way round: cooking smells on freshly laundered clothing....

JamieFrasersSassenach · 12/02/2021 07:44

DM has washing machine and tumble drier (built in) in her downstairs bathroom - shower & toilet - was put in around 8 years ago whilst having a garage conversion so passed all planning regs then.

ItsIgginningtolooklikelockdown · 12/02/2021 11:46

Surely you just take the clean laundry through to the nearest bedroom to fold it on the bed?

Sgtmajormummy · 12/02/2021 12:09

I’ve gone back to having a wm in the kitchen and find it’s really disruptive, all that sloshing and spraying and the high-pitched spin cycles can be really annoying. Not to mention the time it spends on a cycle...
Much better to have it in a less-used room.

WombatChocolate · 12/02/2021 12:25

Thinking about it, the world over has washing machines upstairs and bathrooms are the usual location if there isn't a utility roo. The reason it's different here is most people's bathrooms are too small...that led to the trend developing to put them downstairs....and for the British is now simply the norm which most people do t question. So...in a downstairs utility if possible, but more likely in the kitchen. It's what we're used to and even if we have space in bathroom we don't choose it and builders don't make space for them upstairs in the UK as it's not what people expect. But yes,I can see upstairs makes much more sense......that's my revelation for today.

I have a large bathroom (agin used to be a big double bedroom in Victorian house) and only a small/medium kitchen which houses washing machine. Why on earth haven't we got it in the bathroom to give us more space for other things in the kitchen?!

Crazzzycat · 12/02/2021 12:36

One thing to check before installation is if it is possible to have a bath or shower while the machine is on. We had this set up when I lived abroad and it was great, apart from that we had to fit using the machine around when we’d be having showers, as with that particular set up we couldn’t do both. I’m not sure if that is always the case though

WanderingMilly · 12/02/2021 12:56

In Scandinavia all washing machines are in he bathroom, with the tumble dryer on top. I hated it, it made the bathroom crowded and weird to be having a shower/bath alongside the washing machine droning on. They said it was because if the machine leaked, the bathroom was easy to contain the water (floors were all on a slight slope so leaking water would drain into a drain hole) and not ruin the rest of the house. I personally thought that's what utility rooms were for....but not every house has one of those of course.
It would work OP, but I wouldn't do it myself if I had a choice.

MillieEpple · 12/02/2021 13:03

As long as you comply with electrical regs for safety reasons then i think it is a good place for a machine.

windmill26 · 12/02/2021 14:20

I am from southern Europe and we put the washing machine in the batroom or the utility room never in the kitchen.

TeaTimeReader · 12/02/2021 14:51

In Ibiza the flat I used to rent had a stacked washing machine & tumble dryer in the bathroom behind a door with the washing basket behind

Kotbullar · 12/02/2021 15:01

My laundry area is in the garage, I've not had a problem with icy pipes so far.
However parents have their washing machine in what used to be their downstairs bathroom, it still has the toilet in it.

Original poster
Iwantmychairback · 12/02/2021 19:19

@Kotbullar

My laundry area is in the garage, I've not had a problem with icy pipes so far. However parents have their washing machine in what used to be their downstairs bathroom, it still has the toilet in it.
To be honest, we have not yet actually had pipes ice up (that we have known about) but the instructions on the washing machine state that it shouldn’t be used in temperatures below 4 degrees due to the ice risk. I have used it at 2 degrees when I was desperate for clothes and it came to no harm, I’d just rather not have to take the risk, so bringing it inside would be easier.

It’s good to see that a fair few of you see no issue with having it in the bathroom. We are upgrading the central heating system this year anyway, so all the work could be done at the same time to avoid too much disruption.
We never run the washing machine whilst someone is showering anyway, and I’m not one for long hot baths. The bathroom is purely a functional room in this house.

Oh, and thanks to whoever suggested the rubber matting under the washer - that’s a very good idea!

OP posts:
johnd2 · 12/02/2021 19:44

The regs are minimum 0.6m from the edge of the bath or shower unless specified in the washing machine manual, and any socket must be 3m from the bath or any hard wired outlet must be 0.6m from the bath or shower edge. Ie you shouldn't be able to touch anything from inside the bath or shower.
All other sinks and toilets are not relevant other than common sense.
Personally i don't see what's good about in the bathroom other than being near the water and drainage but it's allowed if it's your choice!

mumwon · 12/02/2021 19:52

regard nearness to loo - do you clean your teeth in the bathroom or dry yourself with a clean towel?
my loo has a flush & a lid & when you unload washing machine presumably you empty your washing straight into basket & remove?
weird fixations - positively Freudian

BewareTheBeardedDragon · 12/02/2021 19:56

I used to have washing machine in a cupboard directly outside upstairs bathroom. It was fine, and the noise never bothered anyone even running it late at night. It was v convenient.

I have stayed in a holiday let which had washer in the downstairs loo, right next to the toilet. It was fine - no issue with washing touching the loo or anything.

If I had a big enough bathroom now I would def move washer upstairs again. I hate having it in the kitchen with food and potentially mucky floor.

pickingdaisies · 12/02/2021 20:03

We rented a flat abroad with the wm in the bathroom. It was brilliant. Out of the way, but convenient, nice clean tiled floor if I dropped anything. Now I've got it in my garage. I hate it in the winter, it's so cold! And I can't keep the floor clean, stuff comes in under the garage door. I would do it OP.

MenaiMna · 12/02/2021 20:26

Try a stacking kit (dryer on top) with a shelf between but you'll want the dryer vented rather than condenser in a damp environment like a bathroom. The venting tube shouldn't be longer than 1.5m to outside as lint can build up in the pipe and be a fire hazard. If it's a really big room you could have a cupboard for the stack to hide it away. My bathroom was a long corridor loo room and medium size shower & sink room. I kept doors as is and had a square 85cm cupboard built to be used as the stacking laundry off the hall and next to it the large L-shaped bathroom. All the pipes in the same place with additional fill and waste for laundry added in the cupboard. It's very handy having the dirty clothes come off in the bathroom and being right near where they'll be washed. I find kitchen laundry a bit weird if you've got room in the house to avoid it.

GreeboIsMySpiritAnimal · 12/02/2021 20:37

We used to rent a house which had this and tbh it was easier. No carting laundry up and downstairs!

Mosaic123 · 12/02/2021 22:02

You could put the machine in a large cupboard and dry clothes inside it too. A wardrobe rail above the machine works well.